BOONE COUNTY, Ky. — It’s an advancement in technology that allows families to watch their child’s bus in real time. “It’s essentially a Google map, might be centered around your house and you’ll see a little bus icon traveling around,” Director of Transportation at Boone County Schools Robert Barrix said. 

MyView, an app downloadable to a smartphone, will help families better track buses. Barrix said it’s a need they noticed during the pandemic with staffing shortages and trying to make sure all kids get to where they need to go safely.

“We’re no different than any other business that’s out there right now. We have a shortage of bus drivers. And when you’re short bus drivers, and we have to fill the seats and get the kids in the schools and sometimes we’ll have to do a double run or sometimes our runs will be a little later than we like — which creates a lot of inconsistency,” he said.

MyView goes live next week. Barrix said it’s a free download for parents and students with cellphones. They’ll receive an access code and will need some information on the student riding the bus to plug in to help get it all set up.

“They’ll have that visibility, a little more peace of mind, and it will also add to our student safety out there,” Barrix said.