Zum Ushers In New Era of Student Transportation For Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Public Schools has awarded Zum a contract valued at $68 million over three years to modernize school-bus services for thousands of Seattle Public School (SPS) families. With expanded service beginning this fall, Zum represents the first new major school bus provider in Seattle in over 30 years, and a welcomed new option for student transportation in Washington State.
Seattle joins a growing movement of over 4,000 schools and major school districts including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland who have all transitioned to Zum and its modern approach to student transportation.
“Zum’s technology and student-centered service offer greater safety, transparency, and efficiency for students, families, and communities,” said Ritu Narayan, founder and CEO of Zum. “With this decision, SPS demonstrates its commitment to a future where student transportation is no longer a barrier to education, but rather advances equity and enhances community.”
Zum’s new state-of-the-art hub and bus yard is situated in Seattle’s Rainier Beach community, where the company is creating hundreds of union jobs and beginning the process of transforming Seattle’s student transportation system.
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Teamsters Local Union 174
School bus drivers are expected to be expert navigators, problem solvers and child-care professionals—all while keeping their eyes on the road. And yet they rarely get the respect they deserve. Zum’s record in every city it operates reflects a deep admiration for drivers and a commitment to fight for their rights, promote their success, and equip them with cutting-edge technology to make their jobs easier.
Parents across the SPS community have long expressed concern about service and safety problems with the district’s longtime busing vendor. Zum’s entire system and custom technology, on the other hand, are built with students and parents squarely in mind. Families and school staff will have access to track pickups and dropoffs in real time, receive alerts and updates on their smartphones, and track children’s progress along the routes. These advanced safety features, offered only by Zum, are game-changers for working families.
“As both CEO and a mother, there is nothing more important than keeping our children safe, on time, and accounted for,” said Narayan, “Parents have enough to worry about in those chaotic hours before and after school. The least we can do is give families a little peace of mind and access to modern tools from a trusted partner.”