LAFAYETTE, L.a. (KLFY) – The Lafayette Parish School Board is spending thousands of dollars to improve the way students get to and from school.

The Lafayette Parish School Board allocated $436,000 to purchase and install hardware and software for school bus route planning and GPS tracking.

The computer system will allow bus drivers to map out the most efficient route to pick-up students and get them to school on time.

Damon Evans, Director of Transportation for LPSS, described it as, “I’ve got 65 kids that need to get to school and they live on this particular route, this is the order that we’re going to pick them up and it tells the bus and the drivers exactly how to do it.

The Versatrans program, owned by Texas-based Tyler Technologies, would link data-collected software at the school board office to GPS and diagnostic hardware installed in each of the system’s buses.

The buses’ routes would be monitored, as would information on engine and electrical operation.

“We’ll know exactly where our buses are, how much fuel they’re using, how much idle time they have, what their time is on the road, and how much time they have from their last pick up to their schools,” said Evans, “That’s how truly we’re going to become more efficient with our routes.”

Gizelle Schexnayder has been a bus driver for 29 years.

“I think it’s a positive thing that will help everybody,” said Schexnayder, “That’s going to make our jobs a lot easier.”

The school board unanimously approved the purchase and the money will come from its capital improvements budget.

The technology will be implemented this summer.