As Miami-Dade County Public Schools prepare to welcome back tens of thousands of students next week, the district took its fleet of school buses on a test run Monday.
Besides ensuring the buses are mechanically sound, the test run was also a chance to test out all of the new features coming to the fleet this school year.
Among the high-tech upgrades, buses are now equipped with GPS tracking to help parents keep track of how the bus route is going. Buses will also be Wi-Fi enabled, allowing students to get started on their homework on the way home, or catch up in the morning en route to school if needed.
The district also tested for the possibility to add "flex stops" for magnet school students who aren't in a school bus service zone. If there is room, additional bus stops may be added to accommodate those students and their families.
The first day of school in both Miami-Dade and Broward is Monday, Aug. 24.
