VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach City Public Schools has begun using the school bus tracking app Zum to improve safety, transparency, and "peace of mind for parents," according to a release from the district.
Zum, which is available in Apple and Android app stores, will allow parents to track their child's school bus route in real time, and can send notifications on bus location.
“Families in our division deserve top-notch student transportation, and we are excited to partner with Zum to provide an exceptional experience,” said VBCPS Superintendent Dr. Donald Robertson Jr. “I am confident this new tool will help us continue to deliver reliable bus rides for our students and peace of mind for our parents.”
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VBCPS says Zum will also make bus routes more efficient using "sophisticated routing software," that includes a live map. Bus routes can be adjusted in real time to avoid traffic issues.
"With real-time tracking and dynamic routing, we are better equipped to ensure safe and on-time rides for our students, even when unexpected challenges arise," said James Lash, executive director of Transportation and Fleet Management Services.
On the Apple app store, Zum says it aims to bring "flexible, efficient, connected and sustainable student transportation to school districts, communities and families across the United States."
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The app has more than 3,000 ratings on the Apple App Store with an average rating of 4.7 stars (out of 5). The Google Play store reports more than 50,000 downloads with an average rating of 4.2 stars.
VBCPS recently began using the app and encourages families to get on board, with a full roll-out of the app in the 2025-26 school year.
