KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- As students in Katy ISD return to school, the district is finding new ways to keep parents informed.
The district gave ABC13 an inside look at how it's using the app called Edulog.
Each of the district's 620 buses is now equipped with a GPS system that allows parents to locate their child's school bus in real time.
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"They'll be able to find out if it's in the community, if it's en route, if it's delayed or if it's at the school," Katy ISD spokeswoman Maria DiPetta said. "The app is very user-friendly, and best of all, it's free."
With about 26,000 students in the district being eligible for transportation, the district views this app as a more efficient way to meet parents' need to track their child's bus location.
It's important to note that the app will not tell parents if their child stepped off the bus early. It only keeps track of the bus itself.
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Parents will be able to receive push notifications that will alert them when their child's bus has entered their neighborhood.
Katy ISD says parents will also receive a unique code to download the bus tracking app so that the information about their child's location is not easily accessed by anyone else.