Challenging the Status Quo
How Kansas City Public Schools Paved the Way for Modern Student Mobility
Transforming Student Mobility
Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS), in Missouri, significantly improved their student experience and academic readiness by overhauling its transportation system, focusing on four crucial areas: student achievement, modern technology, driver experience, and stakeholder feedback. This transformation addressed long‑standing reliability issues and introduced technology‑driven, safety‑focused solutions that strengthened daily school operations and supported better student outcomes.
Summary & Background
KCPS, which serves more than 15,000 students across a geographically diverse region and a complex service model— including neighborhood schools, magnet schools, overflow schools, and grandfathered ridership guidelines requiring cross‑district travel—had faced decades‑long challenges with student transportation. The district struggled with uncovered routes, severe driver shortages, limited data visibility, rising operational costs, and growing frustration from families due to unreliable service and outdated routing systems.
Before modernization:
• The previous contractor operated an aging fleet
• Routing was performed with legacy software that required manual updates
• Communication was limited, with no mobile app for families or administrators
• Driver shortages created daily unpredictability including extremely delayed and frequently cancelled routes
By partnering with a technology‑driven transportation provider and implementing a modern, data‑enabled approach, KCPS achieved significant improvements in reliability, safety, and communication. Within one year, the district deployed modern technology, addressed major driver shortages, improved on‑time performance, and strengthened community trust through greater transparency and consistent service.
The Challenge
KCPS’s transportation system was struggling to meet the needs of students and families. Key issues included:
• No reliable data tracking: No data management system to monitor on time performance.
• Limited visibility and communication: Families and schools had no real time tracking or capability to contact support or give feedback effectively.
• Instructional time lost: Transportation‑related disruptions adversely impacted student time in the classroom.
• Failing audit and compliance: Consistently failed to meet state reporting requirements.
• Aging fleet: An aging fleet—prone to breakdowns and lacking air conditioning and modern technology— contributed to chronic absenteeism, family frustration, staff fatigue, and instability in district funding.
The Transformation
One year prior to a bid process, the district began collecting data and engaging all stakeholders for feedback to identify priorities and areas of concern related to transportation. Input was gathered from parents, teachers, building administrators, support staff, special education, students‑in‑transition, student support staff, central office administrators, bus drivers, transportation staff, athletics, community partners, and board members. By November, the district launched a comprehensive bid process focused on solving its greatest operational gaps:
• Transitioning to a technology‑enabled fleet with GPS, safety monitoring, and real‑time data
• Implementing dynamic routing software to optimize routes and reduce ride times
• Introducing a family app for real‑time bus tracking and communication
• Deploying a continuous training and onboarding plan to drivers and monitors
• Establishing a data dashboard for district leaders to monitor performance daily
• Solving the long‑standing driver shortage
The goal was simple: Identify and implement a technology‑led, data‑driven solution with measurable outcomes to create a safe, reliable, modern transportation system that bolsters student achievement.
Implementation Approach
By March, the district had identified a transportation partner and co‑created an implementation strategy with clear timelines and key milestones. This was organized in three phases:
Phase 1: Planning & Data Audit
• Fully assess staffing levels and fleet needs
• Assess facilities & renovations
• Conduct a full route analysis
• Identify inefficiencies and equity gaps
• Engage families, drivers, and school leaders
Phase 2: Technology Rollout
• Prioritize partnership launch & hiring initiatives
• Integrate technology with SIS system
• Establish cadence of communication with key metrics
• Introduce tech‑enabled buses
• Train staff on new tracking apps & reporting
• Launch the family communication app
Phase 3: Optimization & Continuous Improvement
• Weekly performance reviews with transportation partner
• Weekly staff training on bus app tracking and reporting
• Fully engage leadership team on weekly feedback
• 30‑day stakeholder feedback on implementation/progress
• Align district practices to transportation guidelines
Results & Impact (at-a-glance)
• No data existed previously for On Time Performance (OTP). After Zum commenced service, OTP was measured at 95%
• Ridership improved by 89%, from 4,800 to 9,100 students
• School satisfaction improved by 62%
Stakeholders Feedback
• 97% of stakeholders rated overall service as reliable
• 96% of stakeholders rated overall OTP as consistent
• 91% of stakeholders rated modern technology as positive
Student-Centered Outcomes
• Transportation absences decreased by 86% (from 2024‑2025) driven by modern, reliable transportation
• The graduation rate reached a decade high of 89%
• Student attendance increased by 2.5% district‑wide
• Student extracurricular competitive access increased 150+%
Transportation became a lever for access, strengthening students’ ability to fully participate in all program activities and significantly improving the overall student experience while meeting and/or exceeding district goals.
Source: Kansas City Public Schools, Policy Monitoring Workshop Board Meeting, June 11, 2025 - Student Transportation Update SY 2024-25.
Results
- Average on-time performance of 95%
- Ridership increased by 89%
- Transportation related absences decreased 86%
- Student extracurricular access increased 150+%
- Proportional daily student attendance increased by 15%
- Reading proficiency increased 5+%
- Decades-high graduation rate of 89% attained
.jpg)
I have closely worked with the Zum team over the last 7 years, and have observed first-hand the benefit of applying their technology to solve our complex day-to-day operations needs.
With Zūm CMX, we save about $3.5 million on a yearly basis, just by reducing the number of routes. We reduced routes by 10% immediately, right when we implemented it. All of our key metrics and KPIs improved right away.
Zūm CMX gives us so much visibility and insight into what's happening in our school transportation. We can see ahead of time that a bus is running late, track that route, and proactively adjust it to make sure it arrives on time. Parents are able to track their bus and get real time ETAs, so they know exactly where their child's bus is at. The software and the technology are great, but the real value is the peace of mind and communication that they provide.
Zūm just brought the overall student mobility operation and the experience to a whole new level. Zūm really focuses on the entire experience not just for the students, but for the school districts as a whole. They completely full-circled the operation by improving communication with families and with us. They also offered us a full EV system that really put the cherry on top of the entire operation. It was a no-brainer to choose Zūm.
Zūm's proven track record, along with its enhanced communication and equity-focused decision making, has greatly benefited our students, families, and drivers in Kansas City. We appreciate their commitment to safety, efficiency, transparency, and student-centered approach, and have been excited to partner with them.
