Located in Jefferson County, Colorado, JeffCo Public Schools (JeffCo) is the second largest school district in Colorado. Serving more than 80,000 students across 155 schools, the district is focused on providing a "world-class education that prepares all students for bright and successful futures as local and global citizens."
In the case study video below, JeffCo's Executive Director of Transportation & Fleet Services Greg Jackson; Transportation Supervisor Teri Larsen; Transportation Director Valerie Mora; and Transportation Supervisor Trish Trujillo talk about how partnering with HopSkipDrive has helped the district provide dependable service to students who have individualized and mandated transportation needs — including students in foster care and students experiencing homelessness.
Transcript:
Greg Jackson, Executive Director of Transportation & Fleet Services
JeffCo Public Schools partnered with HopsSkipDrive because we were in this extreme driver shortage. And as that driver’s shortage came on, we needed to provide services to our students who were special transportation needs and mandated transportation purposes.
So we ventured out and looked to see who was out there and who could provide and take care of the needs that we had. And so as we had our shortage become more excessive over a three to four year period, we looked more and more into how we can partner with not just HopSkipDrive, but any way of trying to get our students to school.
Teri Larsen, Transportation Supervisor
It’s been difficult trying to, you know, manage busing all of these kids in with the driver’s shortage that we’re in.
Valerie Mora, Transportation Director
HopSkipDrive basically saved the lives for Jefferson County Public Schools. We were really in a bind with the shortage of bus drivers and we had to find a company that would embrace the same thoughts that we have — that, you know, our number one goal is to get kids to school safely and for them to be happy.
Greg Jackson
The use cases that JeffCo is using currently on a daily basis is for our students who are under foster care mandates, which is state foster care mandates; McKinney-Vento student; or students who are falling under. . . some of our more Gen Ed students who are here for behavioral reasons and are going to alternative education centers across our district.
So we’re always looking for those type of supports because if we pull away a yellow bus to support that need, it takes away from picking up masses of students, a high number of students that we truly need. So HopSkipDrive helps us in many ways in a way of picking up those students who live outside of a or into another school district’s borders and then bringing them into our boundaries.
Trish Trujillo, Transportation Supervisor
My personal experience with HopSkipDrive has been a very positive experience. We’ve had a very close relationship with them since we’ve worked with them and partnered with them. HopSkipDrive has always put our needs first and our students’ needs first. They make it a priority to fix the issue right away in what we’re doing every day. It’s very hectic and it’s really nice to have HopSkipDrive. I can trust that HopSkipDrive is gonna provide safe transportation for my kids.
Valerie Mora
I am so impressed with HopSkipDrive because we do provide a high level of safety for all of our students, and that’s our expectation of anybody else that helps us arrange transportation for our students.
Greg Jackson
And I love the transparency. That was one big thing for me, which I grade really high on. That is I think. . . That’s what helps us in so many ways, that we can provide the right and accurate service for our students — and a timely service for our students — is because of that one reason is that very transparent and also so open to communicate and also to problem solve.
Trish Trujillo
I love how easy RideIQ has been built. It is very user friendly. It’s not hard to go in and create a Rider. HopSkipDrive is constantly adding things to RideIQ to make it more user friendly.
Valerie Mora
You’re able to go onto the website and see exactly when kids are picked up, when kids are dropped off, where they’re at. And all parents are not technically inclined so they’ll call us, and we have great staff that will help them, you know, if they don’t understand where their student is or anything. We can provide that thanks to HopSkipDrive.
Greg Jackson
Most of these drivers [CareDrivers] live within our own JeffCo borders, folks who live in our community. We’re giving back to the community and serving their community and helping the needs of our students.
Trish Trujillo
I believe that the CareDrivers are reliable. I feel confident when I’m able to tell my parents and communities that this is. . . this is a resource that you can trust. This is a resource that would be no different than a bus driver showing up at your doorstep to pick up your kiddo.
Teri Larsen
They [CareDrivers] make it to their time, you know, their pickups on time. And I guess we just appreciate the fact that they are reliable and trustworthy, and it alleviates a lot of stress off of us knowing that we can count on them like that.
Trish Trujillo
Rocky Mountain Deaf School is one of my schools that I schedule for, and I have many Riders that are scheduled with HopSkipDrive. And HopSkipDrive has always made it a priority to make my kiddos comfortable, especially because these students are deaf, and the CareDrivers. . . they do absolutely everything in their power to make it a comfortable ride and a safe ride for my students. And that’s important.
That’s important not just for them as Riders, but also for their caregivers, as well as us here in transportation. We wanna know that our kiddos are being taken care of, and we can trust that HopSkipDrive will do that for us.
