There are 2,369 students who take the bus to school in School District 8 (SD8). That’s 2,369 students the school needs to account for, to make sure no one gets left behind.

It’s a responsibility the school system doesn’t take lightly. 

Losing track of a student doesn’t happen often, but manager of operations for SD8, Janet Wall, said even once is more often than they would like. In any case, having a system in place will make relocating students much easier and faster.

Initially, SD8 was interested in the Zonar program as a way to trace students on buses, in case of possible COVID-19 exposure. If the district knows which bus an infected student rode — and when, where and how long they were on the bus — they would be able to contact exactly which other students were also on the bus at those times.

Here is CJLY's interview with Janet Wall: