Nanaimo school officials are buying software that will help the district plan more efficient busing routes.
Trustees decided at Wednesday's board meeting to spend up to $50,000 left over from this year's transportation budget on the software.
The decision is the result of a recommendation made in a transportation review conducted earlier this school year.
Pete Sabo, the district's director of planning and operations, said one of the key features of the system is designing efficient routes based on all of the variables such as where the students are coming from and bell times.
"It helps us integrate the bus schedule with the school operations, making sure we've got the least amount of cost with the best service," he said. "It really is a choreographed system where the computer can help you find efficiencies that it takes a while for humans to figure out."