Every Rider Accounted For: How Hawley ISD Reimagined Student Safety

Arlington ISD earned a 2026 Fund Excellence Award for its Transportation Safety initiative.

Just north of Abilene, Texas, you’ll find Hawley ISD—one of the smaller school districts in the state. Home to 750 students, Hawley ISD prioritizes community and communication. The well-being of students is a shared responsibility across the entire district and the families it serves.

This commitment is demonstrated through Hawley ISD’s Fund Excellence Award-winning transportation safety initiative.

With most families relying on the district to get their children to and from school safely, Hawley ISD leaders are committed to providing safe, efficient transportation.

A Move Toward Smarter Transportation Technology

Transportation operations that were once documented with pen and paper are now documented digitally, in real time.

“In addition to the elementary drop-off procedures where students are escorted to the buses by teachers, they are loaded onto the bus by my bus drivers and checked in through our tablet system,” said Chris St. John, maintenance and transportation director.

The GPS system is an onboard tablet solution that provides drivers with turn-by-turn directions, tracks bus locations in real time, and manages student rider attendance.

“The tablets have each student’s address and routes them accordingly, making sure everyone has an exact time, date, and geotagged location stamp for when they get on and off the bus,” Chris said.

The new system quickly improved safety and efficiency. Whether a child forgets which stop they are supposed to exit at or there are last-minute changes to their after-school plans, the tablet system keeps administrators informed and allows them to update parents immediately.

“So, when we get a call asking, ‘Where’s little Johnny?’ we can pull up real-time data showing exactly where he is on the route,” Chris said.

Improving Safety for Drivers and Students Alike

In addition to keeping staff informed, the system helps drivers prepare more effectively for their routes—and even for staff shortages.

Before each shift, the tablet prompts drivers to complete a pre-trip safety checklist, ensuring that no step is skipped. During routes, the names and photos of students assigned to each stop appear on the screen when the bus arrives, and the driver must check them off digitally. This significantly reduces the risk of error, especially for substitute drivers.

“I want to make sure my babies get home okay,” said bus driver and physical education teacher Clarissa Kapke. “Now I don’t feel as bad when I’m out sick because I know they’re going to get home safe.”

Accountability and Community Trust

These added safety measures give parents peace of mind and help build trust between families and the district.

“As a parent here, the thing that I value most is the safety of my kids,” said Mary Lou Segovia, parent of Hawley ISD students. “They have this new system, and it’s a huge improvement. I know where my kids are, and I never have to worry.”

According to Superintendent Cassidy McBrayer, the transportation safety enhancements were implemented with families in mind.

“We are responsible for the most important people in our community,” Cassidy said. “It’s about accountability more than anything and giving parents peace of mind.”