Grades 1-12 started school last week while kindergarten students begin school on Tuesday — which is when they will be receiving their ID cards.
School Superintendent Margaret Marotta said that in the event a student gets off at the wrong stop, or they get picked up by a different family member, school officials can better inform their parents of their location.
"We can tell a parent exactly where their child got on and off the bus," she said.
The school district created a YouTube video explaining the new card swiping system and features commentary by Assistant Superintendent Michael Pfifferling.
In the video Pfifferling explains that the district's new Zonar Z Pass system allows approved district staff to identify who is on a bus, as well as when and where they got on and when and where they got off. He said the Zonar Z Pass system uses radio frequency identification (RFID) to track the locations of school buses, but not the location of passengers.
All general education students will be required to swipe their Z Pass ID cards when they get on or off a school bus.
The system does not track students once they are off their bus, Pfifferling said, but it does provide the district with information as to how many students are on each bus so that bus-loads can be better balanced and overcrowding minimized.
Pfifferling said each Z Pass card is programmed specific to each student and that lanyards will be provided to minimize the loss of cards. The district is providing students with a grace period during which they can board a bus without a swipe card until Sept. 8.
Students will still be able to board a bus in the event they lose or forget their ID card, however, they are asked to report lost or damaged cards to their school and to not share their passes with other students.
Pfifferling said the system is secure and that only approved district staff can view system data.
For transportation questions, email transportation@haverhill-ps.org or call Transportation Supervisor Liz Cannata; morning dispatcher Kristin Eldridge; afternoon dispatcher Michelle Toth, bookkeeper Matt Trull or bi-lingual clerk Maria Arce at 978-420-1921.
If additional support is needed after communication with the Transportation Department, contact Michael Pfifferling at 978-420-1977 or michael.pfifferling@haverhill-ps.org.
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