Route Optimization
Turn student enrollment data into efficient bus routes, rosters, stops, and printable route sheets with automated optimization and a free 90-day setup.
Learn More →All-in-One School Bus Software Platform
UniteGPS brings routing, live GPS tracking, parent communication, student ridership, driver tablets, and SIS integration into one practical platform for K-12 transportation teams. Built from real district feedback since 2014, Crosswalk helps reduce calls, document rides, simplify substitute driving, and create dependable routes without forcing your team into disconnected tools or private-equity software models nationwide.
Our School Bus Software Services
UniteGPS unifies the essential software tools districts need to route, track, communicate, document, and improve transportation.
GPS Tracking
Monitor every bus in real time with 5-second location updates, mileage tracking, speeding alerts, idle alerts, geofences, and timestamped history.
Learn More →Parent App
Give parents real-time bus visibility, ETA details, ride history, and optional scan-on or scan-off notifications without charging families separately.
Learn More →Ridership Tracking
Document which students boarded and exited each bus using card swipe records that support safety, audits, IEP transportation, and parent communication.
Learn More →SIS Integration
Keep routes, stop assignments, and ridership records aligned with district enrollment data through automated Student Information System synchronization.
Tablet Suite
Equip drivers with onboard tablets for turn-by-turn navigation, student tracking, vehicle inspections, mileage categories, and advanced parent notifications.
Learn More →One Platform for Safer Routes
Crosswalk brings the daily work of school transportation into one connected system, so districts can stop jumping between spreadsheets, paper route sheets, parent calls, and disconnected tracking tools. From the first route build to live bus visibility, student scan records, and billing-ready IEP documentation, UniteGPS helps teams run safer, clearer, and more accountable transportation operations.
District Success
See why K-12 districts and transit teams rely on UniteGPS for dependable transportation technology.
Why Choose UniteGPS?
UniteGPS gives districts practical software, transparent tiers, and a team committed to long-term results.
Crosswalk combines routing, GPS, parent tools, tablets, ridership, inspections, and SIS sync.
Unified Platform
Crosswalk combines routing, GPS, parent tools, tablets, ridership, inspections, and SIS sync.
Founder-Led
Built from real district feedback since 2014, not investor mandates or short-term extraction.
Data Protection
FERPA compliant workflows help protect student records, parent communication, and transportation data.
Live Support
Unlimited live support means transportation teams get help without ticket queues or delays.
Meet the UniteGPS Team
Founder-led transportation software built from real district needs.
Christopher Bunnell
Co-Founder
Christopher Bunnell is a Co-Founder of UniteGPS, the company he helped launch in 2014 after watching his own children wait in the freezing Maine winter for a school bus with no arrival information. Driven by that firsthand frustration, Chris partnered with Steve C. Lanning and Steven J. Lanning to build a real-time GPS tracking solution that gave families the visibility they deserved. Before UniteGPS, Chris served as the on-site client representative in Baltimore for a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project, while the technical team operated remotely from California. At UniteGPS, Chris has led client relationships and stakeholder engagement since day one, ensuring the platform continues to solve real problems for school districts and transit agencies nationwide.
Steve C. Lanning
Co-Founder
Steve C. Lanning is a Co-Founder of UniteGPS, bringing deep database architecture and enterprise-level technical expertise to the platform since its founding in 2014. Steve previously served as an Oracle database administrator on a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project at the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego, where he first collaborated with Chris Bunnell. In the early years of UniteGPS, Steve balanced the project alongside other professional commitments until growing client traction made it a full-time pursuit. His database expertise has been instrumental in building a reliable, scalable platform that now serves over 100 school districts nationwide, supporting everything from route optimization to student ridership tracking and SIS data integration.
Steven J. Lanning
Co-Founder
Steven J. Lanning is a Co-Founder of UniteGPS and the primary architect behind the Crosswalk platform, which he has built and continuously refined since the company's founding in 2014. Steven began his career on the same Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project as his co-founders, focusing on solution quality assurance and software testing for production readiness while simultaneously pursuing formal software development training. When UniteGPS launched, Steven committed full-time to product development, translating real feedback from transportation directors and drivers into practical platform features. His customer-driven approach to engineering has helped UniteGPS grow into a fully integrated transportation management solution trusted by K-12 districts and transit agencies across the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an all-in-one school bus software platform?
An all-in-one school bus software platform combines the core tools transportation teams need in one system: route optimization, live GPS tracking, parent communication, student ridership records, driver tablets, inspections, and SIS integration. UniteGPS Crosswalk is designed so districts can start with routing essentials and upgrade into GPS or tablet features as needs grow.
How does UniteGPS help with school bus route optimization?
UniteGPS uses student enrollment data to create efficient bus routes, rosters, stop assignments, and printable route sheets. The platform helps replace paper maps, Google Maps, or one person’s route memory with a structured routing system. A free 90-day setup is available, with routes built for you by the UniteGPS team.
Can parents track their child’s school bus in real time?
Yes. The UniteGPS parent app shows families where their child’s bus is in real time, including ETA and timestamped ride history. Basic real-time parent tracking is included in Tier 2, while advanced ridership notifications, such as student scan-on and scan-off alerts, are included with the Tier 3 Tablet Suite.
How often does the school bus GPS tracking update?
UniteGPS GPS tracking updates every 5 seconds and works even when the ignition is off. Transportation teams can monitor bus locations, mileage categories, speeding, idle time, geofence activity, and historical timestamps. This helps answer parent questions, investigate disputes, and manage fleet performance with reliable data instead of guesswork.
How does student ridership tracking work?
The student ridership system uses card swipe on/off tracking to document which students rode which bus and when. These records support safety audits, parent notifications, bus stop verification, and IEP transportation documentation. In Tier 3, ridership tracking runs on the same onboard tablet used for navigation and inspections.
Does UniteGPS integrate with student information systems?
Yes. SIS integration is included in every UniteGPS tier at no additional charge, with configuration handled during onboarding. The integration syncs student enrollment data into routing and ridership workflows, reducing manual roster uploads and keeping routes, stop assignments, and records aligned when students move, change schools, or update transportation eligibility.
How much does UniteGPS school bus software cost?
Pricing depends on the tier and fleet size. Routing Essentials starts at $49 per month for 1–5 buses, $98 per month for 6–15 buses, and $196 per month for 16+ buses. GPS Tracking & Routing is $25 per bus per month, and Tablet Suite software is $39 per bus per month, plus hardware and data costs.
Is UniteGPS FERPA compliant?
UniteGPS is FERPA compliant and built specifically for K-12 transportation workflows involving student records, parent communication, and ridership history. The platform helps districts protect student data while giving authorized staff practical tools for routing, tracking, documentation, and communication. Privacy and compliance are core requirements, not add-on features.
Still Have Platform Questions?
Connect with our team for answers about pricing, setup, and fit.
Awards and Recognition
Protects student transportation data privacy.
Proven across K-12 transportation departments nationwide.
FERPA Compliant
Protects student transportation data privacy.
100+ Districts
Proven across K-12 transportation departments nationwide.
Bootstrapped Partner
Founder-led and built without investor pressure.
