JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County School District Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti is planning to implement a district-wide ID program that would let parents when their child makes it to school.
It might be a parent's biggest worry of the day - hoping their child makes it safely on the bus and then home safe.
"It is scary nowadays, my oldest walks to the bus stop,” said Anna Morrison.
Two of her three children go to school in Duval County Schools.
"I had to get my daughter a cell phone for that reason because the bus runs late, or there is an accident or something," she says.
The worry could go away for parents if a new plan is approved. Vitti wants to create a district-wide ID system. The ID's would serve multiple purposes.
“The ID system will empower the bus driver to know that the student that is getting on the bus should be on the bus and if there is an issue the student will be held accountable,” said Vitti.
Students would swipe their ID when they get on the bus and parents would be alerted when they make it to school. The ID would also track attendance and be used to purchase lunch and check out books. It’s a plan Morrison says is a good investment.
“I like this a lot. I think the purpose of it is a great idea,” said Morrison.
Right now, 49 schools in the district have some type of ID system.
Vitti says to make it a district-wide program would cost $1 million. Then an additional $250,000 for four years.
He says the ID are not an 'around the clock' tracker - so they would not keep tabs on where your child is outside of school.
“We would be one of the first districts to have a district-wide ID system and integrate that with our data system," he says.
This program could also help in emergency situations because they would know who's on the bus, Vitti says. This could also save about $1 million in administrative fees.