Blue Springs School District upgrades bus radios for clearer driver communication

BLUE SPRINGS, MO — KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. Share your story idea with Claire.

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All Blue Springs School District buses now have new radios — and while parents may not notice the change when putting their kids on the bus, the district says it matters.

The buses have switched from old analog radios, which used frequencies, to Hytera cellular radios. The new technology allows for clearer communication between drivers and dispatch with no interference from other conversations.

Although the radios are cellular, they do not carry the same dead zone risk as a standard cell phone call. They also include GPS and long-range communication capabilities.

Steve Cook, the Blue Springs School District's assistant superintendent of operations, said the upgrade has already been tested on longer trips.

"A few weeks ago, our Blue Springs High School band went to St. Louis. Once again, the conversations that we can have as a driver, two, 300 miles away, it's a clear, it's very concise radio, so that when we're having those conversations, again, we're not having these conversations that break up," Cook said.

The radios in the buses are mounted while administration at each building has a hand-held walkie talkie.

With the new school year underway, the district is also reminding parents that it now uses StopFinder. Information on how to download the app to track your student's bus is available on the district's transportation web page.

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