LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Later this week, families with students in Jefferson County Public Schools are expected to gain access to an app to help keep tabs on their school buses, JCPS said.

The first version the district is rolling out is Edulog Parent Portal Lite, and district employees are already using it, according to JCPS.

“The employees can track where a bus is at a particular time,” said Mark Hebert, JCPS spokesperson. “They can see exactly where that bus is. What this version of this app does not do, it does not show the route that the bus is going, so we don’t know exactly what time the next stop will be.”

Users can put in a bus number and see its location on a map.

It’s information parents didn’t have on the first day of school, when some students got home hours late.

The district canceled classes for more than a week as it worked to make changes to the bus system. 

“Parents on the first day of school just wanted to know where their kid was, and so this app gives them that and will give them that,” said Hebert. “Those of us that work for JCPS, it gives us that information that we can tell the parent, your child is on the bus and it is at 42nd and Market and we’re not really sure exactly when it’s going to get to your particular bus stop, but we can tell you it’s on the move.”

At some point, the district will roll out a version of the app showing routes and when buses are scheduled to arrive, Hebert said.

JCPS said those trying to locate a student can call 485-RIDE.

The district is asking families to hold off on calling until the bus is 45 minutes late, to keep phone lines open for buses that may be running later than that.