For Kansas City Public Schools, student transportation is an operational pressure point, especially for students whose needs don’t fit neatly into fixed routes or predictable schedules. The urban district is continuously navigating bus driver shortages, rising complexity, and a growing population of students in transition — many of whom move across municipal and even state lines in the greater Kansas City region.
A top priority for leaders in the district is to increase student attendance. One critical way to move that needle is by providing every student with a reliable ride to school, every single day. Kansas City Public Schools has taken a modern approach to student transportation, and it’s working: On-time performance has improved from 72–75% to over 90% since shifting from traditional cab services to EverDriven for alternative student transportation, and that’s contributing to higher student attendance.
The Challenge: Thousands of Students Experiencing Homelessness in a Complex District
Like many urban districts, Kansas City Public Schools faces persistent transportation challenges, including driver shortages, high variability in student needs, and increasing demand for specialized transportation.
But one challenge stood out above the rest: the need to support nearly 2,000 students eligible under the McKinney-Vento (MKV) Homeless Assistance Act. These students require careful coordination across a fragmented transportation system. They often move between temporary living situations and cross district and even state boundaries, requiring frequent routing changes with little notice.
The Kansas City Public Schools Department of Transportation had been relying on traditional cab services to support their MKV students, but several complications were coming to a head, such as:
- Inconsistent pickup and drop-off times
- Limited visibility into ride status
- Frustration among schools, families, and staff
“If one of our schools lets out at 4:15, but cabs aren’t showing up until 4:45 or 5:00… no one’s ready to spend the rest of their afternoon waiting,” explained Anthony Smiley, who had recently joined as Director of Transportation.
Transportation had become a daily operational pain point, and more importantly, a barrier to student attendance.
A New Strategy: Simplify, Stabilize, and Scale with Intention
When Smiley stepped in, he brought a unique perspective, having worked both within public transit systems and as a contractor.
His philosophy was straightforward:
- Don’t overcomplicate
- Focus on service quality, not just coverage
- Build systems around student needs
“Let’s just put common sense practices together and be customer-centric,” he said. “What would we do if this was my kid?”
Solution: EverDriven for Alternative Student Transportation
The district established a partnership with EverDriven to support needs for alternative student transportation. EverDriven stood out as a dedicated solution for safe, reliable student transportation services. Technological capabilities — including their camera solution, TripCentral for administrators, and VIP App for Caretakers — promised to improve visibility and stakeholder communications.
Rather than overhaul everything at once, the district took a measured, strategic approach:
- Start with the biggest pain points: They prioritized McKinney-Vento students, where instability was highest and impact would be greatest.
- Steady scale: Instead of shifting hundreds of students at once, they phased implementation carefully.
“We didn’t want to say, ‘Here’s 300 kids — go.’ That’s setting everyone up for failure.” - Align capacity with demand: Close coordination ensured transportation partners could deliver consistently before expanding further.
- Build trust at the school level: Ongoing feedback loops with principals validated that the changes were improving real day-to-day experiences.
The Impact: Greater On-time Performance, Higher Student Attendance
Kansas City Public Schools now has a more flexible and transparent transportation model that’s flexible to support dynamic student needs. The benefits are numerous.
Consistent, reliable rides with 15% higher on-time performance
Since transitioning from cab-based services to EverDriven for alternative student transportation, the district has seen on-time performance improve from 72-75% to over 90%. The transportation team is getting fewer complaints from principals and schools, students and staff spend less time waiting for rides, and there’s higher confidence in transportation overall.
“Anytime I’m not receiving countless emails about late arrivals… my day is going well. The overall attitude at dismissal has improved,” said Smiley. “With EverDriven, we’re above 90% for on-time performance… that speaks volumes.”
Most importantly, student attendance is on the rise.
Real-time visibility and better communication
Coordination between schools, families, and transportation providers is more streamlined today. Administrators and families can track rides in real time, and drivers and assignments are clearly identified.
“You can download TripCentral app, see where your drivers are… and parents have that same visibility through the VIP App,” explained Smiley.
Faster, more responsive routing
The district is also better equipped to handle the frequently changing needs of their MKV students.
“We surpassed all of last year’s alternative student ride requests in one month with EverDriven, and the turnaround time has been stellar, thanks to the routing team.”
A Foundation for the Future
With transportation performance stabilized, Kansas City Public Schools is now focused on thoughtful expansion.
Next steps include:
- Gradually transitioning more McKinney-Vento students to EverDriven
- Evaluating opportunities to improve special education transportation
- Continuing to prioritize service quality over rapid scale
This measured approach ensures that improvements are sustainable, and that students experience consistency, not disruption. For Kansas City Public Schools, transportation is no longer just a logistical function. It’s a critical driver of student access and success.
