Here Comes The Bus Mobile App
Know when your bus is approaching your stop!
Here Comes the Bus Mobile App
Welcome to Here Comes the Bus! Know when your bus is approaching your stop. Here Comes the Bus® app is a school bus tracking app that provides real-time bus location. This helps parents and students get to the bus stop on time. Here Comes the Bus® utilizes our GPS data and available on multiple devices.
How to Get Started
Using the app is EASY! You will need the FCPS school district code 28982 and a Student Information System (SIS) Parent Account. Contact your child's school if you do not have an SIS Parent Account. Please be sure to follow the detailed instructions below.
From a smartphone or tablet, download (for free) the Here Comes the Bus® app from the App Store or Google Play.
Please Note: If a new SIS Parent Account was created, please wait 24-48 hours before proceeding with the detailed instructions below.
- Open the app. Enter your email address associated with your SIS Parent Account. Do not use the Student Login or Sign Up links.
- Enter FCPS school district code 28982.
- Enter your password associated with your SIS Parent Account.
- Click 'Login', just below the password field.
- Next, you will be prompted to validate your account. Please click the Validation Button (the app will close). Next, log on to your email account associated with your SIS Parent Account.
- Please open the validation email from Synovia and click the validate account link. (If you do not receive an email, check the junk/spam folder) A browser window will open. Please close the browser window and return to the Here Comes the Bus® app.
- Repeat the previous login steps (Steps 1-4).
- Enter the name of your device.
- Close and log back onto the Here Comes the Bus® app.
- Under 'Students', you should see a list of your student(s) names.
- Confirm the information and you are ready to begin using Here Comes the Bus®.
Once signed in, you can customize or edit features, including how the app will communicate with you, and the size and location of the notification radius around your child's bus stop.
Helpful Tips
The app tracks the bus route, not the student.
Sometimes we make bus substitutions and this can affect the accuracy of the Here Comes the Bus® app. When a bus substitution is made, the Here Comes the Bus® app may not work.
Please note that no bus tracking service is 100 percent accurate; DO NOT assume the bus is not coming just because the app did not notify you! If in doubt about the arrival of a bus, please contact the Transportation office that supports your child's school.
The bus stop associated with your child for morning and afternoon bus service is the location you can draw the radius around; the app does not track after-school athletics or any other transportation we provide.
You must have your SIS ParentVUE Account information in order to use the app. If you need your SIS Parent Account information, you must contact your child's school. Transportation staff will NOT be able to provide this information to you.
Depending on your cell provider and coverage strength, notifications may be delayed due to bad cell phone reception.
Common Questions
How do I get to the app?
Here Comes the Bus is available for free in your mobile device app store for home computers, android, and iOS devices.
What happens if my regular bus is substituted with a different bus?
Approximately 15 percent of buses are subject to substitution on a daily basis. Here Comes the Bus will display a message that no information will be available for that morning, afternoon or full day. When the regular bus returns, Here Comes the Bus will provide the tracking information.
Why doesn’t Here Comes the Bus automatically update to show the substitute bus?
Automated substitution is under development and may be available in the future.
Is the information private and secure?
Here Comes the Bus uses HTTPS, just like a bank or online store, which means that all communications between your web browser and the site is encrypted and secure. (That’s what the S in “HTTPS” stands for–secure.)
How much does it cost?
Here Comes the Bus is available at no cost to all families. That’s right, it’s free for unlimited accounts for families! That means grandparents, babysitters, neighbors, and friends can share the data.
Do I need separate accounts for each of my children? Or separate accounts if we all want to be notified separately?
You and your children can access all the information you need using just one Here Comes the Bus account.
Separate accounts will NOT be needed. You may log into the app using your SIS Parent Account email address and password. Once signed in, click on 'Students' and you should see a list of your student(s) names. This can be a shared account. If each family member wants to be notified separately, click on 'Settings', then 'Contacts', and 'Add Email'.
Will I be notified if my child’s bus is running late?
The app will always show the bus location, whether it’s on time or late.
What if I do not see my student’s bus on the map?
Here Comes the Bus only reports within a one hour window of the bus stop. If the time is within the hour, the bus might be out of service for that day and display a message that: “Information for this vehicle is not available at this time, please try again later.”
Will this app work for my special-needs bus?
Yes, Here Comes the Bus works for both regular and special-needs school buses.
Does this app track late after school buses?
Here Comes the Bus does not track after-school buses at this time.
Does this app work for midday shuttles?
Yes, Here Comes the Bus works for midday shuttles.
How Does it Work?
Here Comes the Bus® uses global positioning system (GPS) technology to locate and track your child's school bus. It is powered by software from Synovia Solutions, which are experts at tracking data, which they have been providing to fleet managers across North America for over 15 years.