Summertime may be the time for camps, vacations and lazy days down the shore, but it is also a busy season for facilities and technology projects around the Neshaminy School District in preparation for the upcoming school year. This summer is no exception. The Neshaminy Transportation Department is extra busy maintaining and preparing their fleet of over 100 vehicles for state inspection, along with two additional projects:
BUS PATROL CAMERAS
Drivers who ignore school buses picking up or dropping off children at their stops will be facing steep consequences thanks to a new camera enforcement tool scheduled to be installed over the summer. Exterior cameras being installed on district buses by Bus Patrol, Inc. will record video of drivers who pass buses when the red lights are flashing, and the stop arm is deployed. Police from the municipalities within the district will review the video via a secure connection and issue appropriate citations for violations. The cameras will be maintained by Bus Patrol and installed at no cost to the district. The district, the police departments, and the company will each receive a portion of the fines to support the operation of the system and the cost to police of reviewing the videos and issuing the citations. In Pennsylvania, the fine to motorists for passing a school bus with flashing lights and the stop arm extended is $300.
The Neshaminy School Board has approved the system along with the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors. Additional municipalities and police departments in the district are also expected to participate.
NEW BUS APP
The Transportation Department is upgrading its bus route management and bus tracking systems over the summer. As part of that upgrade, parents and guardians will be invited to download a new app, Stopfinder, to track their students' bus and receive notifications of arrivals and departure times, bus changes and more. This application is available for both iOS and Android. The new application is being implemented over the summer, and Neshaminy parents and guardians should look for information about the new app in August. For security purposes, access to their student's bus and tracking information will be available only by invitation, which will be sent during the implementation process later this summer.
NEW DISTRICT WEBSITE
The district and school websites are getting a new look over the summer. The district is switching website hosting to Power School, one of the largest providers of data services to schools in the country. The district already uses several Power School tools to manage student and staff data, and the communications application used for email, text, and robocall blasts to Neshaminy families. The new website will reflect changes in the way that administrators, teachers, students, their families, and the community use the site. Important links to frequently visited pages and documents will be more prominent, and a simpler layout will make finding those resources easier on desktop computers, laptops and tablets, and mobile devices.
