5 Systemic Shifts Impacting Student Transportation

The school transportation industry is highly complex — and absolutely essential.

Districts have to navigate a myriad of issues, from managing the busing system to providing out-of-district transport to finding transportation that can accommodate kids with disabilities. With the help of technology-enabled options that can serve as supplements to school buses, districts across the country are better positioned to provide equitable, accessible, and cost-effective transportation to every student, every day.

EverDriven is the pioneer and leader in Alternative Student Transportation and works to provide equal opportunities, mobility, and peace of mind to the most vulnerable in our communities. Alternative student transportation can help districts supplement their current system, overcome bus driver shortages, and ensure students can get to school. Small-capacity vehicles like these can be used to transport students covered by the McKinney-Vento, IDEA, and ESSA acts, as well as out-of-district students and students in hard-to-serve areas. Alternative vehicles can also provide efficient service for multi-district trips, when using a school bus may not make sense.

"Safely transporting America’s children to and from school is the essential first step to providing them with an equal opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed."

- Mitch Bowling, EverDriven Chief Executive Officer

School districts currently face a combination of systemic, economic, and societal changes that are accelerating the demand for alternative transportation solutions. Some of these changes include:

Driver Shortage: Bus drivers are in short supply across the U.S., with 87% of school transportation professionals saying driver shortages are a major challenge.

School Choice: Parents and students are increasingly choosing schools beyond their neighborhoods, fueling the need for more transportation options.

Students Experiencing Housing Insecurity and Those in Foster Care: The number of students supported by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and ESSA continues to rise.

Students with Disabilities: The number of students with disabilities and therefore unique transportation needs continues to grow.

State Codification: More states are recognizing alternative transportation in their laws.

Alternative student transportation can help districts supplement their current system, overcome bus driver shortages, and ensure students can get to school. The industry considers student transportation to be “alternative” when a student is transported in anything other than a traditional yellow school bus, including:

Small-capacity vehicles like these can be used to transport students covered by the McKinney-Vento, IDEA, and ESSA acts, as well as out-of-district students and students in hard-to-serve areas. Alternative vehicles can also provide efficient service for multi-district trips, when using a school bus may not make sense.

With an unlimited fleet of adaptive, alternative vehicles, EverDriven delivers safe, reliable, consistent, and cost-saving supplemental transportation. Supplementing bus service with small capacity vehicles means that districts no longer pay for unused capacity and have the flexibility to expand and contract their fleet to accommodate the ever-changing demands of these student populations.

To learn more about these changes and the need for alternative student transportation, download the eBook from EverDriven - The Definitive Guide to Alternative Transportation.

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