The McKinney-Vento Challenge: Turning the “Without Delay” Transportation Standard into Reality

Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, districts must arrange transportation for students experiencing homelessness “without delay” from the moment a student is identified. New national survey data tells a different story: Only 14% of districts can arrange a ride the same day, and 31% need three or more days. For a population that moves three or more times a year on average, that gap adds up to missed instructional time and real compliance risk. Moreover, it’s colliding with a budget environment where more than half of districts must cut transportation spending, often without having the full picture on their expenses.

Watch the webinar recording, where HopSkipDrive and Igor Petrovic, Director of Transportation at Adams 12 Five Star Schools in Colorado, share the survey data behind these findings; what HopSkipDrive’s 2026 State of School Transportation Report reveals about the gap between the McKinney-Vento standard and district reality; and a district-level view of how to weigh cost, speed, and service when transportation needs can’t wait.

Key Takeaways:

• A National Reality Check: What new survey findings reveal about how quickly districts are able to arrange rides for students covered by McKinney-Vento

• The Cost Equation: How shrinking transportation budgets and limited expense visibility can complicate services for students experiencing homelessness

• Making the Tradeoffs: How Adams 12 Five Star Schools weighs affordability, response time, and service quality to meet the “without delay” standard