As the school year begins to wind down, new technology to make buses safer for students is only ramping up. 

At Allatoona High School, drivers have been using Edulog and Samsara to make daily bus pickup and drop-off more efficient and safer. 

For the first time, parents can track their student’s bus location in real time. This means families can see if a bus is in traffic or experiencing a delay, so students don’t have to wait outside for extended periods. 

Now, families will know exactly when their child needs to meet the bus and when it will arrive home at the end of the day.

Additionally, this makes life easier for longtime drivers like Tammie Bentley, who has steered one of Cobb's big yellow buses for 30 years.

"When you get to your stop, the screen pops up and tells you what students should be there. So, you always know who is supposed to be there," explained the long-serving bus driver.

Instead of relying on binders and stacks of paper with maps and student information, drivers can use a GPS-enabled tablet that tells them which students should be at each stop along their route.

"Overall, it's going to just make it safer. We're going to know where our students are all the time," said Allatoona Transportation Field Coordinator Brooke Hyde.

Edulog: Family communication and routing

• A new parent portal, replacing Here Comes the Bus, provides transportation information in one place 
• Improved routing and scheduling to support efficient service 
• Time and attendance features help ensure accurate transportation records

Samsara: Bus safety and reliability

• Real-time GPS tracking to support accurate route information 
• Turn-by-turn navigation and electronic route sheets to help drivers stay focused and informed 
• Continuous monitoring of bus health, including engine diagnostics that alert maintenance staff to potential issues 
• Digital vehicle inspections that reinforce daily safety checks before buses are on the road 
• Dual cell services improve connectivity and mitigate the risk of service interruption

This new technology rollout from Cobb Schools combines Edulog and Samsara to give parents a transparent view of their child’s bus location while adding a layer of security for drivers through more detailed information about the students on board.

Hyde and Bentley said a major advantage of this technology is how it helps substitute drivers who are less familiar with each student and route. They will now have an easy way to ensure every student on board is accounted for, regardless of who is driving that day.

While the new technology was first rolled out at Allatoona, transportation updates are now expanding to Harrison, Kennesaw Mountain, and North Cobb families. 

With practice and feedback taking place in the final months of the school year, Cobb families will start the 2026-27 school year with transportation technology that enhances safety, reliability, and the overall experience for drivers and families.