Beginning Feb. 4, Virginia Beach City Public Schools is launching Here Comes the Bus, an app that enables parents and students to see on their smartphone in real time when their school bus is near their assigned stop - before or after school.

The app, which can be downloaded free from the App Store or Google Play, can also send emails or push notifications, or both, to each registered device and user. This multiple-user feature enables parents as well as students to sign up for accounts. Instructions on how to sign up for accounts are available on vbschools.com.

"We have 630 buses on the road each day transporting 45,000 students across 3,400 routes in the city," said Executive Director of Transportation David Pace. "While we are almost always on time, this app will provide our riders, as well as their parents, real-time tracking information - something which can be particularly helpful during inclement weather."

Here Comes the Bus also includes customizable features such as English, Spanish or French language preference or bus substitutions alerts.

School bus tracking is only available for regular education transportation and academy routes before and after school. In addition, when different buses or drivers are covering routes tracking may not be available. Students are expected to be at their bus stop 10 minutes before the designated time, regardless of bus tracking availability.

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Department of Communications and Community Engagement, [email protected]

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