HopSkipDrive helps Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District with their transportation needs
Written by Aylin Cook
“The easiest McKinney-Vento process compared to any other school year.”
About Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District
Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in Houston, Texas is the third largest school district in Texas. With 92 campuses and a student population of over 116,000, Director of Transportation Dr. Kayne Smith is kept extremely busy coordinating transportation for thousands of students.
Before HopSkipDrive: Keeping transportation in-house
Previous to working with HopSkipDrive, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD was transporting students designated McKinney-Vento and students in foster care with their in-house fleet: a mix of school buses and vans.
Last school year brought an incredible amount of uncertainties. While Cypress-Fairbanks had traditionally kept transportation operations in-house, Dr. Smith and his staff decided that it would be beneficial to bring in outside help in the event of a driver shortage or other operational challenge that prevented service for McKinney-Vento and foster transportation.
Students experiencing homelessness and in foster care experienced a disparate amount of learning loss during the pandemic, so Dr. Smith knew he needed to ensure these populations got to and from school.
Why HopSkipDrive: “Vendor services is one thing, but customer service is equally important.”
While they looked at multiple solutions, they were impressed with HopSkipDrive’s testimonials, its pricing structure and the communication throughout the entire buying process. Dr. Smith says that the communication has continued to be quick, forthright and detailed, adding, “Vendor services is one thing, but customer service is equally important.”
The Results: “Easiest McKinney-Vento process compared to any other school year.”
Using HopSkipDrive has been a seamless process. In fact Cypress-Fairbanks’ operations coordinator says it is the “Easiest McKinney-Vento process compared to any other school year.”
The experience has been so smooth that Dr. Smith has never once gotten a phone call or email with any issues — from parents or his staff. He says, “In my job, no news is good news. And HopSkipDrive has been all good news.”
Conclusion
While Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District was traditionally an in-house transportation operation, they decided to outsource their McKinney-Vento and a portion of foster transportation to HopSkipDrive. The experience has been smooth and stress-free for transportation staff, and incredibly beneficial for students designated McKinney-Vento and those in foster care.
