Our Latest Feature to Support Attendance: Enhanced Support for Managing Chronically Absent Riders

Chronic absenteeism has increased post-pandemic, and it can cause significant risks in a student falling behind in school. Students who fall behind academically face a significant challenge in recovering lost ground.

As a technology company that partners with school districts to help get students safely to and from school, we know it’s critical for districts to identify students who are at risk of becoming chronically absent. Quick intervention, when possible, can get students back on track, and ensuring consistent attendance creates the best outcomes for students and schools. To better support students who are more likely to miss school, such as students in foster care, we’re introducing a new feature to help districts boost attendance and combat absenteeism by giving them even more visibility into rides. 

The Daily Absent Rider Email 

All HopSkipDrive clients have access to RideIQ, our all-in-one ride management platform that allows clients to book, cancel, track, and manage rides, as well as give on-site staff view-only access to rides coming to and from their location.

Clients can now opt in through RideIQ to receive a daily email containing a spreadsheet of riders who have missed rides in the past seven days. This spreadsheet allows districts to quickly see which riders have missed rides, the number of missed rides, and other critical information needed to effectively identify riders who need immediate attention. 

“[The spreadsheet] makes it easier to encourage parents and students to be accountable for canceling when [transportation is] not needed.”

—Heather Webster, Routing Specialist, Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District

This Daily Absent Rider Email provides Ride Organizers with visibility into which riders are missing rides, enabling them to quickly pause any upcoming rides in RideIQ until they are able to speak with the parent or caregiver. This saves transportation teams time and fully empowers them with the information they need to make informed decisions. Once any issues are resolved, clients can resume transportation for that child by clicking “Resume,” seamlessly restoring all transportation plans in seconds — no additional work is needed. 

“The Daily Absent Rider Email empowers transportation teams to quickly identify students missing school, providing increased visibility and faster response times. We expect this technology update will reduce the burden on transportation teams and support schools in reducing absenteeism,” says Sandra Petersen, SVP of Product at HopSkipDrive.

HopSkipDrive is dedicated to supporting schools and districts in addressing chronic absenteeism. Our new daily email will provide transportation teams with timely information to help them quickly identify and assist students who are missing rides, ensuring all students have the opportunity to succeed.