Transportation Consistency Is a Lifeline for Students with Additional Needs

Every district works hard to get students to school. This research shows what happens when that ride is truly reliable.

800+ caregivers, teachers, and administrators all describe the same pattern: when the driver, vehicle, and pickup time stay consistent, students arrive calmer and stay more settled through the school day. This results in academic and social-emotional success for vulnerable student populations.

Conversely, when transportation is inconsistent, districts face chronic absenteeism, lateness, classroom disruptions, and a loss of attendance-based funding. The data points to a clear opportunity for districts to close the gap between the students who could benefit from consistent transportation and the students currently receiving it.

Key Takeaways:

• 44% of students arrive calm and ready to learn after a smooth transportation morning, compared to just 8% after a difficult one.
• 76% of caregivers say reliable transportation makes their child more successful in school.
• 76% of administrators say transportation issues have hurt the attendance metrics their funding depends on.
• 71% of administrators say transportation reliability affects on-time IEP and related-service delivery.
• 77% of teachers lose instructional time to transportation every week.