Reliance on school buses has been waning for years as districts struggle to find drivers and more students attend schools far outside their neighborhoods
Takia Phillips, 15, right, walks around the car of PiggyBack Network co-founder & CEO Ismael El-Amin, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, as Phillips and another child are driven to school as part of the ride-share network in Chicago. On the way across Chicago, El-Amin’s daughter spotted a classmate riding with her own dad as they drove to their selective public school on the city’s North Side. For 40 minutes, they rode along the same congested highway.
Last week, the school system launched a pilot program allowing some students who attend out-of-neighborhood magnet or selective-enrollment schools to catch a bus at a nearby school’s “hub stop.” It aims to start with rides for about 1,000 students by the end of the school year. On Piggyback Network, parents can book a ride for their student online with another parent traveling the same direction. Rides cost roughly 80 cents per mile and the drivers are compensated with credits to use for their own kids’ rides.
Unlike Piggyback Network, which connects parents, HopSkipDrive contracts directly with school districts to assist students without reliable transportation. The company launched a decade ago in Los Angeles with three mothers trying to coordinate school carpools and now supports some 600 school districts in 13 states.
HopSkipDrive has been a welcome option for Reinya Gibson’s son, Jerren Samuel, who attends a small high school in Oakland, California. She said the school takes care to accommodate his needs as a student with autism, but the district lined up the transportation because there is no bus from their home in San Leandro.
Kango, a competitor to HopSkipDrive in California and Arizona, started as a free carpooling app similar to the PiggyBack Network and now contracts with school districts. Drivers are paid more than they would typically get for Uber or Lyft, but there are often more requirements such as walking some students with disabilities into school, Kango CEO Sara Schaer said.
Transportation Technology Schools Education U.S. News General News Lifestyle Business Technology Article 116817396
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Millennials Driving Holiday Spending Surge, But Credit Card Reliance Raises ConcernsA new survey reveals that millennials are set to lead the charge in holiday spending this year, but experts warn about the potential financial risks of relying on credit cards and buy now, pay later schemes.
Read more »
Rosneft, Reliance agree biggest ever India-Russia oil supply deal, sources sayRosneft, Reliance agree biggest ever India-Russia oil supply deal, sources say
Read more »
Rosneft and Reliance agree to biggest ever India-Russia oil dealIndia became the largest importer of Russian crude after the European Union imposed sanctions on Russian oil imports in response to the 2022 Moscow-Kiev war.
Read more »
Hyundai And Kia Brace For Trump Tariffs, Genesis Could Be In Big TroubleThanks to union commitments and a reliance on imports, tariffs could be devastating for Genesis
Read more »
Trump’s extraordinary selection of his daughters’ fathers-in-law for key posts underscores his reliance on family membersDonald Trump has selected billionaire Massad Boulos to serve as his senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs — the second time in as many days the president-elect has chosen a family member for a key post.
Read more »
Germany in economic doldrums amid Trump tariff war, China competitionReliance on cheap Russian energy along with brutal competition from China has hit the German economy hard, and President-elect Trump's threat of tariffs are creating more uncertainty.
Read more »