In a webinar sponsored by First Student, an Illinois transportation director shared how her district switched from taxis to customized transportation services to support students experiencing homelessness.
Director of Transportation Gladys De Lucio said Thursday that East Aurora School District 131 in Illinois contracts with First Student to transport most of its 4,000 eligible students.
After COVID-19, she explained, the population of students covered under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act increased to about 260. The district initially used taxis to transport these students in what she termed a “band-aid” solution. She now partners with FirstAlt by First Student.
Meeting Family Needs
With 87 percent of the district’s student population being Hispanic or Latino and many of those families speaking primarily Spanish, communication was a priority not sufficiently met by the taxi service, De Lucio stated. Additionally, taxis were not consistently available day-to-day due to other customer demands.
Now, two of East Aurora SD’s dispatchers are bilingual, De Lucio said, to better support the families and provide a personal touch.
Leon Fornelli, area general manager of alternative transportation for FirstAlt, added that the company strives to provide the same driver every day as a source of stability for students who are otherwise experiencing a lot of change in their lives.
All students want to belong, Fornelli noted. When a student arrives at school in the same vehicle with the same driver every day, there is less stigma than if they arrived in a taxi.
“As soon as they get used to the program’s reliability and consistency, they’ve really adapted to it well,” he said.
De Lucio shared that staff take time to explain and reassure parents that FirstAlt drivers are licensed and trained to safely transport their children, in contrast to simply placing them in a taxi with a stranger in the driver’s seat.
If parents cancel trips the night before, the district is notified, Fornelli said. This also allows district staff to contact families who miss three or more trips, De Lucio added.
Transportation equity is a big part of caring for students in the McKinney-Vento population, Fornelli commented. De Lucio noted that the district works with students who want to participate in after-school activities like band or sports.
“A lot of times we evaluate things based strictly on education, but we forget that a kid needs to be a kid as well,” Fornelli pointed out. “They shouldn’t have to overlook something because they don’t have the transportation or they’re afraid to ask.”
Constant communication between parents, dispatch and drivers allows everyone to have peace of mind, especially when alternative transportation is being utilized for students in extra-curricular activities, De Lucio noted.
FirstAlt is mileage-based and does not charge by student, Fornelli shared. De Lucio said that every effort is made to group students by grade level, except to let siblings ride together.
Forming a Partnership
FirstAlt utilizes many things that the district wanted to support its families, including parent communication apps, monitors and aides, onboard cameras and safety equipment.
“We send over our needs and First Student sets everything up, start to finish,” she said.
Fornelli shared that De Lucio had “a list of items” the company was happy to fulfil.
“We know how much each student means to Gladys and the school district,” he declared.
“Every child that we transport I treat as if it was my own,” De Lucio agreed.
She shared that her requirements include a high level of visibility into where and how students are being transported to ensure they are safe and cared for.
“I am very appreciative of the team that sat down, heard our needs and wants, and set out to deliver,” she declared.
Fornelli noted both East Aurora SD and FirstAlt entered into the relationship enthusiastically, and the partnership has resulted in quick turnaround time for transportation changes and requests.
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Safety is Top Priority
“Safety was non-negotiable when we set up this partnership,” De Lucio stated. It was important, she said, that contracted drivers were trained to work with children and had necessary equipment like car seats and onboard cameras.
FirstAlt drivers, Fornelli confirmed, are indeed trained to work specifically with students as opposed to taxi drivers who work mostly with adults. He added that onboard cameras provide visibility and reassurance, for instance when another motorist struck a FirstAlt vehicle with a student inside.
District policies, De Lucio explained, allow a parent to see the video if their child is the only one onboard. If there are two or more students in the FirstAlt vehicle, video is turned over to administration, which will review it, then relay information to parents, take appropriate disciplinary action, or turn footage over to law enforcement.
Fornelli spoke to First Student’s ongoing process of equipping its buses with Samsara’s AI-powered technology platform, which proactively tracks hard braking, speeding, phone usage and other safety violations. An auditory chime can immediately correct the driver, or management can be alerted to contact them.
You Get What You Pay For
Since First Student offers both traditional yellow busing and alternative transportation, Fornelli noted that if a student gets a permanent address, they can be moved from FirstAlt back to a bus, both to better fit the student’s needs and to save the district money. This is the case even if the district does not contact with First Student for regular education busing, he confirmed.
“It’s not one-size-fits-all,” he said. “You want to be able to find the best means of transportation for each student within your district.”
While FirstAlt may not be the cheapest solution, De Lucio confirmed that her priority was to secure the best and safest service.
“You get what you pay for,” she said. “I want my kids to get the best while still being fiscally responsible.”
Whether it’s the start of a new school year, inclement weather, or any other challenges, both Fornelli and De Lucio expressed confidence in the partnership between East Aurora SD and FirstAlt.
