Survey: Philadelphia parents worry about school transportation options
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Philadelphia's bus driver shortage has parents stressed over how they're getting their children to school each day, per a new HopSkipDrive survey.
Why it matters: The school district has adopted creative solutions to alleviate the transportation burden, hiring companies to supplement bussing and paying parents to take their kids to school.
State of play: The district has 58 openings for bus drivers heading into the school year, an improvement from last year when there were more than 100 vacancies.
Driving the news: More than half of 300 Philadelphia parents surveyed between June 30 and July 9 said their children would miss fewer days in school if they had more reliable transportation — a big concern in a city that deals with chronic truancy.
- 37% of parents who reported driving their kids to school say that responsibility caused them to miss work. Some say they lost out on job opportunities because of the demands.
By the numbers: Nearly 120,000 students are eligible for district transportation, spokesperson Monique Braxton tells Axios. Many rely on a mix of school and public buses.
- 17,000 families are enrolled in the district's flat rate program, piloted in 2020 to reduce the number of students taking buses during the pandemic.
- The district has continued the program to help ease bus driver shortages, offering parents up to $3,000 a school year to drive their kids to school.
- The district also contracts with 13 companies, including HopSkipDrive, to help chauffeur kids to school, including those with special needs.
The intrigue: Since the flat-rate program started, the district has paid out more than $79 million to families.
- It has budgeted nearly $34 million for the program this school year. Families have until Oct. 1 to enroll.
Zoom out: Some school districts are now using an AI-powered tool that helps them optimize bus routes and transportation options.
- Philly doesn't currently employ that tool, but the district has reduced its number of bus routes to 900 from 1,000 in 2023, Braxton tells Axios.