Mercedes Independent School District
School administrators and the transportation department faced a critical lack of real-time bus tracking, compromising the safety and efficiency of student transport. This gap in logistics significantly hindered their ability to provide exact bus locations to first responders in emergency situations, putting student safety at risk.
Premier Wireless’ suite of ConnectED Bus solutions, including Crosswalk K-12 and cellular-based 2-way radios, provided Mercedes ISD with real-time GPS, student ridership information, and a robust communication system.
Premier’s ConnectED Bus solution significantly enhanced the district’s ability to quickly locate a bus and improved overall communication for Mercedes ISD. This enables the district to respond efficiently to daily needs and effectively in emergencies, maintaining constant and reliable communication with all buses. Additionally, integrating digital maintenance checklists and streamlined reporting processes has further improved operational efficiency and readiness.
During long commutes to and from school or sporting events or while on field trips, Mercedes School District could not pinpoint the exact location of their buses. This became an issue after a major accident involving one of their buses; no one could provide the precise location to police or emergency personnel. The delayed response increased the safety risk for the students and created extreme worry among school staff and teachers. The Rio Grande Valley of Texas district needed a way to keep track of their buses and improve communication.
Mercedes School District partnered with Premier Wireless to implement the ConnectED Bus suite, focusing initially on Connectivity and Communication. This suite features a range of advanced technologies designed to enhance student and driver safety and improve communication across drivers, the transportation department, and school administrators.
Mercedes’ Transportation Director, Adan Vallejo, highlighted the transformative role of GPS technology on their buses, describing it as a “game changer” for tracking and locating buses during emergencies. This technology enables dispatchers to monitor all buses in real time and efficiently dispatch the nearest bus to any required location.
Additionally, the update to the district’s communication systems addressed the limitations of their outdated radios. The new ConnectED Bus Communication solution includes cellular-based 2-way radios, which not only extend the range of communication but also improve sound quality and provide versatile communication options, such as one-to-one and one-to-many communications.
"It’s become incredibly easy for us with the routing system because now my Routes Technician just monitors the buses on the screen and as the calls are coming, he can locate and route them in a split second to different parts of the city. I also look forward to consolidating some of our routes based on the data we are collecting. Data gathered will also be used to improve our state report and will improve our overall routing."
Mercedes School District intends to leverage GPS data from daily bus routes to optimize and streamline inefficient routes, thereby reducing operational costs. Additionally, the district is rolling out the student ridership feature of Crosswalk K-12, enabling school staff and parents to monitor when students get on and off the bus, ensuring all students are accounted for, especially if they miss their bus or try to get off at the wrong stop.
"I think we’re one step ahead of the game by having the ConnectED Bus solution for our district. We have the system in place because student safety is our priority. I think there’s a need for it across the nation."
The ConnectED Bus suite is a comprehensive school transportation solution.
Contact Premier Wireless today to see how we can help.