LEBANON, Tenn. (WTVF) — For many parents, it can be a guessing game as to when the yellow school buses will officially arrive.
“We have so many working families that rely on their children to be able to attend school,” said Bart Barker, a spokesperson for Wilson County Schools.
So Wilson County parents will soon be able to open the yellow app and get answers. It’s called “Here Comes The Bus.” The school system will provide parents with a login code so they can know when the bus is expected to arrive at their home or school.
“We are very excited about this added layer of communication and peace of mind for families riding the bus,” Barker said.
Of course, knowing where your child’s school bus is is great information for parents, but it’s potentially dangerous information if it falls into the wrong hands. That’s why Wilson County wants to do its due diligence.
“We don’t want any unintended consequences from the app,” Barker said.
By design, the app won’t show you specific turn-by-turn routes until the bus approaches your home or school.
“But this is a great tool to let families know when the bus is coming. So the bus is coming,” he says.
The app will be a few months away from being officially rolled out in Wilson County.
“It takes a lot of intensive logistical work behind the scenes to upload the right data: street names, routes, everything like that,” Barker explained.
But once the service actually launches, the yellow bus mystery game may be solved, at least in part, by the yellow app.
“Will there be growing pains with this app? I’m sure there will be, but we will grow as the app is released,” Barker said.
Wilson County is not the first county in the central state to launch the app. Similar services are available to parents in Williamson County schools.