A project by three Harrisburg High School students to map school bus routes using satellite technology drew accolades Tuesday from state lawmakers who said the project could serve as a model for the rest of Arkansas.
In testimony before the legislative Academic Facilities Oversight Committee, students Ryan Murphy, Jon Thompson and Morgan Reddmann described their project to use Global Positioning System, or GPS, satellite images to map the bus routes in the Harrisburg School District.
The maps will help the district maximize efficiency, minimize students’ travel time and promote safety, the students said.
The students are enrolled in the Environmental And Spatial Technology, or EAST, program, in which students create projects that combine math, science and technology.
Because of the students’ work, the school district expects to eliminate one bus route in the coming school year. The students said they compared bus routes and the locations of students’ homes and found ways to shorten and consolidate trips.
Classic “Cathedral and Bazaar” approach. Clusty GPS search.