Case Study: Columbus City Schools achieves real-time student tracking and improved driver accountability with Zonar Systems

Columbus City Schools - Customer Case Study

Columbus City Schools operates a large urban transportation system—764 buses serving 31,000 students with about 18,000 daily stops—where getting kids to school safely and on time is central to the district’s mission. Managing thousands of daily stops, long service hours and high parent/principal expectations created challenges in real-time visibility, inspection compliance, driver behavior and fuel/maintenance control.

By deploying Zonar’s Fleet Management System (HD‑GPS, V3, EVIR inspections, Ground Traffic Control, Z Pass and idle/emissions monitoring), the district now tracks buses and riders in real time, answers parent and principal inquiries instantly, and enforces inspection and speed compliance. Results include increased driver accountability, a 50% drop in speeding incidents after reporting, fewer breakdowns from better inspections, reduced idling (contributing to a Clean Air Award) and more cost‑effective routing and dispatch decisions—helping ensure students arrive safely and on time.

Columbus City Schools

Steve Simmons

Director of Transportation Services