PLEASANT HILL, Iowa — A school district here is rolling out an app to enable parents to track their children’s school bus.

Southeast Polk Community School District announced on Jan. 8 that it is launching the Here Comes the Bus app from Synovia Solutions. The program will be free for parents and authorized caregivers, providing real-time bus location via a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

The app displays where the bus is on a map, and it can send push notifications or emails when the bus is a certain distance from the bus stop. The information is encrypted and protected, so parents only receive information about the specific buses their children ride.

Synovia Solutions also supplies GPS tracking technology for Southeast Polk Community School District.

Dan Schultz, the district’s transportation director, said in the announcement that the app rollout involves activating two schools per month, with plans to have all schools using the new tool by May.

“Adding schools in stages allows our bus drivers to ensure routing accuracy within the Here Comes the Bus system,” Schultz said. “A positive customer service experience with the safety and well-being of student riders is our goal with this program.”