District acquires 2 televisions for buses

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — Comal Independent School District (ISD) has acquired two Bus-Ed-Safe-TV (BEST) monitors to use as educational tools on its school buses.

The 26-inch LCD televisions can be easily removed and placed on different buses so more students can benefit from the technology, the San Antonio Express-News reports. The Comal Education Foundation paid for one of the monitors through a grant.  

According to Area Supervisor Christina Masterson, the district was looking at placing the monitors on routes experiencing behavioral problems. With the installation of the monitors, she told the news source, the number of discipline issues decreased.

The BEST monitors, which run through the radio system so that audio can be heard through six speakers placed on the bus, are used to show content from the History Channel, the Learning Channel, NASA Space Center, the Discovery Channel and a quiz show channel. The monitors can also be used to show the school district curriculum and programs on bus safety.  

Transportation Director Gus Rodriguez said he would eventually like to have five BEST monitors in operation. The technology would be used on buses at each of Comal ISD's three high school feeder patterns, according to the San Antonio Express-News.