Scottsdale school district replaces transportation vendor, adds cameras after assault allegations

The Scottsdale Unified School District is replacing one of its contracted transportation vendors, HopSkipDrive, after a driver for that company was accused of sexually assaulting a special needs student in April.

All of the vehicles transporting those students will now have cameras.

The district partners with three outside vendors to help transport special needs students. That’s primarily due to the ongoing bus driver shortage that began after the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of those vendors is HopSkipDrive, which is being replaced by First Student/ FirstAlt. In June, board member Carine Werner had a heated exchange with a representative from HopSkipDrive about a driver who allegedly sexually assaulted one of the district’s special needs students.

“It is just gravely concerning and you know every one of us on this dais have daughters,” Werner said. “We have to take that into consideration and we are here to protect our students.”

HopSkipDrive did not have in-ride cameras at the time of the incident, but has since added them. A HopSkipDrive spokeswoman told KJZZ they announced new safety features in June and rolled them out at the beginning of this academic year.

At this week’s SUSD governing board meeting, Gregg Prettyman, a representative from First Student, referenced what he called "past atrocities" and pointed out his company’s available safety features.

“Every vehicle will have a camera and so that will be non-negotiable,” Prettyman said. “If you call upon us that same day, if you need footage from an hour previously, we can get that footage and get that to you, so you can review that.”

There’s also an app that allows parents to track their student's ride in real time. HopSkipDrive will continue providing rides through January to give the district time to transition students over to the new service.

In a statement about the alleged April incident, an SUSD spokesperson wrote:

“The allegations are absolutely abhorrent. No one should ever be subjected to the behavior/conduct that is being alleged. SUSD takes these allegations with the utmost seriousness and is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Phoenix Police Department."

In a statement, a HopSkipDrive spokeswoman said: "HopSkipDrive works with over 10,000 schools around the country, including in the greater Phoenix area to supplement their other transportation options as they face challenges like school bus driver shortages and individual student needs. We continually invest in new technology and safety features, including Safe Ride InSight, our in-ride recording technology that we brought to the Scottsdale area earlier this year. Many school districts have utilized HopSkipDrive to quickly and seamlessly arrange rides in as little as six hours for students who most need transportation to get to school, after school activities, and other support services. We’re proud to work with so many districts in Arizona and around the country, helping provide the critical support that students need."