LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) announced in a joint presentation with HopSkipDrive that the district has seen a reduction in chronic absenteeism, dropping 14 percentage points from the 2021–2022 school year to the current 2023–2024 school year due in part to the district’s support for vulnerable students and the effectiveness of the multimodal transportation approach DPSCD has adopted.
The recent collaborative presentation at the Council of the Great City Schools Chief Operating Officers meeting in Phoenix highlighted the innovative work DPSCD’s transportation department has accomplished in partnership with HopSkipDrive to address the district’s increased McKinney-Vento transportation needs and combat chronic absenteeism for students experiencing homelessness, youth living in foster care, and other students with individualized needs.
Through its partnership with HopSkipDrive, DPSCD has taken proactive steps to address these challenges head-on. By leveraging HopSkipDrive’s expertise in supplemental school transportation solutions, DPSCD is now able to offer personalized services for students with unique needs, especially those experiencing homelessness, living in foster care, or navigating IEPs.
“With HopSkipDrive, we can swiftly meet the changing needs of highly mobile populations,” said Aaron Walter, DPSCD Executive Director of Transportation. “The RideIQ platform streamlines ride adjustments and scheduling, enhancing our ability to provide reliable transportation services for all students while optimizing resources and time management.”
With this and other solutions in their toolkit, DPSCD’s reduction in chronic absenteeism reflects the district’s improved identification and support for vulnerable students. It also highlights the effectiveness of the multimodal transportation approach DPSCD has adopted.
In Detroit, 40 percent of school-aged children more than 48,000 students in total attend DPSCD schools. The district faces a unique set of challenges, which are compounded by high poverty rates and a lack of reliable transportation options for many families.
Recognizing the need for new solutions, DPSCD embraced a multimodal transportation approach. By partnering with HopSkipDrive and other supplemental transportation providers, the district expanded its fleet beyond the conventional yellow bus, incorporating smaller vehicles, vans, and alternative modes of transportation.
This strategic shift not only alleviated the strain on the district’s resources but also helped to ensure that every student regardless of their individual needs or circumstances continued to have access to safe, dependable transportation.
Combating chronic absenteeism with a collaborative approach
According to the Department of Education, students are considered chronically absent when they miss at least 15 days of school in a year. Absenteeism is a pervasive issue that disproportionately affects students from lower-income families and those facing housing instability. In DPSCD, where the poverty rate is a staggering 78 percent, the impact of absenteeism on student success cannot be understated.
Compounding these challenges, DPSCD faces significant financial hurdles in maintaining its existing transportation infrastructure. Despite a 21 percent decrease in the number of bus drivers over the past five years, the district has seen a 15 percent increase in overall transportation costs. This rise is primarily attributed to escalating expenses related to insurance, parts, and labor. Consequently, the cost per bus has skyrocketed by an alarming 36 percent, placing an immense strain on the district’s resources.
By diversifying its transportation options and collaborating with innovative partners like HopSkipDrive, DPSCD is creating a more sustainable system for the future. The multimodal approach allows the district to optimize its resources, reducing reliance on the traditional bus fleet and mitigating the impact of rising costs associated with maintaining aging vehicles.
Expanding transportation options for more educational opportunities
DPSCD’s journey toward equitable transportation is not a solitary one. The district has forged partnerships with a network of vendors, acquired a fleet of vans, and integrated public transit options to create a comprehensive and flexible transportation system. By matching each student with the most appropriate mode of transportation, DPSCD is ensuring that individual needs are met while also optimizing resources and minimizing costs.
The impact of this multifaceted approach extends far beyond the daily commute. By providing reliable transportation, DPSCD is not only improving attendance rates but also opening doors to educational opportunities that may have previously been out of reach for many students. HopSkipDrive’s ability to provide swift transportation solutions and valuable data on student attendance patterns through cutting-edge technology has been instrumental in helping the district identify areas for improvement and track progress toward its goals.
About HopSkipDrive:
HopSkipDrive is a technology company that solves complex transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for safety, equity, and care. HopSkipDrive’s marketplace arranges care-centered transportation across 13 states and Washington, DC, supplementing other transportation options by connecting kids, older adults, or anyone needing extra support, to
highly-vetted caregivers on wheels, such as grandparents, babysitters, and nurses. HopSkipDrive also builds software and offers advisory services that solve the biggest transportation challenges facing schools and school districts around the country, including budget cuts, bus driver shortages, and reaching climate goals. HopSkipDrive currently partners with school districts, government agencies, and nonprofits, including supporting more than 10,000 schools. More than three million rides over 61 million miles have been completed through HopSkipDrive since the company was founded in 2014 by three working mothers.
