US schools turn to 'dismissal apps' amid bus driver shortage

In addition to apps for managing pickup lines, schools are also using platforms to update parents on bus route changes and delays resulting from a need for longer routes due to driver shortages. — AP

According to a report from USA Today, US K-12 schools entered the 2021-2022 school year with 55,000 fewer bus drivers than the previous two years as Covid-19 exacerbated a bus driver shortage that predated the public health crisis. To alleviate transportation-related woes, some districts have adopted mobile apps designed to manage long parent pickup lines and to notify parents of transit updates and dismissal procedures, among other functions.

With schools seeking solutions for these logistical challenges, and parents taking to car lines instead of using district transit services, apps such as PikMyKid have experienced significant growth in recent months, according to PikMyKid founder and CEO Saravana Pat Bhava.