Humble ISD has implemented the SMART tag system for all elementary schools in the district. SMART tag  is designed to increase safety and security for students riding a school bus to and from school. All students will benefit from this program, whether or not they ride a bus daily. The use of the SMART tag system at this time will be to scan bus riders boarding or exiting a bus; however, we hope to utilize these identification cards for other uses such as field trips, cafeteria purchases, and library book check-outs. All elementary students are being issued the cards now so that our schools will be ready to expand the use of SMART tags in the future.

SMART tag is a student pass system that utilizes RFID technology and cloud-connected tablets, allowing for real-time, accurate information in a secure and affordable way. SMART tag will help us provide a faster-informed response to worried parents and guardians looking for their child. 

All elementary school offices and transportation dispatchers will have the ability to immediately “see” if the student got on a bus and where and when they got off, providing rapid and immediate information for parents.

For the system to work effectively, it will require students to touch their pass to an RFID reader as they enter the bus, and again as they get off the bus, allowing drivers to see each student’s picture on a green screen, indicating they are an authorized rider, or red screen, for a student who is not. This will prevent a student from incorrectly being transported on the wrong bus or getting off at the wrong stop. This is especially important for our younger students who often forget where their stop is or for sub-drivers who may not know students and their correct stops. 

SMART tag also has many other time and cost saving features, including (but not limited to):

• GPS - which allows parents who have the Smart Alerts app the ability to know when the student scans on and off and their locations.

• Allowing school administrators to identify where their buses are along on the routes and which students are on board in the event of an emergency. 

• Listing which bus stop a kindergartner/new rider is assigned to be dropped off, virtually eliminating incorrect drops.

• Allowing for immediate contact of emergency responders by the driver in case the bus radio is not functioning.

• Providing emergency alerts about medical and updates of students.

• An end-of-route student bus check reminder system.

• Giving parent/guardian authorization alerts.

• Remotely sending reports of bus issues to mechanics for quicker repairs.

• Issuing immediate reports for number of student names, busload counts, late buses, fuel use, speed reports, off route reports, and route times.

The system was invented and developed by a bus driver, so the actual needs of a driver and their students have been carefully planned within the system. Currently, there is no other system that can fully provide this type of detailed information for bus drivers.

We look forward to better serving our district families, schools, and community with this exciting new level of student protection technology.