Local reporters and three local United Way organizations have launched the annual “Stuff the Bus” campaign, aiming to provide school supplies to students across California’s Central Coast as families continue to face rising education costs and economic challenges, reported KSBW 8.
For the third consecutive year, KSBW 8 is partnering with United Way Monterey County, for the third consecutive year. United for San Benito and United Way of Santa Cruz County are also involved to collect donations that will help students begin the school year with essential classroom supplies.
Organizers reportedly said the Stuff the Bus campaign is focused on supporting children whose families are struggling to afford basic school necessities. Community members can contribute throughout the year, with donations helping purchase supplies for students across Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. The need remains significant throughout the region.
According to organizers, nearly 13,000 students in Monterey County experienced homelessness during the last school year. In neighboring Santa Cruz County, officials estimate more than 2,700 K-12 students are facing homelessness or other serious hardships that can create barriers to academic success.
Stuff the Bus Seeks to Offset Rising Costs
At the same time, the cost of preparing children for school reportedly continues to strain household budgets. Organizers cited data showing the average American family spent approximately $858 on school supplies in 2025, a figure that can be difficult for lower-income families to manage.
The Stuff the Bus campaign reportedly seeks to bridge that gap by ensuring students have the tools they need when classes begin. Donations support the purchase and distribution of supplies for children throughout the Central Coast, helping schools and families meet growing needs.
Campaign organizers are encouraging residents, businesses and community groups to contribute and support local students. Stuff the Bus donations are accepted year-round, with organizers emphasizing that every contribution can make a difference for children facing financial hardship and help create opportunities for academic success across the region.
A webinar showed how two school districts went beyond the yellow bus and utilized alternative transportation to serve vulnerable student populations.
Adam Gleicher, director of marketing for webinar sponsor HopSkipDrive and former public schools teacher, opened Thursday’s meeting by saying that the yellow bus is a starting point for most school districts but may not be the complete solution.
“This job is harder today than when I started,” declared Greg Dutton, senior transportation analyst for HopSkipDrive and former director of transportation for Renton School District in Washington.
He referenced HopSkipDrive’s State of School Transportation survey, which found current pressures include school bus driver shortages, tighter budgets, chronic student absenteeism, and growing student populations with specialized needs. Three in five bus routes have less than 50 percent ridership, he explained.
Dutton next reviewed the five main student transportation models and the strengths and weaknesses of each one:
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Dutton said that, as a transportation director, he would start by trying to put a student on the yellow bus, then moving to alternative transportation if that didn’t work.
School buses do many things well, but they can’t go everywhere or serve all student needs, he underscored. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, he advised a “right vehicle for the right student” mindset, where buses and small vehicles each play a role so no students fall through the gaps and school bus drivers are better utilized.
Safety is the goal, but essential equipment such as booster seats are not guaranteed with transportation brokers or taxis, he noted. He encouraged leveraging multi-modal transportation to match each student with the best-fit vehicle considering turnaround time, in-ride experience and driver qualifications.
“HopSkipDrive was purpose-built for student transportation,” he emphasized.
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One area where the company helps close gaps is for students covered under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Gleicher said.
The population of students experiencing homeless doubled in Sun Prairie Area School District in Wisconsin doubled since COVID-19, explained Claire Bergman, the district’s McKinney-Vento coordinator. She added that the taxis the district was using before its HopSkipDrive partnership often led safety concerns, ever-changing drivers, strained service and a stigma for the students who rode them.
As McKinney-Vento transportation is a federal law, budget can’t be an excuse, she said. She said she was able to assign certain students to separate vehicles to avoid interpersonal conflicts. Parents also have peace of mind, she said, since they know the drivers and can track their child’s ride to and from school.
When it comes to funding, Bergman advised looking into Title 1 monies, as well as getting creative with state or local grants.
Gleicher noted that HopSkipDrive’s six-hour turnaround time means rides are secured quickly with same-day or next-day fulfillment. Additionally, vetted CareDrivers are directly onboarded. They have trauma-informed care training and 15 years of caregiving experience on average.
5 Questions to Ask Student Transportation Partners
When a student moves tonight, can you get them to school tomorrow?
Who is actually behind the wheel? What are their qualifications — and how do you know?
Once a ride starts, who is watching to make sure it goes as planned?
Can my team manage and update rides without having to call someone?
Are you licensed in the states where you operate, and are you the provider of record?
Mechale’ Johnson used HopSkipDrive to transport three students at Falls Church City Public Schools in Virginia and now uses it for 100 students in her current role as director of the office of pupil transportation and fleet management for nearby Alexandria City Public Schools
Like Bergman, Johnson also primarily uses the service to transport an ever-increasing McKinney-Vento student population. She praised the ability to build routes other than home-to-school, such as when a student attends therapy offsite. She can use it on her phone or share access with staff to make faster changes. When a fire temporarily displaced several families, she connected them with HopSkipDrive.
“It’s definitely been helpful for us,” she stated.
