Every day, your team sees things about student attendance, enrollment, and access that no one else in the district does. The challenge isn’t what your team knows — it’s that many districts don’t yet understand how central transportation is to their most pressing priorities: chronic absenteeism, enrollment decline, and service for the students who need the most reliable support.
Data from the 2026 State of School Transportation Report confirms that transportation plays a direct role in whether students show up, which school families choose, and if and how students experiencing homelessness or students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) get the transportation access the law requires. But most districts are still treating transportation as a logistics line item instead of a strategic asset.
In this webinar, we will explore key findings from the report including what the data shows, why it matters far beyond the transportation department, and how to make the case for transportation having a seat at the table for high-level district conversations.
What you’ll take away:
- New data on transportation-related absences: More than half of families surveyed say their child missed school at least once in the past year because of transportation — and most attendance systems aren’t flagging transportation as the cause.
- Evidence linking transportation to school choice and enrollment: What parents across the country told us about how transportation availability influences school choice, and what it means for districts trying to reverse enrollment decline.
- A clear picture of the McKinney-Vento response gap: What it’s costing vulnerable students when districts can’t meet the “without delay” standard for transportation for students experiencing homelessness
- A concrete first step for using transportation to impact attendance: Data shows that 75% of district administrators believe transportation affects attendance, but only 25% are formally tracking the relationship.
- Proof that transportation belongs at the leadership table: How to bring your data into district conversations on absenteeism, enrollment, and equity.
Brought to you by HopSkipDrive
REGISTER BELOW:
Presenters:
Angelo Grau
Transportation Supervisor
Mesquite ISD
President
North Texas Association of Pupil Transportation
Dustin Kress
General Manager
RouteWise AI
Former Chief of Staff for Operations
Denver Public Schools
Adam Gleicher
Director of Marketing
HopSkipDrive
