Why isn’t my bus included if my / my child’s school is part of the bus card pilot program?
Only buses serviced by Zum Services, Inc., are part of the program as that transportation provider has the required hardware and software readily available.
What will happen after the bus card pilot program ends?
The pilot program is being conducted through the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Following that, HCPSS staff will evaluate the ridership data, as well as feedback from school administrators, students and families, bus drivers and Zum staff. Expanding the student bus cards program will be dependent on the pilot evaluation, funding, and other criteria.
How can parents/guardians see their child's bus card ridership information?
Parents/guardians will have access to their student’s ridership information via the Zum app, which many families already use for bus pickup/drop off information. The Zum app is available for free download on the Apple Store and Google Play.
What if a student forgets or loses their bus card?
No student will be denied bus service if they lose or forget their card.
If a student forgets their bus card, the driver can manually enter them as being picked up or dropped off. Parents/guardians may opt to attach their child's bus card to their backpack to avoid forgetting it at home.
Can my / my child's bus card be tracked?
No, the bus cards cannot be tracked outside of getting on or off a bus.
Tapping a bus card on the card reader records the student boarding or disembarking the vehicle. Outside of that, cards cannot be used to track or follow a student's whereabouts.
What information is displayed on a bus card?
Zum Bus Cards hold unique codes assigned to a student. The cards have the student’s first name and last initial printed on them to help with identification in case they are misplaced.
When and how will students get their bus cards?
Students who are part of the bus card pilot program will receive their cards at school.
Zum Bus Cards are uniquely assigned to students and cannot be shared. Students will be provided with information on using the cards prior to the first day of use.
What schools were selected for the bus card program and why?
The schools selected currently receive bus service from Zum Services, Inc., which has the required hardware and software readily available.
Full details on the student bus card program are available online.
What is the bus card pilot program?
HCPSS is conducting a pilot program for a student bus identification card at several HCPSS schools that are serviced by Zum Services, Inc., which has the required hardware and software readily available.
Identified bus-rider students will be provided with an RFID (radio-frequency identification) Card, on which a student’s assigned bus is stored on a contactless chip in the card that will be scanned when a student gets on and off their bus.