Omaha Public Schools Expands Partnership with Zum to Offer Parent App and Tech Platform for All K-12 Students and Families

Nebraska District Will Implement Zum's Parent App & Other Features for Special Education Students and Families

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In July 2024, Zūm, the leader in modern student transportation, successfully launched its school bus transportation contract of 255 buses, delivering safe, reliable, efficient and effective transportation service for Omaha Public Schools' (OPS) general education routes, solving the longstanding driver shortages that previous contractors had struggled for years to solve. Today, OPS expanded its contract with Zum to allow Zum's revolutionary technology platform to now benefit the special education students who receive transportation services on OPS's 285 district-owned and -operated buses. With this expansion, Zum's technology will be available for all K-12 families and schools across all of OPS' 540 buses.

Earlier this year, the school district awarded a five-year transportation contract to Zum. This expansion enables the families of special education students to use the Zum app to receive real-time notifications, track school bus locations, view driver and vehicle information, and cancel same-day rides. 

"We are thrilled that Omaha Public Schools has extended its contract so that every student and parent will experience Zum's state-of-the-art technology, designed to improve safety, communication, efficiency and equity," said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO at Zum. "It is a game-changer to know where your child's bus is and whether they arrived at school safely and on time–especially if you are the parent of a child with special needs. Our transportation solutions benefit students' safety and well-being, and they give parents peace of mind."

District and school administrators and operators with appropriate permissions will be able to track school buses coming to and from their campus on a live map from start to finish, and ETAs will be adjusted in real-time to account for absent or delayed students as well as traffic issues.

The tech platform, including the Zum app, will be available to all families starting in January 2025.

OPS is among the growing number of innovative school districts that have partnered with Zum. Earlier this year,  Boston Public Schools (MA), Los Angeles Unified (CA), Salt Lake City School District (UT), Poudre School District (CO), and Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VA) announced partnerships with Zum. Zum's end-to-end technology platform, designed specifically for the needs of K-12 student transportation, connects parents, drivers, schools and administrators in real-time to manage, monitor and optimize student transportation while improving safety, transparency and efficiency.

Zum is also leading the charge to make student transportation more equitable. Children from low-income households and those with special needs are more likely to depend on yellow buses for transportation, and they often have especially long commutes. For the 4,000+ U.S. schools partnered with Zum, on-time arrivals have increased to 98% and commute times have been reduced by up to 20%, helping to rectify inequities and set students up for educational success.

Zum currently serves innovative districts across 14 states nationwide and is rapidly growing its footprint. To learn more about how Zum delivers safe, reliable, and modern student transportation, please visit Zum's website.

About Zum
Zum is modernizing student transportation by partnering with school districts to provide safe, sustainable, efficient and equitable service. Zum's cloud-based technology optimizes school bus routes, reduces student commute times, and tracks children's arrival and departure from school while connecting parents, drivers, schools and administrators in real time. Zum is the first and only 100% carbon neutral student transportation company, helping schools optimize their school bus fleets by providing electric solutions that reduce diesel emissions and save costs. Zum has been recognized by the Financial Times as one of the Fastest Growing Companies of 2023, named on CNBC's Disruptor 50 list, and selected by Fast Company as a World Changing Idea. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.

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SOURCE Zūm