The Transportation Information Management System (TIMS) is a unique collaboration between the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and the Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) at North Carolina State University. It is an ongoing statewide project that concentrates on maintaining and improving upon efficiency in school bus transportation at the district level. Each district operates standardized, comprehensive computer-assisted school bus routing and scheduling software. By maintaining student, transportation and street network data at the local level, district personnel have access to the most accurate and current data available. TIMS Support Staff at NCSU and UNC Charlotte provide daily software and technical support to individual TIMS data managers across the state.
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) utilizes TIMS data in the transportation funding formula to calculate annual transportation allotments for each local education agency (LEA). The funding formula accounts for distinctions between densely populated urban areas and more rural or sparsely populated districts in an effort to equalize the allocation process. Standardized software and reporting features allow comparative analysis among districts statewide and provide methods to measure compliance with state laws, regulations and policies concerning school bus transportation. An effective use of TIMS ensures a school bus routing plan that focuses on efficiency while maintaining student safety.
TIMS News and Announcements
New TIMS Extract Method (February 2021)
Due to North Carolina switching to the Core Contacts section in PowerSchool , the TIMS Extract must now be acquired from the Data Export Manager in PowerSchool instead of the traditional NCDPI Reports Section.
Below is the Announcement from PowerSchool Support from Friday, January 22, 2021. It contains instructions for Local PowerSchool Coordinators to complete.
Links for PowerSchool Coordinators:
Links for TIMS Operators:
TIMS Information and Staff Resources:
About TIMS
Information for new LEA transportation staff and the history of TIMS.
Historical TIMS Data
The Annual TIMS Service Indicators Report provides historical data and transportation measures related to school bus operations from each LEA across the state. 2006 – Present.
TIMS Contacts
TIMS Training, Assistance and Help Desk Services provide by support staff at NC State University and UNC Charlotte.
Annual Reporting Requirements (TDTIMS)
Information about the annual TIMS Audit and LEA Data Submission for the North Carolina of Public Instruction (NC DPI)
TIMS Training Information
Schedule of upcoming training courses, webinars, reporting due dates, conferences and events