New National Research on the Impact of Transportation Consistency
New National Research on the Impact of Transportation Consistency
Alternative Student Transportation provides children experiencing homelessness with safe and reliable journeys to and from school. Working within school districts all around the country from Fresno to Philadelphia, and Minneapolis to Las Vegas, our solutions ensure reliable transportation to elementary, middle or high school for any students experiencing homelessness. Consistent transportation can build a sense of security when life feels uncertain. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act defines the term “homeless children and youth” as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
Students experiencing housing insecurity benefit from flexible transportation options that can be adjusted as they move from one location to another. Unlike the traditional school bus, small-capacity vehicles used by EverDriven efficiently accommodate changes in pick-up or drop-off locations as they are not limited by a set route, ensuring that the child can continue to attend school even if they move frequently or have irregular schedules.
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act provides students experiencing homelessness with transportation assistance if they meet the eligibility requirements.
This Act also covers “unaccompanied youth,” which is defined as a child or youth who is homeless and is not in the physical custody of a parent or legal guardian and offers these individuals the same rights as their housed peers.
If it’s in the student’s best interest to continue attending the same school that they were enrolled in when they became homeless, the McKinney-Vento Act also allows families to keep their child in the school of origin. In this case, school districts must provide the student with transportation services to help ensure attendance.
The local educational agency (LEA) where the school of origin is located must arrange transportation without delay and ensure that students experiencing homelessness can attend classes for the entire school day, neither arriving late nor leaving before the school day has ended to minimize educational disruptions.
As this responsibility exists for all LEAs, even when an LEA may not provide transportation for other students, most school districts rely on state transportation or general funds to provide homeless students with school transportation.
Schools or districts that qualify for Title I may have access to funds intended to provide school transportation for students. Title I funds can also be used to transport non-low-income students to school – enabling districts to offer school transportation to all students, not just those who individually qualify as low-income.
Funds reserved for students experiencing homelessness under Title I, Part A (set-aside funds) may be used to provide children and youth who are homeless with services not ordinarily provided to other students, including providing transportation to and from the school of origin.
Title I, Part A funds for students who are homeless may be used for other transportation needs, such as transportation to enable a student experiencing homelessness to participate in an educational activity after school if transportation is not otherwise available.
