NORMAL - For the most part, school busing went smoothly across the region during the first week of school.

Still, Normal-based Unit 5's superintendent would like to see a GPS system introduced where students scan on and off the bus - something he says would improve the system further.

Unit 5 and other districts also noticed increased bus ridership produced by increased enrollment and higher gas prices.

In Unit 5, two children were in the wrong place at the wrong time. A second grader who was to be at Glenn Elementary School in Normal was transported to Pepper Ridge Elementary in Bloomington, where he was initially registered. He was reunited with his mom at Glenn when the mistake was identified.

In the other case, a child was bused home instead of being dropped off at childcare center as planned. Superintendent Gary Niehaus met with the mother and Pepper Ridge principal on Friday to address the mistake.

Everyone was more comfortable after coming up with a solution, Niehaus said. "It's still very scary," he said of the potential of a parent not knowing where a student got off a bus.

That's one of the reason he thinks it's so important for the district to have a "scan- on" and "scan-off" system. Such a GPS-connected system would make it possible to locate a child on any bus route immediately, he said. The school board is expected to discuss it Wednesday at Glenn Elementary School.

About 9,000 students were bused to and from Unit 5 schools each way during the first week, estimated Unit 5 spokeswoman Dayna Brown.

In El Paso-Gridley School, a district where roughly 700 students rode buses, there seemed to be a few more high school riders this year, perhaps because of gas prices.

The first week had "a really smooth start," said interim Superintendent Don Hahn. The district started classes Monday.

Last year, some EP-G parents were upset when students were bused to different schools to balance class sizes. This year, the district realigned some things and didn't have to do that, Hahn said.

Classes will be dismissed daily at 2:30 p.m. until Labor Day as a heat precaution, Hahn said.

In Bloomington District 87, where the first full day was Friday, there were more elementary bus riders because enrollment increased by about 200 in the first week, said David Wood, the district's chief financial and legal officer.

In Downs-based Tri-Valley, Superintendent Curt Simonson said the bus routes flowed very well in the first week. Only one route was being re-evaluated to "best meet everybody's needs," he said.