SMART Tag FAQs

 

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. 

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 bus drivers and parents. 

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, discipline reports, maintenance requests, and other critical documentation. 

How does SMART tag benefit parents?

The SMART Parent Web Portal is designed to enhance communication between the transportation department 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.  Parents can also add or remove individuals authorized to pick up their children. 

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(if enabled), name, ID number, seat number, school, grade, and bus stop. 

Is student information stored on the SMART tag ID?

No information is stored on a SMART tag ID badge. 

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. Additionally, in order to minimize the manual review of students who misplace or forget SMART tag ID badges at home or school, those students possessing SMART tag ID badges will be allowed to board the bus first. 

The SMART Tag system is designed to ensure authorized ridership and help enhance the safety of students who utilize bus transportation. The SMART Tag enables monitoring of where and when students board or disembark a bus ensuring students only board their designated bus, increasing bus driver and parent/guardian awareness. 

It is mandatory for all bus riders to have their SMART Tag ID badge while riding the bus.

Transportation will notify parents when students fail to use their SMART Tag ID badge 3 times within a semester. For any further failure to produce the SMART Tag ID badge, students will not be allowed to ride the bus in the afternoon until a badge is obtained. 

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. 

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 respective campus front office or pay the $5 fee in Skyward.  Replacement badges are $5.00 each.  

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 $5.00 per badge at the child’s respective campus.

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 for $5.00 each at the child’s respective campus.

Do students need to register for transportation services each?

Yes, students must be registered for transportation services each year. In the event of relocation during the school year, parents will be required to call Transportation at 469-762-4162 in order to obtain updated bus routes and bus stops. 

If my child currently does not ride the bus, can I register my child for transportation services at any time during the school year?

Yes, a child may be registered for transportation services at any time during the school year.  To register a child for transportation services, you must first register your child below:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Nu_pUX6X2it0sMYzX4ul2gZf8Awb4ZZWgiMG3ytmXFk/edit

Will a student’s SMART tag ID badge still allow them off the bus with individuals from the Alternate Pick-up 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 (Pre-K – 1st 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. 

(Note:  The Alternate Pick-up List is for Pre-K through 1st-grade students who cannot get off of the bus without a parent, guardian, older sibling, or alternate person approved by the parent.) 

How will SMART tag determine the correct route/bus for students with multiple and/or alternating destinations?

SMART Tag route info for students will be input by Transportation, however, the driver will be able to manually override the information and add the student to the ridership roster from the student’s SMART tag ID badge.  Therefore, the student will only need one SMART tag ID badge.  

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 to be handed to the driver directly.

Is there a SMART tag app available?

A SMART tag app is currently under development.  Parents will be notified once the app becomes available. We ask that you use the Parent Portal until the app is available. https://parent.smart-tag.net/Account/Login

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. The portal may be accessed directly at https://parent.smart-tag.net/Account/Login, or by visiting the SMART tag website at www.smart-tag.net (click the Parent Portal link at the top right of the page to be redirected). 

Will parents receive a notification when their child gets on/off the bus?

If the parent has registered on the Parent Portal, and has opted to receive an alert/notification, yes.  SMART tag will deliver an electronic notification (text) approximately 10-15 minutes prior to pick-up and drop-off. 

Can parents track their child’s bus? 

Parents will be able to track their child’s bus once his/her student swipes his/her SMART tag ID badge upon boarding the bus.  Bus activity/tracking will remain active until the child swipes his/her SMART tag ID badge to get off the bus. Please note, parents must be registered to use the Parent Portal to view bus activity. 

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 it may take longer if there is a poor signal or the network provider is experiencing a delay/latency issue out of Forney ISD’s control. 

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. 

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. 

Will I receive an alert regarding inclement weather, bus accidents or other emergency notification through the SMART tag system?

No, the SMART tag system will not automatically provide weather-related or emergency notifications.  However, if there is a delay, Transportation will generally send out a notification on SMART Tag, informing students and parents.