Parent-Facing Questions
What is Zonar MyView and why might I need it?
Zonar MyView consists of a parent-facing application and a dispatcher portal for school districts. The self-service application enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. The web-based dispatcher portal allows school districts to manage their bus substitutions and gives them the ability to send informative messages to parents about late-running buses, closures, etc.
Zonar MyView is compatible on both Android and iOS, and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
How does it work?
Zonar MyView leverages the Zonar V4™ Telematics Control Unit to locate and track school buses. Parents create zones on a map within the app around their pick-up/drop-off locations for proximity-based alerts.
How often is map data updated? Will parents receive the notifications in near-real time?
Yes, parents will receive notifications in near-real time. With Rapid Response, the Zonar TCU creates a point every 10 seconds which is then relayed to the Zonar MyView application.
Can parents see the bus they select run the entirety of its route?
Parents can see the bus throughout the route as long as it is within the active time window.
If the parents selected more buses than what their kids ride, can they see and track any bus?
Parents can select as many buses as they need. For a zone to work, it needs to be matched with a bus, student, and days of the week.
If multiple buses go through the zone, do parents see each bus that goes through the zone or only their bus?
Parents will only see the bus they paired with that zone.
Can districts automate the zone creation for parents?
No, parents are responsible for creating their zones. Districts can create zones around schools or bus loops for arrival/departure alerts.
What if the bus enters the zone multiple times? Will the parent receive an alert every time the bus enters/exits the zone?
Yes, the parent can receive an alert every time. If they do not want to, they can setup certain time periods where they only want alerts (for example, alerts are activated 10 minutes before and after their child’s scheduled pick-up time only).
If a child has more than one pick-up/drop-off location throughout the week, can a parent create multiple zones?
Yes, parents can create multiple zones based on their child’s schedule. When creating a zone, a parent must enter the address or intersection. They will then name the zone and select the bus that is associated with that stop.
How large and small can the zone be?
The minimum zone size is 50 yards. The maximum zone size can reach up to 500 yards.
Is the information private and secure?
Yes, the data exchange between the mobile app and back-end services use HTTPS (like a bank or online store) which means that all communications between your web browser and the site is encrypted and secure.
Can parents share the data with other caregivers?
Yes, the primary parent can choose which student, buses, and schedule to share with other caregivers. Caregivers or secondary users cannot follow additional information other than what is shared with them.
Bus Substitutions
How are bus changes captured?
Bus changes are captured in the Zonar MyView back-end portal. Dispatch simply selects the “Bus Substitution” tab to edit the bus or route that needs changed. Once the change has been saved, this will automatically update the parent’s application to follow the correct bus for the day. The parent application returns to its default once the route has been completed.
Is there historical data on the bus exchanges?
No, Zonar does not currently have a report that shows a historical log of bus substitutions and who they were made by.
Will bus substitutions revert to the next day?
Yes, bus substitutions will revert the next calendar day.
Transition/Setup
Even though Zonar MyView is route agnostic, can it still be integrated with a routing system?
No, Zonar MyView relies on proximity-based alerts based off the Zonar TCU in each bus.
If we already have our data up to date, can we email this information to the myview@zonarsystems.com alias to start the transition process.
Yes, if your datasheet is filled out, please send to our transition alias to begin transitioning.
Will the user information be imported from SafeStop as well?
No, this will need to be setup by your administrator as passwords will be required.
Is the Student ID unique for each student?
Yes, the student ID is unique for each student in the district.
Will parents see this as a route number or a vehicle number?
This all depends on the district. When setting up a “Key” on the back-end portal, the district determines if they want to relay the route or bus number.
Will the vehicle be a GPS number or a VIN number?
The vehicle can be labeled however the district would like. Zonar prefers that districts keep the vehicle name/number the same as how it is in Ground Traffic Control.
Support Information
I had a SafeStop representative I worked directly with. Who will I work with now?
Your Zonar sales representative. Contact us if you need a representative to reach out.
Contact our Customer Success team:
- (877) 843-3847, #1
- customercare@zonarsystems.com
For immediate transition needs, contact our transition specialists.
Are there parent instructions for this app?
Yes, you will be able to find this information on the Support Site when available.
Should Zonar be the first line of support for parents?
Zonar recommends that parents reach out to their district for questions regarding setup, bus or schedule information.