Case Study: Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District achieves real-time student tracking and improved safety with Zonar Systems

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District - Customer Case Study

Cypress‑Fairbanks Independent School District (Cy‑Fair ISD), one of the largest districts in Texas and the U.S. (about 80,000 students bused daily across 1,200 buses), faced major student‑safety and operational challenges: no electronic rider verification or telematics, limited visibility for parents, inefficient routing, and frequent substitute drivers unfamiliar with routes. The district needed a cost‑effective, scalable solution to identify who was on each bus, prevent students from being left behind or dropped at the wrong stop, and give parents and staff real‑time visibility.

Cy‑Fair partnered with Zonar to deploy a multi‑technology solution—V3 GPS, Z Pass RFID scanning, Z Pass+ parent app, driver tablets with Zonar Verify, Ground Traffic Control, RouteBoard and EVIR—integrated with Transfinder. Rolled out in phases with dedicated support, the system now verifies riders in real time, alerts drivers to exceptions, digitizes inspections and maintenance workflows, reduces parent calls, enables route consolidation (fewer buses/drivers), and freed funds for classrooms while significantly improving student safety and operational efficiency.

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District

Brenda Renken

Transportation Systems and Technical Analyst