SPECIAL REPORT
School District in Southern California, and past president of the California Association of School Transportation Officials, said this is not ideal. “Drawing on my 27 years in student transportation,
I believe that whenever students are being transport- ed to and from school or school-related activities, the yellow school bus should remain the preferred mode of transportation,” he said. “School buses are specifically designed for student safety and are operated by high- ly trained, certified drivers who are subject to rigorous licensing requirements, medical examinations, back- ground checks, ongoing training and drug and alcohol testing,” as well as vehicle inspections by the CHP. “I appreciate efforts such as SB88, which help
strengthen safety standards, accountability and oversight for student transportation,” he continued. “However, it is important to note that SB88 transporta- tion providers do not have the same level of regulatory oversight as school bus operators.” In my experience, districts that do not have a dedicated transportation department are not familiar with SB88 regulations. Even with the additional safeguards SB88 intends to provide, I continue to believe that transporting students on a school bus with a certified school bus driver offers the highest level of safety, supervision and protection.”
An Array of Needs and Options As Purvis and Sawyer noted, many districts turn to
alternative transportation to get students to special events or to accommodate students whose homes don’t fit easily into established bus routes, or to carry students when the district doesn’t have a transportation department at all. Several providers told School Transportation News
that compliance with SB88 has not been a stretch, since they had previously adopted similar internal safety and training measures. The companies shared they are well- versed in such legal mandates, and how to provide the best experience for kids and districts alike. “(We) make sure we are learning about the student’s
needs,” said Amen Pawar-LaRosa, vice president of business development at Pawar Transportation. “Wheth- er the student doesn’t like loud noises or is susceptible to smells, or it could be the student needs to have extra room because they like to kick, or they self-harm. We want to make sure we’re part of the healing process and working together as a team.” A recent online survey sent to 29,375 subscribers by STN and EverDriven that received 193 responses found that a quarter of transportation directors are prioritizing service for students covered under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and students with disabilities, and 10 percent of directors are prioritizing alternative transportation modes. EverDriven supports more than 800 school districts of varying sizes across 37 states. The company serves
18 School Transportation News • JULY 2026
A HopSkipDrive CareDriver speaks with a student rider. The company focuses on a rigorous vetting process to ensure student safety.
16,250 students experiencing housing instability and 10,333 students in special education programs, accord- ing to its 2026 Safety and Operations Report. The scale of EverDriven’s operations is one indicator of just how vast the demand for alternative transportation has become. “Demand for both services has surged, and school
districts are struggling to keep pace,” said EverDriven Chief Marketing Officer Courtney Pallotta. “We are see- ing districts become more strategic about using the right transportation mode for the right student.” For the School District of Philadelphia in Pennsylva- nia, vans and taxi cabs are the primary way to provide alternative student transportation. The district works with multiple providers to coordinate and offer those rides, choosing vendors through RFPs. Contracts have gone to Germantown Cab, Best Transit and FirstAlt, part of First Student, among others. FirstAlt contracts with a network of drivers to transport
homeless, special needs, out-of-district and other students around the country. It operates a fleet of small-capacity vehicles from local transportation companies. Another option, HopSkipDrive, taps a network of
“CareDrivers” who are paid by the ride, offering services in cities including Denver, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Milwaukee. “They are caregivers from the local community,” said
spokesperson Campbell Millum. “Parents, grandparents, former nurses, counselors. They’re required to have caregiving experience including for children. They are not CDL drivers. They’re not looking for a full-time job. They might say, ‘I like to take my grandkids to school in the morning and in the afternoon give rides through HopSkipDrive.’” The rigorous vetting process for these drivers includes a 15-point certification process with background checks
PHOTO COURTESY OF HOPSKIPDRIVE.
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