DeKalb| In the wake of a missing Oregon boy, Kyron Horman, who never returned home on the bus after a school science fair, new tracking systems have been implemented in various school districts throughout the nation.

These tracking systems are designed to track students’ whereabouts and whether they board the school bus.

In Palos Heights, School District 128 students swipe ID cards when they get on and off the bus. This system utilizes GPS technology and has the capability to track which stops students get off.

In DeKalb, School District 428 students ride First Student buses. “First Student is required to equip its buses with GPS systems and it pays for those systems itself,” said Brenda Jergens, DeKalb School District Transportation liaison. “We didn’t notify parents of the GPS systems, but we did tell them that each bus is equipped with video cameras and audio systems.”

In Sycamore, School District 427 owns its own buses from Midwest Transit. “Midwest Transit has security cameras and audio surveillance,” said Kreg Wesley, Director of Operations for the Sycamore School District. “We do a good job on tracking our kids by having the bus drivers know their students, but right now implementing a GPS system is just not cost effective for our small school district,” Wesley said. “We looked into these GPS systems but they are quite costly and with these tight times we just can’t afford them.”

Wesley also has a second-grade daughter in the DeKalb School district who rides its buses. “I was not informed personally about the GPS systems in the buses but I know we are required by law to post signs on each bus that states audio and visual surveillance is taking place,” Wesley said. “I think it’s a tool to make our kids be safer on school buses.” He also went on to say that these systems help monitor not only child bullying, but also if there are any instances of harassment from a bus driver to a student.