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School Bus Manager

Name: School Bus Manager
Price: 1790 USD

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What School Bus Manager is

School Bus Manager turns student rider data into bus routes and trips with maps, directions, and stop times. Users can optimize or modify routes in seconds, while load balancing tools help identify route intersections and overlaps, adjust stops, and reassign riders. Staff can log attendance and monitor who is onboard, and routes can be rolled over from one school year to the next. Rider data can be imported from CSV or XLSX files and Department of Education files. ChildPlus users can export report 1527 and import rider data; compatibility is stated for ChildPlus version 4.6.0.0 or later. Android and iOS Driver Console and Parents App features include live vehicle tracking, attendance, ETA notifications, and real-time rider and vehicle locations. The service is available on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and the web. Its full 15-day trial has no limitations and requires neither a credit card nor a contract. Annual plans start at $990 a year for up to 500 riders, with a first-year startup fee. New subscriptions and renewals require a 12-month minimum commitment; the maker says it does not prorate or refund. Plans include unlimited users and roles, initial import help, staff training, support, updates, and nightly backups with up to one week of archives.

Who it suits

It suits school districts and transportation operations that need to build and adjust routes, manage rider attendance, and share vehicle locations with drivers and parents. The maker describes its pricing for operations of any size, with enterprise contact pricing for more than 2500 riders.

What it does well

Optimizes or modifies routes in seconds, with turn-by-turn directions and stop times.
Identifies route overlaps and supports stop adjustments and rider reassignment.
Imports CSV, XLSX, and Department of Education files.
Offers live vehicle tracking, attendance, and ETA notifications through Android and iOS app features.
Plans include unlimited users and roles, training, support, updates, and nightly backups.

What to know first

There is no free plan.
Lite is limited to 500 riders and costs $990 a year, plus a first-year startup fee.
New subscriptions and renewals require a 12-month minimum commitment; the maker says it does not prorate or refund.
Enterprise pricing for more than 2500 riders requires contacting the maker.

Limits

Lite supports up to 500 riders at $990 a year, plus a 199 USD one-time startup fee in the first year. Plus supports up to 1000 riders at $1,790 a year, plus a 359 USD first-year startup fee; Standard supports up to 2500 riders at $3,990 a year, plus a 799 USD first-year startup fee. New subscriptions and renewals have a 12-month minimum commitment, and the maker says it does not prorate or refund.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Plus	paid annually · up to 1,000 riders · $359 one-time startup fee in first year	$1,790 a year
Standard	paid annually · up to 2,500 riders · $799 one-time startup fee in first year	$3,990 a year
Lite	paid annually · up to 500 riders · $199 one-time startup fee in first year	$990 a year
Enterprise	more than 2,500 riders · call for pricing	On request

As schoolbusmanager.com lists them, read 15 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit https://www.schoolbusmanager.com/ and start the 15-day trial.
Import rider data from a CSV, XLSX, Department of Education file, or compatible ChildPlus report 1527 export.
Create or optimize routes, then adjust stops and assign riders as needed.
Use the Driver Console and Parents App features on Android or iOS for tracking, attendance, and ETA notifications.
Choose an annual plan based on rider count; contact the maker for more than 2500 riders.

Verdict

Choose School Bus Manager if your operation needs route planning, rider attendance, and driver and parent mobile tools, with a 15-day trial to evaluate the full product. Look elsewhere if you need a free plan or cannot commit to a 12-month subscription term.

Questions

Does School Bus Manager have a free plan or trial?

It has no free plan. The full trial lasts 15 days, has no limitations, and requires no credit card or contract.

How much does a plan cost?

Lite costs $990 a year for up to 500 riders, Plus costs $1,790 a year for up to 1000, and Standard costs $3,990 a year for up to 2500. Each has a one-time startup fee in the first year: 199 USD, 359 USD, and 799 USD, respectively.

What are the subscription terms?

New subscriptions and renewals require a 12-month minimum commitment. The maker says it does not prorate or refund.

Which platforms are supported?

The product lists Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows.

Can it import student or rider data?

Yes. Imports include CSV, XLSX, and Department of Education files. ChildPlus users can export report 1527 and import rider data; compatibility is stated for ChildPlus version 4.6.0.0 or later.

What does enterprise pricing cover?

The enterprise plan is for more than 2500 riders, and the maker asks customers to call for pricing.

Facts from School Bus Manager's own pages

Annual rollover: Routes can be rolled over from year to year. · schoolbusmanager.com, 2 Oct 2026
API and SFTP: Official product pages list SFTP and API data integration as available capabilities. · schoolbusmanager.com, 15 Oct 2026
API import scope: Waypoint says riders, vehicles, schedules, and stops can be imported through spreadsheets or an API. · schoolbusmanager.com, 15 Oct 2026
App data safety: Google Play disclosures state that the driver and attendance apps share no data with third parties and collect no data; the parent app states data is encrypted in transit and deletable on request. · play.google.com, 15 Oct 2026
Attendance: The platform records attendance and shows which riders are onboard. · schoolbusmanager.com, 15 Oct 2026
Attendance app listing: Google Play lists the Waypoint Attendance App with 10+ downloads for monitor attendance capture and says it requires Waypoint. · play.google.com, 15 Oct 2026
Backups: Plans include automatic nightly backups with archives retained for up to one week. · schoolbusmanager.com, 15 Oct 2026
Capterra feature evidence: Capterra shows route optimization and activity-dashboard features rated 5.0 from one feature reviewer, while attendance and student records each show 4.0 from one reviewer. · capterra.com, 15 Oct 2026
ChildPlus integration: ChildPlus users on version 4.6.0.0 or later can export report 1527 as CSV and import rider data into School Bus Manager. · schoolbusmanager.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company founding: LinkedIn lists 2017 as the founding year. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company headquarters: LinkedIn lists headquarters in Port Orange, Florida. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company legal name: LinkedIn identifies the business as School Bus Manager, Inc., a privately held software-development company. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company size: LinkedIn lists company size as 11–50 employees. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
Contract restriction: New subscriptions and renewals require a 12-month minimum commitment, with no prorating or refunds. · schoolbusmanager.com, 15 Oct 2026
Data import: Student data can be imported from CSV or XLSX files, with daily updates supported. · schoolbusmanager.com, 15 Oct 2026
Data imports: Users can import CSV or XLSX files and Department of Education files. · schoolbusmanager.com, 2 Oct 2026
Directions: Routes and trips automatically include turn-by-turn directions and stop times. · schoolbusmanager.com, 15 Oct 2026
Driver functions: The driver console offers voice-guided navigation, live tracking, attendance capture, and two-way driver communication. · schoolbusmanager.com, 15 Oct 2026
Drivers app listing: Google Play lists the Waypoint Drivers App with 50+ downloads; it provides navigation and attendance tools and is not standalone. · play.google.com, 15 Oct 2026
GPS tracking: The product offers GPS tracking, live vehicle location, live ETAs, and real-time attendance. · schoolbusmanager.com, 15 Oct 2026
Included service: Plans include unlimited users and roles, initial data-import help, staff training, free support, free software updates, and nightly backups with up to one week of archives. · schoolbusmanager.com, 2 Oct 2026
Intended users: The maker says its pricing is designed for districts or operations of any size, with enterprise contact pricing for more than 2500 riders. · schoolbusmanager.com, 2 Oct 2026
Limit: API reporting: One Capterra reviewer asked for expanded reporting options for API use. · capterra.com, 15 Oct 2026

Where School Bus Manager stands on Freedom251

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