HopSkipDrive Announces Partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools
August 07 2024 - 4:45PM
Business Wire
Safe, reliable rides to and from school now
available in Pittsburgh, expanding transportation options for
students
HopSkipDrive, a technology company that solves complex
transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for
safety, equity, and care, today announced a partnership with
Pittsburgh Public Schools, growing the supplemental transportation
company’s footprint and offering safe and reliable rides for
students this upcoming academic year.
HopSkipDrive currently partners with more than 600 school
districts, government agencies, and nonprofits nationwide,
supporting over 10,000 schools. HopSkipDrive’s Pittsburgh expansion
grows its operating area in Pennsylvania, where it currently
partners with Philadelphia-area districts and schools, including
Baldwin-Whitehall School District.
HopSkipDrive’s marketplace arranges care-centered
transportation, connecting kids, older adults, or anyone needing
extra support to highly-vetted caregivers on wheels — CareDrivers —
who are parents, grandparents, nurses, babysitters, and other
experienced caregivers from the community. CareDrivers bring – with
a minimum of five years of caregiving experience – undergo a
15-point certification process and rigorous vetting.
Here’s how HopSkipDrive works:
- School districts identify students to receive rides from
CareDrivers and inform parents and caregivers.
- Transportation officials will then arrange rides directly
through HopSkipDrive’s online platform.
- Once a ride has been booked, HopSkipDrive delivers ride details
to organizers, parents and caregivers. All details, and real-time
ride tracking, is available in the HopSkipDrive app.
- Riders and CareDrivers verify one another using a multi-factor
verification system using birthdays, names, and code words, for an
added layer of security before beginning the ride.
- Parents and caregivers of selected students will receive
updates, including pickup times, live ride tracking, and CareDriver
information, via text message and through the HopSkipDrive
app.
“We’re thrilled to be launching in Pittsburgh this year, to
ensure that school districts and families have access to the
reliable rides HopSkipDrive is known for across the country, as
well as our industry-leading technology and unparalleled approach
to safety,” said Joanna McFarland, CEO and co-founder of
HopSkipDrive. “We know school transportation leaders are looking
for additional solutions that offer safe, reliable transportation.
CareDrivers are experienced caregivers from the Pittsburgh
community who undergo thorough vetting to ensure that children will
be safe in their back seats.”
“Pittsburgh Public Schools is excited to partner with
HopSkipDrive, especially to support our students in need of more
individualized transportation, including those who experience
homelessness, are in the foster care system, or are on
individualized education plans,” said Megan Patton, Director of
Pupil Transportation at Pittsburgh Public Schools. “We know no two
students are the same, and our transportation team works hard to
identify the right transportation option for these most vulnerable
students. With nearly 20,000 students, we are continually looking
for innovative and safe partners like HopSkipDrive, who, with
expertise and experience, can deliver a supplemental solution to
get kids to and from school safely.”
“We take pride in providing a dependable and trustworthy student
transportation solution to schools and districts, and we’re looking
forward to partnering with Pittsburgh Public Schools,” McFarland
continued. “A safe, reliable ride to school helps students reach
their educational goals."
Districts interested in partnering with HopSkipDrive can sign up
here for a free consultation. Anyone interested in becoming a
CareDriver in the Pittsburgh area can apply on HopSkipDrive’s
website.
About HopSkipDrive
HopSkipDrive is a technology company that solves complex
transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for
safety, equity, and care. HopSkipDrive is modernizing the $30
billion school transportation industry in two ways: HopSkipDrive’s
marketplace arranges care-centered transportation to supplement
school buses and existing transportation options by connecting kids
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 across
13 states, 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.
About The Pittsburgh Public School District
The Pittsburgh Public School District is the largest of 43
school districts in Allegheny County and second largest in
Pennsylvania. The District serves approximately 20,000 students in
Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. The Pittsburgh Public Schools
offers students a variety of options and opportunities that will
help them succeed in school and prepare them for whatever comes
next in college, career and life. Visit
https://www.pghschools.org.
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