1Introduction
Nanosoft Consulting LLC ("Nanosoft School Ride," "we," "us," or "our") is a professional school transportation company that operates bus fleets, employs CDL-licensed drivers, and contracts with school districts across the United States. We are committed to protecting the privacy of the students, families, school district staff, and drivers whose information we handle.
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and the rights you have regarding your data. It applies to all information we collect through our transportation services, our website at nanosoftschoolride.com, our parent communication portal, and any other services we provide.
We do not sell student data. We do not use student information for advertising. We collect only what is necessary to provide safe, reliable school transportation services.
By using our services or by your school district's execution of a transportation services agreement with us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.
2Information We Collect
We collect different categories of information depending on your relationship with us:
Student Information, Provided by your school district under a signed data sharing agreement:
- Full legal name, date of birth, and student ID number
- Home address and bus stop location
- Grade level and school assignment
- Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan transportation accommodations, where applicable
- Emergency contact information
- Medical alerts relevant to safe transportation (e.g., severe allergies, seizure history)
- Photo for driver identification purposes (with district consent)
Parent and Guardian Information
- Name, email address, and phone number
- Relationship to student
- Communication preferences
- Authorized pickup persons
Driver and Employee Information
- Name, contact information, CDL license number and class
- Background check and driving record results
- Drug and alcohol screening records (as required by FMCSA regulations)
- Training certifications and completion records
GPS and Vehicle Telematics Data
- Real-time vehicle location data transmitted from onboard GPS units
- Route start and end times, stop completion timestamps
- Vehicle speed, hard-braking events, and idle time for safety monitoring
- Bus camera footage (where applicable and per district policy)
3How We Use Information
We use the information we collect solely to operate and improve our transportation services:
- To plan, assign, and operate daily student transportation routes
- To verify student identity and ensure the right students board and exit at the correct stops
- To communicate with parents and guardians about route schedules, delays, and bus status
- To respond to safety incidents, accidents, or medical emergencies
- To comply with state department of education reporting requirements
- To comply with federal regulations including FMCSA, IDEA, and ADA requirements
- To manage driver assignments, scheduling, and performance monitoring
- To analyze route efficiency and improve service quality over time
- To investigate complaints, incidents, or disputes involving our services
We do not use student information for any commercial purpose, marketing analysis, or any purpose unrelated to providing transportation services.
4FERPA Compliance
Nanosoft School Ride operates as a "school official" under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, and its implementing regulations at 34 CFR Part 99. We access student education records solely to perform services on behalf of the school districts we serve.
FERPA gives parents and eligible students rights over education records. As a service provider to your district, Nanosoft School Ride is bound by the same FERPA obligations as the school district itself.
Specifically, we:
- Access student records only as directed by the school district for legitimate transportation purposes
- Do not disclose student education records to third parties without the district's written authorization, except as required by law
- Maintain student records with the same confidentiality standards required of the school district
- Return or destroy student education records upon termination of the transportation services agreement, as directed by the district
- Notify school districts promptly of any unauthorized disclosure of student education records
Parents and eligible students wishing to exercise their FERPA rights (including the right to inspect, correct, or request deletion of records) should contact their school district directly. The district is the custodian of education records and will coordinate any requests with us.
5Information Sharing
We do not sell, rent, or trade student or parent data to any third party. We share information only in the following limited circumstances:
- With Your School District: We share all student transportation data with the contracting school district. The district controls this data and we act at their direction.
- With Service Providers: We may share limited operational data with technology vendors (e.g., GPS providers, routing software vendors) who process data on our behalf under binding data processing agreements that prohibit them from using data for any purpose other than providing services to us.
- As Required by Law: We may disclose information to comply with court orders, subpoenas, legal process, or government investigations. We will notify the contracting school district to the extent permitted by law before any such disclosure.
- In an Emergency: We may share student health or location information with emergency responders (police, fire, EMS) when necessary to protect the health and safety of a student or other individual.
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all of our assets, student data will be subject to the same privacy protections under any successor's policies, and school districts will be notified in advance.
6Data Security
We implement industry-standard technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect all information we hold:
- All data in transit is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher
- All data at rest is encrypted using AES-256 encryption
- Access to student data is role-based and limited to employees who need it to perform their job duties
- All staff with access to student data complete annual privacy and security training
- Our systems undergo regular third-party security assessments and penetration testing
- We maintain an incident response plan and will notify affected school districts and parents within 72 hours of discovering a data breach involving student information
- GPS and vehicle telematics data is stored on secure servers with access logging enabled
Despite these measures, no security system is completely impenetrable. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted over the internet. We encourage parents and district staff to use strong, unique passwords and to report any suspected unauthorized access to us immediately.
7Children's Privacy
Nanosoft School Ride fully complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. §§ 6501–6506, which protects the online privacy of children under age 13.
- We do not operate any website, app, or online service directed to children under 13
- We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 through our website or digital platforms
- Student information is collected from school districts and parents, not from students themselves
- We never use student information for advertising, behavioral profiling, or any commercial purpose
- If we discover we have inadvertently collected personal information directly from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly
We never market to students. No student's data is used for any purpose other than getting them safely to and from school.
8Your Rights
Depending on your role (parent, guardian, district administrator, or driver), you may have the following rights with respect to your personal information:
- Right to Access: You may request a copy of personal information we hold about you or your child.
- Right to Correction: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Right to Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to our obligations to retain records for legal compliance, safety incident reporting, and contractual purposes.
- Right to Restrict Processing: In certain circumstances, you may request that we limit how we use your information.
- Right to Data Portability: You may request that we provide your data in a portable, machine-readable format.
Parents and guardians seeking to exercise rights over student education records should contact their school district, which will coordinate with us. Parents and guardians seeking to exercise rights over their own personal information (contact details, communication preferences) may contact us directly using the information below.
We will respond to all verified requests within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing requests to protect data security.