Gleicher reviewed HopSkipDrive’s alternative transportation offerings, which are designed to serve students with IEPs or experiencing homelessness, plus those going to career schools or after-school programs.
Dutton discussed the RouteWise AI routing intelligence and optimization technology, which can be used in addition to a district’s current routing software and lets staff model different cost-cutting solutions to avoid knee-jerk reactions to tightening budgets.
They shared that, with the help of RouteWise AI, Denver Public Schools increased small vehicle efficiency, saving over $500,000 in the 2023–2024 school year.
Dutton confirmed that HopSkipDrive can be a short- or long-term solution, and Gleicher specified that “you only pay for the rides you use.”
EverDriven is expanding its support for school districts with the launch of a new school bus routing consulting service designed to improve efficiency, reduce costs and ease staff burnout without requiring a change to existing software platforms.
The new offering, currently in early development and pilot planning stages, will focus on providing expert routing support for districts nationwide. Rather than introducing proprietary school bus routing software, EverDriven will work within the systems districts already use.
“We’re not forcing districts into new platforms,” explained Greg Jackson, who was recently hired as general manager of EverDriven’s new school bus services division. “We’re coming in vendor agnostic, preserving their workflows and institutional knowledge and helping them operate more efficiently.”
The service will combine remote routing work with periodic on-site visits to build relationships with transportation directors, office staff and drivers. Jackson emphasized that maintaining a human connection is critical to long-term success.
“We’re going to come into your community, sit down with your team and work alongside you,” said Jackson, who was the 2019 STN Transportation Director of the Year for his work at JeffCo Public Schools in Colorado.
EverDriven’s Routing Process
Greg Jackson, the general manager of EverDriven’s new school bus services division, explained that the company organizes its services into two distinct areas: Alternative student transportation, which provides individualized transportation for students with unique learning needs or housing instability, and consolidated routing services, which integrate school buses, vans and alternative transportation into a unified strategy. Each service has specialized teams and processes due to their differing operational requirements.
While school bus routing focuses on large-scale, fixed-route planning aligned with schedules, capacity, geographic boundaries, vehicle type and ride-time standards, alternative transportation requires a more individualized and dynamic approach. Drawing on over 20 years of experience and leadership from former transportation directors, EverDriven delivers efficient, safe, and optimized routing designed to reduce costs, improve on-time performance, shorten ride times, and quickly adapt to daily changes, Jackson said.
Routing oversight is collaborative. School districts typically provide student data, service requirements, and guidelines, while EverDriven develops routes within those parameters. Districts maintain full visibility into route plans and performance and may choose to be highly involved in route design or rely on EverDriven to lead, depending on their preference. Routing is an ongoing partnership, with school districts regularly providing feedback and updates to ensure routes remain safe, practical and aligned with district goals.
“We view routing as a partnership built on shared goals and well defined roles and responsibilities,” Jackson said. “District teams bring critical local knowledge about communities, schools and student needs. Our routing specialists bring experience, deep technical abilities, and process consistency. Together, this collaboration ensures routes remain practical, safe, and aligned with district goals throughout the school year.”
EverDriven takes a technology-agnostic approach, working within a school district’s existing routing systems rather than requiring proprietary software. Integration focuses on secure data sharing, validation, and structured reporting, allowing districts to retain ownership of their systems while benefiting from EverDriven’s routing expertise.
Read more about partnering with vendors and the importance of collaboration in the March issue of School Transportation News
EverDriven said assigned school bus routing specialists will collaborate closely with school district leaders and IT departments to establish data-sharing protocols, validate student information and normalize routing data before making adjustments. Data points include enrollment, home addresses, bell schedules, eligibility requirements and accommodations for students with disabilities or those eligible under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
EverDriven Focuses on Efficiency, Budget Relief
The consulting model is designed to help districts address rising transportation costs and driver shortages. By taking a deep dive into existing routes, EverDriven said it aims to identify opportunities to consolidate routes, reduce overtime and improve vehicle utilization.
Jackson noted that many school districts struggle with overtime budgets and staffing challenges, especially when routing staff are also required to drive routes. By shifting routing responsibilities to a dedicated external specialist, he said, districts can reduce burnout and allow in-house teams to focus on daily operations and safety oversight.
“[School] boards are asking why costs keep rising,” Jackson explained. “If we can help combine routes, reduce overtime and improve efficiency, the service pays for itself.”
The new school bus routing consulting arm will operate separately from EverDriven’s existing alternative transportation division. While there may be collaboration between divisions, school bus routing consulting is positioned as a standalone support function.
School districts will not need to be EverDriven alternative transportation customers to access the new routing consulting service.
“This is about helping districts be more efficient,” Jackson said, adding that EverDriven plans to launch pilot programs in select markets to refine the service before a broader rollout.
Feedback from participating districts and the company’s customer advisory board will shape final implementation, he added.
“We’re in the beginning phases,” Jackson said, noting that details on pilot opportunities are expected in the coming months. “But the focus is student first. And now, student first with district support.”
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