Routing software provider Transfinder Corp. has launched Stopfinder GeoAlerts, a parent-engagement app that informs parents about the location of their child’s school bus in real time.

With Stopfinder GeoAlerts, parents and guardians can create as many “alert zones” between a child’s school and along their route home as they wish, according to a news release from Transfinder. These alert zones will send notifications to parents when a bus enters or departs each zone, allowing parents to receive real-time data from Transfinder’s Routefinder solution.

In the past, Transfinder promoted third-party location apps to provide this information to schools through its marketplace. However, with the release of its own app, the company is now urging customers to select the Stopfinder solution to ensure proper integration.

“The GeoAlerts approach brings precision to one of the most important questions parents want answered: Where is my child’s bus?” said Transfinder CEO Antonio Civitella.

The app also allows parents and school staff to see bus substitutions, driver changes, and view a history of a child’s arrivals and departures. Additionally, parents have control to turn on or off various alerts.

“The key word when it comes to GeoAlerts is customizable,” Civitella added. “Parents set their own alerts and we give them the power to do it.”

Stopfinder GeoAlerts is located on the Stopfinder app, which includes Stopfinder Communication, the company’s two-way communication tool. Each functionality requires a subscription, according to Transfinder.

The Stopfinder app allows parents to chat with school transportation officials over a secure platform, including sharing photos and attachments. The app also allows school districts to send notifications districtwide as well as to specific groups based on grade, region, and other criteria.

In March, Transfinder made its Stopfinder Communication available to all school districts in North America free of charge for the remainder of the school year to assist with communications during the COVID-19 crisis. The company later extended its free offer until the end of 2020.

Learn more about Stopfinder.