How school bus driver shortages impact students — and how HopSkipDrive is helping

Written by Aylin Cook | Dec 8, 2021 7:07:14 PM

School bus driver shortages have been all over the news lately, but here are some real-life stories of children affected by the shortage.

Problem:

Andy doesn’t know if and when he’ll be picked up for school due to school bus driver shortages and driver sick-outs. Sometimes he waits at the bus stop for a long time, making him anxious he’ll be late for school or that the bus isn’t coming! His mother is constantly stressed because she has to leave work to take him to school when the bus doesn’t show up. She’s gotten in trouble with her boss for leaving multiple times this school year, and worries her job is at risk.

HopSkipDrive Solution:

HopSkipDrive solves for school bus driver shortages by introducing a completely new network of drivers — CareDrivers, who are also called “caregivers on wheels” because of the five years of caregiving experience they are required to have. Our flexible, dynamic solution replaces underutilized bus routes with HopSkipDrive rides, allowing bus drivers to stick with the highly utilized routes where they’re needed ( and saving an average of 40% while doing so!).

HopSkipDrive’s technology enables full visibility throughout the ride, so Andy’s mother knows when a CareDriver is coming and can see where Andy is at all times during his trip. Our Safe Ride Support system includes a team that proactively solves any issue that may come up so that they never do.

With HopSkipDrive, Andy knows he’ll always be picked up and that he’ll get to school on time. HopSkipDrive rides have eased his anxiety.

Problem:

Madison is spending more than two hours on the bus each day because bus routes in her district were consolidated. She has to leave for school at 6 a.m. and doesn’t get home until 5:30 p.m. — which is almost a 12-hour day! She’s left with little time for homework, extracurricular activities and quality time with her family before she has to go to bed. Because she wakes up at 5 a.m. each day, she is also missing out on much-needed sleep.

HopSkipDrive Solution:

HopSkipDrive’s bus driver shortage solution replaces underutilized bus routes with HopSkipDrive rides so bus routes no longer have to be consolidated in order to get kids to school. In fact, a third-party study shows that HopSkipDrive cuts student commute times in half.

With HopSkipDrive, Madison’s commute is cut to a more manageable time. She’s able to get the sleep she needs, wake up at a reasonable hour and get to school on time without spending hours on the road. This has given her more time for homework and enabled her to join a sports team. She also gets more quality time with her family.

Problem:

Darryl has to walk over a mile and a half to school because his school’s walk boundaries were expanded due to a lack of bus drivers. Part of his walk takes him along major roads, while other parts lead him through a dangerous neighborhood. His parents worry about him walking by himself, but they can’t drive him to school themselves due to their work schedules. Darryl is sometimes so scared to walk the dangerous route to school that he ends up skipping school altogether. He is now in danger of failing out because of absenteeism.

HopSkipDrive Solution:

Expanded walk boundaries are an unfortunate consequence of bus driver shortages. HopSkipDrive’s school bus driver shortage solution again fills in the gaps, enabling schools to revert to original walk boundaries.

With HopSkipDrive, Darryl’s school district can once again offer transportation to students within the original walk boundaries, whether that be through HopSkipDrive rides or school buses on heavily utilized routes. Darryl’s anxiety is eased now that he gets to commute to school in a HopSkipDrive car rather than walking on busy roads and through unsafe neighborhoods. He now attends school every day, on time and ready to learn. Soon, his grades and overall well-being improve.

Innovative, scalable school transportation solutions

The three situations outlined above are just a few of the many ways HopSkipDrive can have a positive impact on the lives of students by enabling easy, safe and reliable school transportation.

HopSkipDrive can solve for school bus driver shortages — and the resulting issues for students — by replacing underutilized routes (where there are 12 students or fewer) with HopSkipDrive rides. By using HopSkipDrive as a solution for these inefficient routes, schools can better utilize their resources by making sure bus drivers are focused on highly populated routes. With HopSkipDrive, school districts need less bus drivers to get the same amount of children to school.

In addition to the benefits for children and districts, replacing underutilized bus routes with HopSkipDrive rides is 40% less expensive with a savings of up to $54,000 per student!

See the math for yourself here.

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