Memorial Middle School -

Sioux Falls School District Rolls Out Parent/Guardian App

Sioux Falls, SD  August 17, 2022 – The Sioux Falls School District and its transportation provider, School Bus Inc., owned by Harlows School Bus Service, announced today that it is launching a parent/guardian app called Stopfinder that will allow parents and guardians to accurately track their children’s school bus in real-time. The easy-to-use app is secured so only authorized users will have access to school bus information.

Stopfinder, which is tied to the district’s bus routing software, is free to parents and guardians and allows users to customize when they receive alerts about their child’s bus location. SFSD transportation leaders can target communications to specific locations in the city to communicate information that may only be relevant for that area. For example, if a road is closed and a bus will be late, only parents/guardians of students affected by that closure will be contacted.

Those in the child’s primary household will receive an activation invite today. At that time, smartphone users should download the FREE Stopfinder app to set up their student’s profile and enable GeoAlerts to receive push notifications as the bus approaches your stop location.

When a student “swipes” the Stopfinder card with its unique 7-digit number as they enter and exit the bus, information such as date, time, and location is transmitted to a secure database available for immediate access by parents, school, and transportation leaders.

Superintendent, Dr. Jane Stavem says, “We are pleased to be offering this service to parents and guardians in our district. Student safety is among our highest priorities. Stopfinder allows parents and guardians to be kept up to date about travel changes, delays, or weather situations. Knowing this information should provide additional peace of mind.”

SFSD Transportation Coordinator Missy Braak says, “This tool will help the transportation office become even more efficient and responsive because Stopfinder will answer that most important question parents have: ‘Where is my child’s school bus?’ The ability to see this information in real-time should strengthen the ties we have with our families.”

With 35 schools and 9,000 students who receive transportation services, implementation of the Stopfinder App is very complex and will be done in three parts.  We ask for patience as this is rolled out incrementally to families.  A staggered implementation allows the District and School Bus Inc. to better manage call volume, troubleshooting, and questions as they arise. Implementation is scheduled as follows:

First Day of School (August 25) – Any questions regarding the following schools, will be answered AFTER August 26.  Please go to www.sf.k12.sd and enter questions through the Let’s Talk Portal by choosing Transportation.

·         Susan B. Anthony Elementary

·         Lowell Elementary

·         Hawthorne Elementary

·         Cleveland Elementary

·         John Harris Elementary

·         Whittier Middle School

·         Edison Middle School

·         Axtell Park School

·         Jefferson High School - RISE & Trippers

Fifth Day of School (August 31) – Any questions regarding the following schools, will be answered AFTER September 1.  Please go to www.sf.k12.sd and enter questions through the Let’s Talk Portal by choosing Transportation.

·         Rosa Parks Elementary

·         Garfield Elementary

·         Laura B. Anderson Elementary

·         Terry Redlin Elementary

·         Hayward

·         Patrick Henry Middle School

·         Memorial Middle School

·         Lincoln High School – RISE & Trippers

·         Roosevelt High School – RISE & Trippers

·         Washington High School – RISE & Trippers

·         All Auxiliary Sites

Seventh Day of School (September 6) – Any questions regarding the following schools, will be answered AFTER September 7.  Please go to www.sf.k12.sd and enter questions through the Let’s Talk Portal by choosing Transportation.

·         Jane Addams Elementary

·         Discovery Elementary

·         Horace Mann Elementary

·         JFK Elementary

·         Laura Wilder Elementary

·         Oscar Howe Elementary

·         Renberg Elementary

·         Pettigrew Elementary

·         Robert Frost Elementary

·         Fee-Based Schools (Eugene Field, Sonia Sotomayor, R Frost, All City)

·         All ECH Sites

·         Ben Reifel Middle School

·         McGovern Middle School