GPS tracking for LAUSD school buses is a great idea, but not always accurate, parents and drivers say – The 74

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In May, a new GPS system was introduced that allows parents of LA Unified State University members to track their children's bus routes through the LAUSD app to provide real-time updates and information on delays, but it has experienced glitches.

Several parents and bus drivers told the LA School Report that the feature is often inaccurate, causing confusion in already difficult pick-up and drop-off schedules.

“I checked yesterday and my daughter got on the wrong bus, so I was able to track her through my own Airtag,” said a parent of an elementary school child who rides the bus for up to an hour and 45 minutes each day. The parent asked to remain anonymous because of a history of confrontations with school officials when speaking out about education issues.

“However, when I checked the app to see where her bus was, the app showed me it was in Hollywood near Sunset before I realized she had gotten on the wrong bus. That was completely wrong,” the mother said.

Parents and guardians use a variety of means to track students on the bus, including Apple AirTags, cell phones and the district's GPS.

“It’s definitely helpful,” said the LAUSD GPS parent, “but with today’s technology and the school district’s budget, they can do even better.”

On a LAUSD parent's Facebook page, parents discussed bus delays as the school year began amid Tropical Storm Hilary and expressed frustration with GPS inaccuracies.

“Real-time tracking wasn't working on the app when my kids rode the bus last week. I hope it works at some point,” wrote one parent.

“I used the tracking system when it was introduced last semester. It was 50% accurate. I don't expect it to be any better this year,” commented another.

A district spokesman said Los Angeles Unified operates an estimated 2,700 bus routes covering 70,000 miles each day, transporting an estimated 43,000 students.

The new bus tracking feature was introduced as part of a series of updates with the latest version of the LAUSD 3.0 app, which is available in English or Spanish and allows, among other things, viewing the school menu and anonymously reporting criminal or suspicious activity.

“I don’t know anyone whose GPS works properly,” said John Lewis, who has driven an LAUSD bus for 30 years.

“I think it's a wonderful idea,” said Lewis, who has been driving about 50 students on his current route from the San Fernando Valley to middle and high schools in Central LA for seven years. “I have a new bus and it doesn't work. But the idea is great.”

Lynniere Boyd-Peterson, a LAUSD bus driver for 33 years, said GPS is a good tool in theory but has not yet had experience with how it works.

She said parents sometimes blame drivers for their children being late getting home because they don't stay on the bus route.

“A lot of our parents sometimes say things that aren't true,” Boyd-Peterson said. “And when they do that, the GPS can prove where we were. But if the GPS isn't working properly, it doesn't really prove anything.”

Los Angeles is known for its heavy traffic, and the district has a system in place where drivers who are 10 to 15 minutes late call and notify a dispatcher, who in turn sends a text message to parents and families.

However, some parents reported that these texts may be delayed and inaccurate.

“I have received text messages about delays, but usually after I have dropped my kids off at the bus or after the bus has already picked them up,” said the parent whose daughter wears an AirTag.

In an email to LA School Report, a district spokesperson denied claims of problems with the new GPS feature.

“Our systems currently indicate that the bus GPS functionality in the LAUSD app is at full capacity with no disruptions,” the spokesperson said. “The LAUSD app simply takes the GPS data from our buses and transmits that information through the parent portal.”

The spokesperson added that families having issues with the app should contact the district at transportation.division@lausd.net.

This article is part of a collaboration between The 74 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

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