The district’s new Zūm transportation system is changing how students ride the buses by bringing updated buses and a new tracking system while also creating challenges as riders learn new routes and procedures.

For freshman Alice Jordan, who rides the bus home Monday through Thursday, the most noticeable change was the bus’s appearance.

“My first day, I took a photo of the bus and sent it to all my friends.” Jordan said. “They were so pretty.” 

The district introduced  Zūm buses this school year as part of an effort to modernize student transportation. New technology, including student bus passes, is designed to make unloading the bus more efficient. Jordan says the bus passes speed up drop-offs because drivers no longer have to check students out individually at each stop. 

“I think the new bus system is more efficient to get home,” Jordan said. 

 While students have welcomed some of the changes, the transition has not been without problems.

Jordan said that no certain location of your bus has made dismissal confusing. She recalled missing her bus after having trouble finding its location.

“I’ve been calling you. Where’s the bus?” Jordan remembered asking a friend after realizing she could not find her route. By then, the bus had already left. 

Jordan had to call her friend’s mom to come pick her up. She believes clearer communication about where your bus is located would help students avoid this situation.

Despite those frustrations, Jordan said the bus service remains a reliable option for students who depend on school transportation.

“If your parents are unavailable, you know, a bus can take you home and it’s quick and easy and is air conditioned and you won’t die,” Jordan said.

Freshman Abby McCoy, who rides the bus every morning, said her first impression of the buses was positive because they were very modern and clean.

“One of the first things I noticed was that the buses still had their temporary license plate tags,” McCoy said.

Although McCoy likes having the new buses, she said the updated route system can sometimes be confusing.

“You have the bus number, and then you have the route number, and those numbers are very, very different,” McCoy said.

McCoy said the biggest challenge has been the bus passes. Students must scan their bus pass when leaving and boarding the bus, which McCoy thinks slows the process down.

“I just think it’s very annoying,” McCoy said.

Students may find this process annoying but  Zūm uses it to notify parents when kids board the bus and get to school or back home.

While many students have enjoyed the modern buses, the transition has also brought challenges. Earlier this fall, local news reports from KCTV5 highlighted parent concerns about late buses, route changes and tracking issues during the beginning of the school year. Haney said those early difficulties are part of adjusting to a new program. “I think they have some really great ideas that will be amazing once we get them in place. But, like many new technology initiatives, there have been many speed bumps this fall,” Haney said.