Marietta schools to use badges to track students, help with COVID-19 contact tracing
MARIETTA, Ga. - It's a new way of keeping track of students. Marietta City Schools are giving all students new badges that will help parents know where they are. The badges will also play a key role in COVID-19 contact tracing.
It's a new way of keeping track of students. Marietta City Schools are giving all students new badges that will help parents know their whereabouts. The badges will also help with COVID-19 contact tracing.
Every time a student gets on and off a bus, they'll have to scan their badge. Their parents will receive a notification on their bus app.
The badges will be used on a daily basis as well as all field trips and sporting events.
"In the event of an emergency we'll know who was on that bus so we can contact parents," said Lance Johnson the Asst. Director of Transportation.
The badges will also play a major role in COVID-19 contact tracing. In the event of a positive case, school officials will be able to know who was on which bus at any given time.
"Right now we're spending about 16 hours a day with contact tracing throughout the district in collaboration with the Cobb and Douglas Public Health and the CDC," said Chuck Gardner, COO of Marietta City Schools.
The badges will help cut down the time it takes to do that dramatically.
"We'll be able to pull a report from the central office, let’s say it's bus 641, we can pull the roster and see who was on the bus and cross-reference with the seating chart," said Gardner.
Marietta School officials say it may be just a small badge, but it's helping to keep kids safe.
"For us, it's a whole 'nother world to know where our students are and give parents peace of mind," said Johnson.
Marietta City Schools are the only ones in the area using the bus tracking. The badges will be distributed this coming week, and the students will begin using them the following week.
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