The Cobb County School District has announced plans to introduce new transportation technology across its school bus fleet in a phased rollout beginning later this school year. The district, which transports more than 72,000 students daily using over 1,000 buses covering approximately 68,000 miles, aims to enhance student safety, improve communication with families, and increase the reliability of its transportation system.
According to the district’s statement, “Each day, the Cobb County School District transports more than 72,000 students across roughly 68,000 miles using the safest form of school transportation available—one of our 1,000+ school buses. Building on that strong safety record, the District is preparing to introduce new transportation technology designed to further enhance student safety, improve communication with families, and strengthen the reliability of our school bus fleet.”
The technology will be rolled out in stages to allow for smooth integration and to ensure all systems are functioning as intended before expanding districtwide. Families will receive ongoing updates about when the technology becomes available for their specific routes.
Two main systems are being introduced: Edulog and Samsara. Edulog will serve as a parent portal replacing Here Comes the Bus and provide features such as improved routing and scheduling for efficient service and student ridership tracking through badge scanning when boarding or exiting buses. It also includes time and attendance tools for accurate transportation records.
Samsara focuses on bus safety and reliability by offering real-time GPS tracking for accurate route information. Additional features include turn-by-turn navigation for drivers, continuous engine diagnostics that alert maintenance staff about potential issues, and digital vehicle inspections supporting daily safety checks before departure.
“Together, these systems strengthen the District’s ability to provide safe, dependable transportation while giving families more timely and accurate information,” according to district officials.
Safety remains a primary focus with this upgrade. The new technology provides real-time insights into bus location and vehicle health so that staff can respond quickly if issues arise. Families are expected to benefit from reliable updates within the district’s app once full implementation is achieved.
The district assures that regular daily routines will not change during this transition: “School buses remain the safest way for students to get to and from school, and daily transportation routines will not change as this technology is introduced.” Technology adoption will occur gradually across different routes; however, all routes will continue normal operations throughout the process.
Families will be notified about access details through official communications as their child’s route receives technological enhancements. “By investing in tools that enhance safety, communication, and reliability,” states Cobb Schools leadership,”Cobb Schools continues to prioritize what matters most: getting students to and from school safely every day.”
