--- title: >- HopSkipDrive and Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research Partner for Study in Fifth Annual “State of School Transportation” Report description: >- Early September report will identify critical challenges facing schools and communities, clarify the role of supplemental school transportation date: '2025-07-17' category: Blog tags: - Company Updates - Featured canonical_url: >- https://www.hopskipdrive.com/blog/hopskipdrive-and-associated-press-norc-center-for-public-affairs-research/ source: hopskipdrive license: © 2026 HopSkipDrive. All rights reserved. slug: hopskipdrive-and-associated-press-norc-center-for-public-affairs-research id: EBuPSbkXbzAdzwjhi1Yh1 contentType: article --- ### View more related articles - [View All](/blogs/) - [School Transportation Insights](/tags/school-transportation-insights/) - [Company Updates](/tags/company-updates/) - [Success Stories](/tags/success-stories/) - [Product and Technology](/tags/product-and-technology/) - [The CareDriver Community](/tags/the-caredriver-community/) - [Public Policy](/tags/public-policy/) - [Life at HopSkipDrive](/tags/life-at-hopskipdrive/) JULY 17, 2025 - HopSkipDrive, the leading technology company solving complex school transportation challenges across the country, today announced it has partnered with the Associated Press-NORC Center for publication of the fifth annual State of School Transportation (SoST) report. Supporting more than 10,000 schools nationwide, HopSkipDrive's annual report continues to be the preeminent source for insights on student transportation.  The 2025 survey of school district leaders, transportation professionals, and parents will publish in early September. NORC at the University of Chicago, using rigorous methods including its national probability panel, AmeriSpeak®, will add new details about pressing issues facing the school transportation system [transporting 26 million students daily](https://www.nhtsa.gov/school-bus-safety/school-bus-driver-service-curriculum), such as ongoing bus driver shortages, funding constraints, how best to accommodate commutes amidst school choice policies, and the evolving transportation needs of individual students.  For the first time, the annual SoST will partner with the AP-NORC Center, tapping into their ability to conduct, analyze, and distribute social science research in the public interest, and to use the power of journalism to tell the stories that research reveals.   This year's findings are expected to offer insights and solutions for school districts facing current challenges, and to highlight the concerns of communities and families nationwide. For example, budget cuts in cities like [Cincinnati](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/education/2025/06/19/cps-places-1200-more-students-metro-buses-budget-gap/84121398007/) have led to greater reliance on public transit, while uncertainty in funding continues to impact planning in areas like [St. Louis](https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/education/st-louis-schools-brace-for-possible-funding-uncertainty-amid-federal-shifts/63-c8109581-34b9-4c16-ad01-992ce8691fe4),  [Chicago](https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/06/25/chicago-public-schools-budget-delayed-prompting-anxiety-about-cuts-or-borrowing/),  [central Florida](https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2025/02/20/in-need-of-buses-central-florida-school-districts-budget-around-inflation-manufacturing-costs/), and [Seattle.](https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/new-wa-education-budget-brings-wins-and-disappointments/)  Previous editions of the report have revealed how transportation gaps contribute to chronic absenteeism and have increasingly forced families to shoulder the burden of getting children to school. Coverage of past reports has appeared in major national media outlets including [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/27/us/school-bus-drivers-shortage.html), [The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2024/09/school-drop-off-cars-chaos/679869/), [Good Morning America](https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/video/102220643?utm_content=260550834&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&hss_channel=lcp-3858302), [TODAY](https://www.today.com/video/school-bus-driver-shortage-forces-some-districts-to-cancel-classes-190764613936), [Slate](https://slate.com/business/2024/09/school-bus-shortage-problems-traffic-funding-drivers.html), [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-20/education-severe-us-school-bus-driver-shortages-leave-parents-scrambling), [USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/08/15/school-bus-driver-shortage-2023/70516560007/), and many others. To understand how to gain access to the report or review early findings, please email [press@hopskipdrive.com](mailto:press@hopskipdrive.com) or pre-register at the form below. **About the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research  ** The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research taps into the power of social science research and the highest-quality journalism to bring key information to people across the nation and throughout the world.   - The Associated Press (AP) is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day. [www.ap.org](http://www.ap.org/) - NORC at the University of Chicago is one of the oldest objective and nonpartisan research institutions in the world. [www.norc.org](http://www.norc.org/) The two organizations have established The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research to conduct, analyze, and distribute social science research in the public interest on newsworthy topics, and to use the power of journalism to tell the stories that research reveals. Learn more at [www.apnorc.org](http://www.apnorc.org/).  **About HopSkipDrive** HopSkipDrive is a technology company that solves complex transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for safety, access, and care. HopSkipDrive is modernizing the $30 billion school transportation industry through two core solutions: a care-centered transportation marketplace and industry-leading transportation intelligence platform, RouteWise AI™. HopSkipDrive’s marketplace supplements school buses and existing transportation options by connecting kids to highly vetted caregivers on wheels, such as grandparents, babysitters, and nurses in local communities. RouteWise AI helps schools and districts address critical challenges, including budget cuts, bus driver shortages, and reaching climate goals. HopSkipDrive has supported over 10,000 schools across 17 states, with over 600 school district partners. More than 5 million rides over 95 million miles have been completed through HopSkipDrive since the company was founded in 2014 by three working mothers. ### **Pre-Register for the Report** We will email you the findings once they are published in September. - [SoST 2025 Pre-Registration [Pre-Registration for SoST 2025]](#) ## Subscribe to our newsletter - [SUBSCRIBE](#)