Clovis Unified welcomes back over 40,000 students for new school year

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- More than 40,000 students headed back to school at Clovis Unified on Monday morning.

There were many changes this school year.

In addition to new bell schedules, back-to-school included an enhanced safety plan, increasing the speed and efficiency if ever in a lockdown situation.

But the safety enhancements went well beyond the campus.

Knowing where your student will now be as simple as a scan of their bus pass.

Bus driver Scot Hoffhous said, "It'll tell them, 'Yes, your student is there, or my child is there and yes, they just got off at Clovis East or wherever their school is'."

Already using the program for bus mapping, the Tyler Drive system will track which students are on which bus and where they're going.

"We know who they are, where they are at all times," Hoffhous added.

Assistant superintendent of business service Susan Rutledge said the initial $250,000 to implement the program was funded through the district's COVID relief dollars - as it helps with contact tracing - and will cost an additional $40,000 per year to maintain.

The onset of the pandemic meant each bus' capacity dropped from 68 to 40 students.

"When we ask for the counts it's going to be more efficient and let us know if we need to get another bus out to a certain stop," Rutledge said.

Of the more than 43,000 students headed back to the classroom, close to 6,000 will use the school's transportation system.

Eventually the district plans to have a component so parents can track where their student's bus is.

Some other changes Clovis Unified families will see: An expanded before and after-school program for at-risk students, and free breakfast and lunch for all Clovis Unified students, and expanded T-K and kindergarten options.