New App Alerts Minnesota Parents When Buses Run Late

MySPPS

A new smartphone app will make it much easier for parents in one Minnesota school district to know when their child’s school bus is running behind.

The MySPPS app recently released by St. Paul Public Schools notifies parents when school buses are running behind so they don’t have to worry when their child is not home at the normal time. The app will also be highly useful for making sure children are not left waiting in below freezing temperatures for unsafe time periods.

When drivers in the district are running late, they report that to officials in the district. The MySPPS app monitors those reports so that users are also notified when drivers call in to report running more than 10 minutes behind. It also alerts parents when buses routes are cancelled due to weather or other problems.

Users are able to add specific bus routes to their “Favorites,” and they can share any alerts or information received through the app through text messaging, email, Facebook, or Twitter.

The district will continue to post bus status information on the school district’s website.

The district distributed a brochure to help inform parents about the app, which notes that late buses can occasionally make up time later in the route so students are advised to still arrive at the bus stop at the regular time.