When a child gets on the bus, he or she swipes the ID card at an electronic scanner located at the front of the bus that instantly records the student’s identity and presence. The rider then repeats the process when leaving bus, so the system can record that he or she is no longer on board.

Children were instructed to attach their tags and ID cards to a loop on their backpacks for easy access, Dobbs said.

“We’ve been using the paper tag system for several years. But we were looking for a way to make it better, and this seemed like an interesting approach,” Dobbs said.

Alarm systems ensure ‘no child is left behind’

The story of a Radford, Va., child left unnoticed on a parked school bus has prompted school officials there to order additional alert buzzers that require drivers to go to the back of the bus before getting out—a strategy to avoid overlooked children.

On Aug. 28, Kaine Claytor, a sixth-grader at Belle Heth Elementary School, fell asleep during his ride to school and awoke alone hours later inside his bus parked in a transportation yard. He got out and walked three miles home, missing class.

Radford Superintendent Becky Greer issued a news release Aug. 31 saying her review of the incident was complete. “Following this incident, we have ordered alert buzzers for each bus that was not already equipped with this equipment,” he statement read.

Greer said she ordered five additional buzzers, which are designed to make a sound that can only be shut off by walking to the interior rear of the bus. Now, all of the district’s buses are equipped with the technology.

Kellie Deal, Kaine’s mom, reacted with joy when she heard about the decision.

“Awesome,” she said. “It’s a great thing, not just for my child, but for every child and not just in Radford. I think it should be everywhere.”

Greer, in her news release, wrote: “Perhaps this incident will guarantee the safety of all students in the future.”

Radford officials did not return an eSchool News reporter’s telephone calls before press time, so it was unclear which specific system the district installed. But several manufacturers make these types of on-board reminder systems.

Alarm-Tronics of Wisconsin, for instance, sells the Bus-Scan child reminder system, which activates a tone for the driver to begin a seat check once he or she turns off the ignition. If a switch at the back of the bus is not pressed within one minute (or another pre-set time), the bus horn will sound. Child Check Mate Systems of Ontario, Canada, makes a similar system.

Other manufacturers make alarm systems that can detect when a child is behind the bus or in another blind spot and then alert the driver.