From after school clubs to varsity soccer, bus transportation for students’ extracurricular activities is proving to be a challenge for school districts and their families. While many states have laws requiring districts to provide transportation to and from school, these same districts are not, however, required to provide transportation for extracurricular activities. This has left many families dependent on the yellow bus system to fend for themselves. In Maine and Colorado, school officials recently notified parents that bus service for school sports cannot be guaranteed, while in New Hampshire, one middle school indefinitely postponed their soccer teams’ away games. Transportation headaches were also felt in St. Paul, Minnesota where the district’s Extended Day for Learning afterschool program was unable to start until October 21, over two weeks later than originally planned.
So what is the cause of these transportation woes? Nationwide, a shortage of school bus drivers has drastically impacted student transportation across the board. In fact, “A recent survey from School Bus Fleet magazine found that more than 90 percent of responding school districts had some kind of driver shortage. Nearly a third say it’s severe or desperate.”
With many districts across the country eliminating transportation for after school activities, it’s clear that there needs to be a viable alternative to the ailing yellow bus system. That’s where CarpooltoSchool comes in. CarpooltoSchool, with school-branded mobile and web apps, gives parents the power to solve these transportation challenges. Our easy-to-use apps allow parents and school administrators to create safe carpools to after school activities, ensuring no more missed volleyball games, and no more tough decisions that deny children participating in activities because school districts don’t have a way to get there. Your school can explore this option today by scheduling a demo. Here’s the link to get started.
