New solutions, including free nationwide ride recording and the Consistent CareDriver Program, build consistency and safety into every ride for the upcoming school year.

HopSkipDrive, the leader in safe, fast, and simple supplemental student transportation, today announced its 2026-2027 Back-to-School product suite—built around two commitments that every district deserves, but few can count on: consistency and safety. The suite brings free ride recording nationwide with unprecedented security, affordability, and transparency. In addition, the new Consistent CareDriver Program enables school districts to book a consistent driver for students who need it, while continuing to rely on HopSkipDrive's industry-leading turnaround time.

This update comes as districts face growing pressure to provide specialized transportation for millions of students served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, populations that have grown significantly over the past decade. The stakes of getting it wrong have never been higher, and this suite is built for those students in mind.

Safety: Visibility Districts Can Count On

Safety is the core of the HopSkipDrive platform. For the 2026–2027 school year, it’s more visible than ever. New tools give districts greater accountability on every eligible ride without adding hardware, complexity, or cost.

• Ride Recording: In-App: For the 2026-2027 school year, HopSkipDrive is offering ride recording across all rides at no additional cost—providing school districts with peace of mind without the need for a dashcam or retrofitting an entire fleet. Made possible through proprietary new technology built directly into the CareDriver app, this solution scales automatically across rides in a faster, more secure way than traditional hardware. Audio and video are captured, encrypted, and uploaded directly to secure HopSkipDrive servers upon ride completion. Drivers do not have access to recordings and cannot access or view the recording on their device—all footage is automatically wiped from the device once the secure upload is complete. Districts can review footage from rides in the last 30 days directly through RideIQ, HopSkipDrive's easy-to-use ride management platform, and may opt out of recording altogether or for specific riders at any time.

“Ride Recording: In-App has been a meaningful upgrade for us. We don’t have to think about it—it runs automatically, the footage is secure, and the drivers don’t have access to it. For our more vulnerable riders, that accountability matters, and it’s one less thing our team has to manage,” said Michael W., Transportation Operations Manager at Irving Independent School District.

• Track My Ride: Finding a CareDriver at pickup is now simpler for everyone, including riders. Riders with a smart device and a phone number on their profile will automatically receive a live tracking link via text at the start of their ride—no app download required. Whether on a phone, smart watch, or any connected device, riders get real-time visibility into their ride, while caregivers and school staff benefit from the same transparency, ensuring faster pickups and significantly reducing the coordination burden on school offices. To benefit from this new feature, ensure riders have a phone number on their profile.

Consistency: Stability for Students Who Need It Most

For students with particularly high needs, HopSkipDrive has reimagined the rider experience to enable districts to book a Consistent CareDriver without compromising on turnaround time. For these students, successful transportation requires familiarity, preparation, and a system that protects the experience even when the unexpected happens. While many alternative student transportation providers leave consistency to chance, HopSkipDrive’s approach builds it in. From the driver who shows up, to the details they arrive with, to the backup plan that’s already in place before anything goes wrong.

• Consistent CareDriver Program: For students who need the same driver every day, HopSkipDrive's new Consistent CareDriver Program is designed to deliver consistency—and backs it up. More than 80% of rides for students with disabilities are already completed by a CareDriver the rider has already met, and the Consistent CareDriver Program provides even greater consistency, while ensuring school districts can still rely on HopSkipDrive's industry-leading 6-hour turnaround time. Students with disabilities can rely on one dedicated Lead CareDriver who knows that child's needs, preferences, and routine. In the event that the Lead CareDriver is sick, on vacation or can't make a ride for whatever reason, there's already a plan: our technology now automatically identifies and prioritizes backup drivers who have already driven that student, helping ensure the rider sees a familiar face every time. This sets HopSkipDrive apart: a broker finds anyone available, HopSkipDrive finds someone familiar.
• Structured Rider Notes: Structured Rider Notes take over a decade of experience providing personalized transportation to students and package it into an easy-to-use template, giving district teams the fastest and easiest way to build an individualized transportation plan for each rider. Select from pre-defined options to flag things like non-verbal communication, scent sensitivities, or safety needs—and those details are presented clearly to CareDrivers before the ride ever starts. Purpose-built templates guide teams through essential categories so vital information stays front and center. Because notes follow a standard structure, teams can have greater confidence that a rider's needs and preferences will carry through to any ride—even when a rider’s needs or schedule changes.
• Rider Assistant Program: To support students who require an extra adult for a successful ride, districts can now book a Rider Assistant with just six hours' notice, matching HopSkipDrive's industry-leading ride turnaround time, so students with higher support needs aren't left without options when schedules change. Every Rider Assistant is thoroughly vetted, including through fingerprint background checks, providing an extra layer of support for students who need it most.

“Consistency isn’t a goal for us; it’s our standard,” said Corey McMahon, Chief Product & Technology Officer of HopSkipDrive. “We’ve moved beyond simply providing the first available CareDriver; we’ve built a system where even the backup plan is rooted in familiarity.”

To ensure districts have help whenever they need it, HopSkipDrive is also launching expanded 24/7 support channels. Now in addition to the live support that has always been available during every active ride, districts, caregivers and CareDrivers have around-the-clock access to assistance for common questions.

“Districts serving students with IEPs and students with housing instability need a partner they can count on, without sacrificing consistency, turnaround time, and safety,” said Joanna McFarland, CEO and co-founder of HopSkipDrive. “Our 2026-27 products ensure that every detail, from driver familiarity to safety protocols, is ready for the first day of school so districts can focus on education rather than logistics.”

About HopSkipDrive

HopSkipDrive is the leader in safe, fast, and simple supplemental student transportation. Modernizing the $30 billion school transportation industry through its care-centered transportation marketplace which supplements school buses by connecting kids to highly-vetted caregivers on wheels, such as grandparents, babysitters, and nurses in local communities. HopSkipDrive also offers its industry-leading transportation intelligence platform, RouteWise AI™, to address critical challenges, including budget cuts, bus driver shortages, and reaching climate goals. With this technology, HopSkipDrive has supported over 14,500 schools and over 2,000 school districts, government agencies, and nonprofit partners. Since its founding in 2014 by three working mothers, HopSkipDrive has surpassed more than 100 million safe miles driven. This record includes nearly 3 million foster and McKinney-Vento rides and 1.7 million Individualized Education Program (IEP) rides, alongside millions of additional trips for General Education, Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, and extracurricular activities.

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