Background: The Challenge of Distance and Connection

Fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Visions In Education (Visions) is a non-classroom-based public charter school committed to providing personalized online learning for students in grades Transitional Kindergarten (TK)–12. Serving 8,000 students across nine Northern California counties, Visions’ service area is geographically immense, requiring a unique, high-touch support model.

Visions’ comprehensive approach includes four remote learning academies as well as many in-person opportunities such as a robust selection of over 80 student clubs, Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways, sports, weekly events, field trips, and extensive support services like counseling, mentoring, and college tours.

The Challenge

Despite offering a wealth of in-person opportunities, securing transportation that allowed students to participate was a significant hurdle. These opportunities to feel connected are hugely important to fostering a sense of community and helping with student retention. However, buses were not available, and public transportation was often a barrier, preventing students from reaching regional events and accessing critical services. Matthew Patterson, Director of Student Services, stated:

“Transportation was a barrier. We work with local regional transit to provide low-cost and no-cost bus passes in certain situations. However, we needed a service that was more efficient and provided a higher level of safety to give caregivers and students a better option with more peace of mind.”

The Situation: Seamless Integration with a New Transportation Partner

Visions In Education sought a partner known for safety and efficiency, leading them to launch a pilot program with HopSkipDrive in the 2024–2025 school year. The goal was to remove transportation barriers and make it easier for every student to access all in-person school events, practices, and enrichment opportunities.

Visions In Education found that HopSkipDrive provided significantly more oversight than other options they evaluated, such as other vendors and taxi services, given HopSkipDrive’s extensive CareDriver vetting and unparalleled transparency and technology. 

Visions staff, including Matthew Patterson, integrated HopSkipDrive to cover a wide array of needs, including:

• Routine Transportation: This service is essential for in-person events every Thursday

• Critical Access: Used extensively for special education services, in-person tutoring, and CTE programming

• Operational Peace of Mind: Staff rely on HopSkipDrive’s transparency and support features. Patterson noted, “They monitor, and they have been very pleased with the notifications. If a ride is cancelled, they get it quickly and can respond.” Patterson said he is glad he can personally “get a text message for every single ride, which allows me to stay informed. This direct, real-time communication eliminates the high-friction, multi-day wait for status updates common with other services, allowing staff to focus on education rather than transportation logistics.”

"Our families, staff, and community partners made this pilot a standout success," said Dr. Steve Olmos, Visions’ Superintendent. "Their collective dedication ensured that no student was left behind, whether on the court, in the classroom, or at family events. ‘I can’t get a ride’ should never be a reason why a student misses an important opportunity."

The Results: Participation, Confidence, and Retention

The partnership has delivered tangible results, dramatically increasing student access and family confidence. During the pilot year, HopSkipDrive completed hundreds of rides for students. Now, the program continues to book “hundreds of rides every month,” with Patterson noting they’ve relied on the transportation to help get students safely to events and back home within their nine-county area.

By eliminating the transportation gap, Visions ensured its students could attend crucial activities like college tours, basketball, and field trips to locations like Alcatraz Island and the SMUD Museum of Science & Curiosity (MOSAC).

The most significant benefit, however, is the impact on the school community, as expressed by Patterson and Visions' families:

“Frankly, without these opportunities to feel connected, we believe families would have left our school. And without HopSkipDrive, these families’ students would not have been able to participate in programming critical to their sense of belonging. These club events, dances, and college tours are essential for our educational model, and the ability to access them helps us retain students in our school.

With HopSkipDrive, our kids now have the means to participate. The ease of use with the app is fantastic — it’s so user-friendly — and we’ve been very pleased with the proactive and attentive customer service. The highest level of safety means our families feel confident and safe, and they are so appreciative of a solution that is simply more timely and efficient for us and for them,” said Patterson.

“We love the HopSkipDrive service. It has enabled both my children at Visions to participate in mentoring programs, academic enrichment, and athletics. Often, I ride with them so I can support their activities. I am so grateful for this service,” said a Visions In Education parent who used HopSkipDrive.

A canceled ride or a two-day scheduling lag from a broker service directly translates to a missed college tour, a lost sense of belonging, and, as Mr. Patterson notes, potential student attrition. HopSkipDrive’s quick turnaround and RideIQ transparency are essential tools for retaining families at Visions In Education.

For Visions In Education, the HopSkipDrive partnership transformed a logistical burden into a core pillar of student success. By providing a safe, reliable, and technology-driven transportation solution, HopSkipDrive ensures that distance no longer dictates opportunity. This operational efficiency not only allows staff to focus on education rather than transportation logistics, but more importantly, it secures the critical human connections that drive student engagement, success, and long-term retention across their expansive service area. Visions is already deepening the partnership with plans to be “more innovative” and to continue supporting their community with HopSkipDrive as an important partner.