Garland ISD came back from the winter break and quickly put a temporary plan in place to ensure transportation for their displaced student population. "We began by having teachers and staff who were living in various parts of the Dallas Metroplex, but working for Garland ISD, transport the displaced students who were living near them in rented Chevy Suburbans. This was more of a stop-gap for us and not a sustainable solution," said Smith.
It was during that time that a transportation director from a neighboring district mentioned EverDriven and recommended that Garland ISD reach out to them about providing McKinney-Vento transportation services. "We set up a meeting with the EverDriven team and were immediately impressed by their responsiveness, the quality of service they offer, and their experience with McKinney-Vento," added Smith.
The EverDriven proposal was submitted to the Garland ISD school board, and within several weeks, the district was up and running with EverDriven. "One of the things we discovered after we began working with EverDriven was their ability to work across districts," continued Smith. "One of the provisions in McKinney-Vento is that both the student's district of origin and the district in which they are residing while displaced must share the cost of the transportation. EverDriven was great to work with on this as they knew how to work with shared billing arrangements, and work across districts to maintain quality of service."
Even After the Rebuilding Process, School District Identifies Ongoing Need for EverDriven Services
It took between 18 months and two years for things to normalize with Garland ISD following the December 2015 tornado. "By fall 2017, most of our students returned to living inside district boundaries, and while the high demand for EverDriven services was diminished, we still saw tremendous value in our relationship and the services they provide our district," said Smith. "For example, the reporting they give us enables us to pinpoint for our school board exactly how we are utilizing their services, how many students we are transporting and from where, and the cost of each trip. This helps tremendously in terms of budgeting and planning."
Smith shared that since Garland ISD began working with EverDriven, they have also tried other alternative student transportation services, but find EverDriven's offerings to be the most reliable. "Other transportation services may be cheaper, but with EverDriven we get a level of service and accountability that outweighs any cost concerns," continued Smith. "The adage 'you get what you pay for' certainly rings true in this case."
Garland ISD continues to use EverDriven for McKinney-Vento students and also special trips where a bus and driver can't be allocated due to available resources and other factors. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to revise our services contract and were not using EverDriven as much, but in early 2021 when things began to normalize, we were able to quickly increase our usage and we greatly appreciate the flexibility EverDriven has afforded during this time," said Smith.
Smith also noted that beyond the original scope of the district's relationship with EverDriven, they are now using the services to transport what they call "newcomer" students or those who have migrated from Central America, Asia, and other regions and must take special classes to learn English and other skills before transitioning into the general population. "From day one to now, the EverDriven staff have been tremendous to work with and I can't thank them enough for their partnership with Garland ISD," concluded Smith.
By partnering with EverDriven through their cooperative contract with OMNIA Partners, school districts and families receive safe, reliable, and high-quality transportation. Because EverDriven focuses only on special transportation needs, they are able to offer a level of personalized service found nowhere else.
Learn More About Everdriven: