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One county has decided to use GPS tracking to make sure that it knows the whereabouts of its most precious cargo: its schoolchildren. The entire state may follow its lead, making it easier to keep up with the comings and goings of children state-wide.

If you’ve ever seen the children’s book series The Magic Schoolbus, you know that the theme of these books and cartoon is about how a (sometimes shrinking) schoolbus can take the class aboard to places most people cannot go, like inside the Earth for instance.

Well, the Magic Schoolbus would be no match for this GPS tracking system.

One official said there have been very few complaints since the tracking system was added to the fleet of 175 buses. How often can the spokeperson for a school system say that?

The technology has increased awareness of what buses are in which spot when, while at the same time it has decreased paperwork for schoolbus drivers. With all of the stress of driving a bus loaded with students, these drivers must certainly welcome the thought of having one less duty to perform.

Tracking has also given the school district the added advantage of saving money on fuel costs. As cash-strapped as many school districts are, saving on fuel is a great relief as well.

For those who are in charge of the budget, being able to show the top brass that they have found a way to shave expenses is also a boon. They plan to do routine analyses to compare the usage and do even more to improve efficiency.