Presented by Transfinder
In Geary County Unified School District 475, Junction City, Kansas, the Transportation Department has made significant strides in optimizing bus routes with cutting-edge technology. Spearheading these changes is Kaye Fisher, the district’s Transportation Coordinator, whose passion for student welfare and operational efficiency has driven Geary County Unified School District 475’s successful upgrade from Routefinder Pro to Routefinder PLUS.
“I had no intentions, none whatsoever, to even take the transportation coordinator position,” she said. “But when I saw the seat empty and school was starting, I thought that somebody has to sit in that seat.”
The district’s move to Routefinder PLUS has been equally pivotal as the district navigates the complexities of student transportation, including a constant influx of military families from nearby Fort Riley.
“Up until about a year and a half ago, everything was good,” Fisher said, “but then Fort Riley changed some streets, built new housing, and that’s when we had to make some routing changes.”
Fortunately, Geary County Unified School District 475 is well equipped for the challenge: it operates 44 buses daily, a fleet that includes specialized routes for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and early childhood transportation needs.
The district’s large service area covers not only Junction City but also surrounding rural areas, sometimes requiring buses to travel up to 18 miles for a single student. The district’s transportation system is dynamic, accommodating the military relocations Fisher described as well as complex Special Education requirements.
To better manage this ever-changing landscape, Geary County Unified School District 475 upgraded from Routefinder Pro to Routefinder PLUS. Fisher said the decision was not taken lightly.
“Pro did what it needed to do, but there was too much point-clicking,” she said. “PLUS was all-inclusive. If you had to work on one thing, like new streets, you could just do it in one place.”
The intuitive interface of Routefinder PLUS eliminates the need to navigate multiple windows or perform extensive manual data entry. The upgrade has also shortened the time required to implement new routes.
“Before, parents had to wait quite some time,” Fisher said. “Now, we can have it done within a day or two.”
This efficiency proved especially beneficial at the start of the most recent school year.
“It was flawless compared to past years,” she said, with operations running smoothly right out of the gate.
The transition to Routefinder PLUS involved close collaboration with Transfinder and Geary County Unified School District 475’s IT department.
“They give you a trainer, and I worked with the trainer on a weekly basis,” Fisher said. “They wouldn’t have let me do it if they didn’t think I could, but it was because of their training.”
In addition to formal training, Fisher took advantage of resources in Transfinder Community, like open mic sessions where users could discuss challenges and share solutions.
“I was listening to other people out there and thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to need that,’” Fisher said.
At its core, optimizing bus routes is about improving the educational experience for students and easing logistical burdens for families. Fisher gave an example from the Special Education department.
“We had students who needed to get home quickly for their meds,” she said. “Being able to get a precise route and know in advance if it would work or not was crucial. It’s all about better communication for the kids and parents and knowing where students are at any given time.”