SMART tag FAQ
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What is SMART tag?
SMART tag is a full-featured system designed to ensure authorized ridership resulting in increased safety and security of students who utilize school bus transportation. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and cloud-connected tablet computers in each school bus provide accurate, near real-time information. Secured Mobility, LLC, a privately-held technology company located in Georgetown, TX, is the developer of SMART tag. Secured Mobility has more than a decade of experience in developing security software and hardware and deploying cloud-hosting infrastructure.
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How does SMART tag benefit transportation departments and school administrators?
SMART tag not only provides immediate information regarding which students are on which bus, it also automates a number of reporting functions for transportation department personnel such as state headcount and mileage reports. SMART tag also provides efficient communication between GPISD Transportation, Campuses, and Parents.
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How does SMART tag benefit drivers?
SMART tag provides a student profile with a photo ID to enable school bus drivers to perform their duties more efficiently and effectively while improving overall safety and security. It also automates seating charts, maintenance requests, and other critical documentation.
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How does SMART tag benefit parents?
The SMART Parent Web Portal is designed to enhance communication between the transportation department, campus, and the parents of student riders. SMART tag provides parents with improved security and leading-edge technology designed to keep students safe. Once registered in the online system, parents can easily edit their contact information including changes in home address and phone numbers. In order to add or remove individuals authorized to pick up your child, please contact your campus.
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What information will the bus driver be able to view when the student swipes his/her card?
The bus driver will be able to view the student’s picture, name, ID number, school, grade, and bus stop.
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Is student information stored on the SMART tag ID?
No information is stored on a SMART tag ID badge.
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Are SMART tag ID badges required to ride the bus?
Yes, in order to foster increased student safety and security as well as to provide a more efficient process of loading and unloading our buses, SMART tag ID badges will be required for all riders. Students possessing SMART tag ID badges will be allowed to board the bus first, in order to minimize the manual review of students who misplace or forget SMART tag ID badges at home or school.
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Will students be eligible to ride the bus if they lose or forget their SMART tag ID badge?
Yes, our drivers will not leave students unattended at their bus stop if a student forgets or loses his/her SMART tag ID badge. A lost SMART tag ID badge must be replaced immediately. Failure to use the supplied SMART tag ID badge will ultimately result in disciplinary action.
If a student does not have his/her SMART ID badge for three (3) consecutive days, the student’s campus will contact the parent. When a student receives the maximum number of warnings allowed, the student will be suspended from transportation services for the afternoon (PM) bus route only. Below is the maximum number of warnings allowed:
- Elementary students will receive three (3) warnings (12 consecutive days)
- Middle and high school students will receive two (2) warnings (9 consecutive days)
Example: If a high school does not have his/her SMART tag ID badge for three (3) consecutive days, the student will receive a warning and his/her parent will be contacted. If the student does not have his/her SMART tag ID badge for the next three (3) consecutive days (days 4, 5, and 6), the parent will be contacted again and informed that the student will be suspended from transportation services if the student does not obtain a replacement SMART tag ID badge within the next three days (days 7, 8, and 9). The student will not be allowed back on the bus until he/she has obtained a replacement SMART tag ID badge.
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Who should be contacted if a student loses his/her badge?
To purchase a replacement SMART tag ID badge, parents should contact their child’s campus.
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Will students receive a SMART tag ID badge every year?
Yes, each student who is registered for transportation services will be provided one (1) SMART tag ID badge at no cost at the beginning of each subsequent school year during back-to-school activities in August. Replacement/additional badges may be purchased at the child’s campus.
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Can I purchase additional SMART tag ID badges?
Yes, replacement/additional SMART tag ID badges can be purchased at any time during the school year at the child’s campus.
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Do students need to register for transportation services each year now that we have SMART tag?
Yes, students must be registered for transportation services each year. In the event of relocation during the school year, parents will be required to re-register their child for transportation services in order to obtain updated bus routes and bus stops.
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Will a student’s SMART tag ID badge still allow them off the bus with individuals from the Alternate Pickup List completed at the beginning of the year?
Yes, however, parents must go online to the Parent Portal and add the individuals that are approved to receive their student (Kinder - 2nd grade) from the bus. This is an additional safety feature for students. This information will be part of the student information that the driver can immediately view. Parents can change the list as needed up until 11:00 a.m. the same day. If a student requires transportation from Special Education, they will need to contact the GPISD Special Education Transportation Coordinator in order to make sure the drivers are alerted of alternate pickup changes.
(Note: The Alternate Pickup List is for Kinder through 2nd grade students who cannot get off of the bus without a parent, guardian, older sibling, or alternate person approved by the parent.)
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Can students get off at another stop in an emergency situation?
Yes, we ask that parents please contact the child’s school directly so that a bus pass can be issued for the student.
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Are notifications through SMART tag available?
Yes, electronic notifications (text alerts) are available through SMART tag. The parent must be registered for the Parent Portal to receive a notification. There is no cost to parents to utilize the SMART tag Parent Portal.
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Will parents receive a notification when their child gets on/off the bus?
The parent must be registered for the Parent Portal to receive an alert/notification. SMART tag will deliver an electronic notification (text) approximately 10-15 minutes prior to pick-up and drop-off.
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Can parents track their child’s bus?
Parents will be able to view their child’s riding history and receive text/email notifications regarding their child’s departure and arrival.
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Can a parent see when his/her child gets on/off the bus?
Yes, the parent can view a student’s ridership activity for the entire school year. If the parent wants to review the daily history, it will take a minute from loading/unloading the bus for SMART tag to update its records due to network connectivity. Parents should be aware that if there is a poor signal or the network provider is experiencing a delay/latency issues out of Grand Prairie ISD’s control.
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Is the information regarding a student’s bus location in real time or is it delayed?
There may be a one-minute delay to process the exchange of information between the SMART tag tablet mounted on each bus and the SMART tag main server.
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Can students be tracked anywhere else from their SMART tag ID badge?
Tags are manufactured with a 14-digit code. The RFID tag simply presents the 14-digit code to the SMART tag tablet RFID reader which only pulls from the student information associated with the code stored on the computer tablet. The badge cannot be read/tracked anywhere else or be read/tracked by any other product.
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Will I receive an alert regarding inclement weather, bus accidents other emergency notification through the SMART tag system?
No, the SMART tag system will not provide weather-related or emergency notification. Information regarding inclement weather, bus accidents, and other emergency notification will be provided by the Grand Prairie ISD administration via separate communication.