Bus routing is not just “connecting the dots” between home and school. The routing process must take many different factors into account, including maximum bus capacity, maximum riding time for students, and start/end bell times for schools.

As a parent, efficient bus routing is important because it ensures your child is safely transported between home and school. That's right — the school bus your son or daughter takes to school every morning is the safest vehicle for him or her to ride in. With high seatbacks, bright flashing lights, giant mirrors, and easily discernible yellow coloring, school buses ensure your child is protected during their commute.

Bus routing is a complicated process and one of the most important elements for the success of a school district's transportation department. Taking time to understand the complicated process behind school bus routing is critical for school districts. After all, bus fleets are what bring students to and from school.

Let’s be honest, when you were a kid, was there really anything better than finding out school's cancelled? Be it rain, snow, or a water main break, the reason for a school cancellation mattered not — only that you got to stay home. Few things can compare to the bliss children feel when they know there’s no school tomorrow.

Yet as a parent, finding out that school has been canceled can really mess with your day. Suddenly, you have to find a babysitter for your son or daughter. And if you rely on your school’s hot lunch program, you need to make sure your child has a nutritious meal for the day.

While you can’t stop Mother Nature, you can have up-to-date information about school cancellations so you have time to plan ahead.

One of the most important decisions you make as a parent is choosing great schools for your children. You want your son or daughter to learn about math, science, music, and art but you also want your child to grow socially and to learn about how the world works.

If you’re a mom or dad with school-aged kids, chances are you’ve heard of bus tracker apps.  In case you didn’t get the memo, here’s a quick summary: Bus trackers, like SafeStop, are smartphone applications that enable parents and caregivers to track their child’s school bus in real-time.

Today’s parents have a lot of choices when it comes to how their children are educated — traditional public schools, a variety of private and religious schools, home schools and publicly-funded charter schools.

Most people are familiar with and understand that the primary difference between private and public schools is how they are funded. Unlike private schools that require you to pay tuition for your child’s education, public schools are entirely funded through federal, state, and local taxes.

Charter schools are an entirely different breed of school. In fact, they are actually independently-run public schools that operate according to their own guidelines, while still meeting certain state and federal standards.

As a parent, it is important to know your child's whereabouts. In today's society, many moms, dads and other caregivers rely on cell phone technology to track their kids' whereabouts. But have you ever used a school bus tracking app like SafeStop to track your child's school bus? While it is true that you can text, call and even monitor your child's location using a smartphone, this is not the most reliable and efficient method when your child is riding the bus to school.

Some parents view bus tracker apps as redundant — why use an app when you can text or call your child? First, cell phone signals aren't always reliable. Additionally, what if your child forgets their cell phone, has it stolen by a bully or forgets to charge it the night before? And how does texting, calling, or tracking your child’s cell phone prevent you from missing the school bus in the morning?

No one wants to hear that their child is acting aggressively toward other children. If your child steps over the line more than once, you may wonder how to tell if he or she is a bully.

We talked earlier about the types of bullying. But what is bullying, and how do you know if your child is involved?

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, bullying is undesired, aggressive behavior among students that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to repeat. Children who bully, and who are bullied, may suffer the consequences throughout life.

Not long ago, the idea of cameras in public places, cars and school buses seemed like science fiction. However, in today’s world, surveillance cameras provide a much-needed service to society. In many cases, the presence of a surveillance camera is enough to deter unruly behavior and prevent bullying or harassment on school buses.

Imagine you have a choice to send your child to school on Bus A or Bus B. Bus A has a surveillance camera that is set to record every morning and afternoon while Bus B has no camera. Which would you choose? Given the fact that 1 out of 4 students is bullied, you would be right to send your son or daughter to school on Bus A.

Whether you’re a parent concerned about your child’s safety, or a school superintendent looking to cut costs, it is in your best interest to understand what constitutes an appropriate school bus.

While you may know that federal law requires school buses to have certain coloring and markings, you may not realize that school buses can vary in length. Some people believe that larger school buses (regardless of whether they have seat belts) are actually safer in auto accidents than smaller vehicles. The belief is that a larger bus absorbs more force after an impact than a smaller bus.

Bullies have existed since the dawn of humanity and they aren’t going away any time soon. However, as a parent in 2016, it’s important to understand the different types of bullying and the warning signs that your child may be a victim.

When you were growing up, bullies did things like give “Indian” burns, wet willies and swirlies, or knock your books out of your hands. Yet like everything else in this world, bullying has evolved. That’s not to say it’s better or worse than it was years ago — it’s just different.