As Congress debates the Fiscal Year 2026 federal budget, student transportation remains a critical issue for school districts. This is especially true for students with disabilities and those experiencing housing instability, whose needs often fall outside what traditional school buses can safely or consistently accommodate.
These programs may not make daily headlines, but for the 8.8 million students across the country who qualify under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or McKinney-Vento, transportation is the first step to accessing an education. Whether funding levels rise, fall, or remain flat, one thing remains certain: districts are still responsible for ensuring these students get to school—which means planning for both compliance and continuity.
Why This Matters for Your District
Programs like IDEA, Title I, and the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) fund critical transportation services for students who otherwise face barriers to attending school. These include:
- Students with medical conditions or behavioral needs who require one-on-one aides or specially equipped vehicles.
- Students experiencing housing instability who change addresses frequently and need flexible routing.
- Students whose transportation must be arranged outside of standard bus schedules.
According to EverDriven’s 2024 district survey:
- 62% of districts report an increase in students with disabilities.
- 49% have seen growth in their McKinney-Vento population.
- 64% face increasingly complex transportation needs.
If these trends continue while federal funding remains stagnant or uncertain, the pressure on districts to do more with less will intensify.
What Districts Can Do Now
Federal funding decisions are outside your control. But preparing your district for evolving transportation needs—and budget volatility—is within your reach. Here’s how:
1. Audit Your Current Gaps
Start with a realistic view of where you are now:
- Are all IEP-required transportation services being met?
- Do you have the ability to quickly respond to mid-year McKinney-Vento placements or address changes?
- Can your current fleet support behavioral aides, medical accommodations, or off-hour trips?
2. Expand Your Transportation Toolkit
Alternative transportation doesn’t mean replacing yellow buses. It means supplementing them with flexible, right-sized solutions. Services like EverDriven are designed specifically for students who fall outside of traditional models.
Since 2020, EverDriven has seen a 167% increase in McKinney-Vento students served, reflecting a nationwide need for scalable, student-centered transportation options.
This approach also helps mitigate driver shortages and routing limitations—two of the top logistical challenges districts report today.
3. Build Budget-Resilient Plans
Regardless of how the FY2026 budget lands, compliance with IDEA and McKinney-Vento is still legally required. That’s why forward-looking districts are:
- Building partnerships with flexible transportation providers
- Using supplemental services to cover complex or high-cost trips
- Diversifying funding sources (federal, state, and local) to support essential student access
4. Advocate for Your Students—and Your Needs
Now is the time to make sure your voice is heard. Whether it’s engaging with local policymakers, joining advocacy groups, or participating in statewide coalitions, district leaders can remind decision-makers that transportation isn’t just a logistical service—it’s a foundation of educational access.
When students can’t get to school, they can’t learn. For millions, reliable transportation is access.
A Practical Path Forward for Districts
As the federal budget debate unfolds, one thing is clear: districts can’t afford to wait. With the right strategies, partnerships, and data in place, you can protect access for your most vulnerable students—no matter what funding decisions come next.
Transportation is more than a ride—it’s the gateway to equity, achievement, and opportunity. Let’s make sure no student is left behind simply because they can’t get to school.
Morgan Judge is an attorney and regulatory strategist with a rare combination of legislative, legal, and private sector expertise. As Senior Director of Compliance, Regulation, and Policy at EverDriven, she leads government relations and regulatory strategy for a company operating at the intersection of technology, education, and a rapidly evolving policy landscape , overseeing multi-state legislative and compliance initiatives, managing contract lobbyists, and working across teams to advance policies that align with EverDriven’s mission and growth.
Morgan’s foundation in law and policy runs deep. She earned her law degree from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law and gained early experience through legal clerkships researching civil law, criminal procedure, and local government policy. She then spent six and a half years as a nonpartisan staff member in a state legislature, working her way from enrolling clerk to senior projects and calendar manager. In those roles she developed deep fluency in legislative process, parliamentary procedure, and the mechanics of how policy actually gets made, experience that now gives her a distinctive edge navigating state-level regulatory environments on EverDriven’s behalf.
Morgan joined EverDriven in 2021 and has grown steadily within the organization, moving from Regulatory Compliance Manager to Director to her current Senior Director role. She is a visible voice in the student transportation policy community, regularly engaging at national industry conferences and advocating for regulatory frameworks that reflect the realities of modern, technology-enabled student transportation.
