The Overton County Schools considering bus routing software to help improve bus routes across the county.
Board Member Ricky Dodson said the school system has earmarked $139,000 that bus advertisement signs have generated since 2015 for the software. Dodson said the software would make bus routes more efficient.
“The regular buses would have a routing software because something happens and some of these guys quit that’s over there now,” Dodson said. “They don’t know whether the routes would not overlap each other. That bus or this bus runs to Livingston and this bus runs to Rickman he will handle them and vice versa.”
Director of Schools Donnie Holman said sometimes bus drivers are driving a route and a half and that the routing software could help the school system save some money.
“It looks at our whole district and where students are in the district and it will enable us to make changes in our routes,” Holman said. “Some routes of course might not change but I think one of the primary purposes of that routing software would be to look at it and look at all the information and try to be more efficient.”
Holman said several school districts in the Upper Cumberland use the software. Holman said the school board will further research the bus routing software before making a decision. The School Board will some of the revenue generated from bus-side advertising to pay for the software.
“I’m sure we will look and see at what some of the other districts have and the ones that they are the most happy with,” Holman said. “We will try to go with one of those.”
