Transportation

Here Comes the Bus

Fort Madison Community School District’s Transportation Department is pleased to announce a new program Here Comes the Bus & Student Ridership for bus transportation will be available for the 2019/2020 school year. 

Fort Madison Community School District is launching an innovative app to keep your children safer and make your morning easier! With Here Comes the Bus, you and your child will receive alerts when the bus is near and you will also know your child got on the right bus and got off the right stop.

Here Comes the Bus Tops One Million Users

Trust has to be earned. And we’re proud to have earned the trust of more parents and administrators than any other school bus fleet management solution in North America.

Here Comes the Bus is the top-rated mobile app connecting and protecting America’s students, parents and educators.

Our app has more than a million downloads and earned rave reviews: 4.6 stars from more than 25,000 reviews on the Apple app store. All that success means we’re one of the top 25 apps in the iTunes app store under the education category.

Thanks to our intuitive app, seamless interface and outstanding customer service, we’re growing to connect and protect hundreds of thousands of families from Canada to California.

Why Connect? Why Protect?

Mornings can be a hectic time. Getting ready for work. Getting the kids prepped for school. So what if – at least when it came to making sure your kids make it to the bus on time – you could remove some of that stress?

No worrying at the office if they’re standing in the dark, or cold, for who know how long. No more worry if they’ve made it to school safely. And no more worry in the afternoons, wondering if they’ve made it home safely.

That’s the beauty of Here Comes the Bus.

Because with Here Comes the Bus both you and your children know exactly where the bus is. Which means you and your kids will know when it’s time to catch it. With our new Student Ridership option, parents will know whether or not their child made it on the bus, and if they did, at what time. And for parents, all this information can be accessed whether you’re at home or at work.

Safety for Your Children

No longer do your children have to wait in the dark, freezing temperatures, pouring rain or hot sun. With Here Comes the Bus parents will know when their child’s bus is arriving, reducing the time their children spend standing by the side of the road.

Savings for Your School

For transportation managers, Here Comes the Bus means children know when their bus will arrive, so there are fewer missed pickups, or delays, which means routes are run quicker, burning less fuel.

Service From Your School

No longer do parents need to call the school to check on the status of their children’s bus. It’s the kind of service that parents should expect in an era where technology allows for service and convenience like never before. It also shows parents that their district is committed to both safety and service.

How Does it Work?

With GPS (Global Positioning System) trackers now standard on most school buses, Here Comes the Bus translates that information into an easy to follow program, and customizable map, that works on either a computer, tablet or smartphone, which allows you to see where the bus is and how close it is to your home.

We also offer an app for smartphones and tablets, which is customizable, so notifications can be sent to you and your children letting everyone know when the bus is close. The technology that makes it all possible comes from Synovia Solutions and the software that they developed over 16 years ago to help companies better manage their fleets.

How Do I Get Started?

1. Download the Here Comes the Bus app or visit
   herecomesthebus.com
2. Click the ‘Sign Up’ button
3. Enter school code 29141 and click “Next” followed by
   “Confirm”
4. Complete the “User Profile” box
5. Under “My Students,” click “Add.” Enter your child’s last name
   and student ID number
6. Once you confirm your information, you’re ready to begin
   using Here Comes the Bus.

ID Cards

FMCSD students use ID cards for the lunch and bus systems and we are hopeful to give you some helpful information about the two systems.  

For bussing, the ID card is used to scan the student on and off the bus at their pickup and dropoff location. In cases of emergencies the students can be manually entered into the system, but the overall goal is to increase safety and timeliness of loading and unloading the buses. 

When the students have their cards for lunch the accuracy of the meal charges improve, as well as the timeliness of getting students through the line.  Again, students can still be manually entered if they forget their card, but the goal of the ID card system is to have each student scan their card under the scanner to provide quick and accurate meal service. 

All additional cards are $5 each – please notify your child’s school secretary if your child needs a replacement.

Transportation Requests

Board Policy provides for transportation services to all eligible students attending the school serviced by their attendance boundary.  An elementary or middle school student who lives beyond 2.0 miles from their school is considered eligible for transportation services.  Students who live within 2.0 miles, but are required to cross a main road such as Business 61, etc. without benefit of a traffic signal may also be considered eligible for transportation. 

 We understand that not all students who are eligible for Transportation Services choose to take advantage of those services; therefore, in order to create the most efficient bus routes, it is critical for us to know which eligible students will be riding the bus.  Please complete the form below and return it to your school office as soon as possible to secure Transportation Services.  

Transportation Request Form

If we do not receive a form, you will not be eligible to ride a bus to or from school. Students who do not have their school identification card to scan to and from the bus will not be transported. For those students who are involved in Athletics and will not ride during the season, or will otherwise only ride during certain times of the year, please complete this form as well.  If your transportation requirements change during the year, please notify us by submitting a new form or contacting the Transportation Department.

Bus Safety Document

richard.hand@fmcsd.org 

319-372-3099