Zūm Saves Bay Area Schools $15 Million in 18 Months, Signs 100+ New School Districts as It Expands Service Into Los Angeles

Child transportation and care startup reduces school transportation costs by 40 percent on average


REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zūm, the leading provider of safe and reliable student transportation and child care service for working families and school districts, announced today that it has saved Bay Area schools more than $15 million in the last 18 months. The service has been contracted by over 100 new school districts in the past year to support transportation needs including school commuting, athletics, field trips and after-school activities.

In all, Zūm is now transporting children to more than 2,000 California public, private and charter schools, with a collective 750,000 students in attendance. The company also offers safe, personalized transportation and flexible child care services to individual families who can pre-schedule rides for their children to and from school, as well as after-school activities and weekend events. Zūm’s service area currently covers 197 cities in California, and the company plans to continue its rapid expansion to other regions in the coming months.

“Our district is passionate about meeting the needs of our 4,600 students and we do so by focusing on safety, efficiency and progressive solutions. Zūm has been a critical ally in helping us tackle the transportation needs of our students by optimizing key routes. We’ve reduced our expenses by 50 percent while providing a safe, reliable solution to the families who use Zūm, and as a result have been able to reallocate the transportation funds into our general fund to balance our budget,” said Grace Garner, chief business officer of Garvey School District. “In addition to being more financially efficient for the district, we’ve also provided a better experience for the families Zūm serves. The students arrive energized, happy and ready to learn. It’s been a game-changer and has helped to move our district into a more modern, innovative era.”  

Zūm’s impact on schools is notable for the large-scale benefits it can provide to an entire district. An analysis of school partners found an average transportation savings reduction of 40 percent. In addition, the personalized service reduces the average commute time by 20 percent, and its mobile technology platform provides end-to-end visibility to parents and school administrators, boosting customer satisfaction.

Schools across the nation spend more than $23 billion a year on transportation, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. While driving millions of dollars back into school district budgets, Zūm has grown revenue more than 300 percent in 2018.

The safety, savings, scalability, efficiency and personalized student experience have fueled rapid growth across the state of California and interest from charter schools, private schools and public school districts in other states. Starting in August 2018, Zūm fully launched its service in the Greater Los Angeles area. So far, Zūm currently partners with nearly 100 schools in the region, and has already provided thousands of miles of safe rides for students in and around Los Angeles.

“Schools and busy parents across the country have a critical need for better student transportation and part-time care solutions. Modern families need more flexibility in childcare and mobile-first resources to help them manage their work and their children. At Zūm, we’ve given back more than 200,000 hours to working moms and dads by driving their children 3.5 million miles to schools, activities and playdates,” said Ritu Narayan, founder and CEO. “We treat every child in Zūm’s care like they are our own.”

Zūm has grown its labor force to meet the demand from schools and working parents, while maintaining a strict review process for all potential child transportation providers. Zūm drivers (Zūmers) are nurses, teachers, nannies and more. All Zūmers have at least 3 years of childcare experience, undergo a rigorous vetting process that includes a 20-point vehicle inspection and in-person assessment, and every driver obtains child care certification by TrustLine, the gold standard in multi-level, safety background checks for childcare providers. Only one out of five driver applicants are selected, and Zūmers make up to $32 per hour.

Every Zūm passenger rides in a 2008 or newer vehicle in great condition, and parents can pre-schedule advance Zūm rides for children ages five and up. Rides start at $8 per child for a carpool and $15 for a solo ride. To book a ride, parents download the iOS or Android app, create a family profile, and request a one-time or recurring ride. Confirmation includes Zūmer details, real-time GPS tracking so parents can track student rides in real-time, and support from a live operations team.

Zūm is offering $1,000 in ride credits for new school partners. This offer is valid on new contracts signed between October 11 through December 31, 2018. For more information, visit https://ridezum.com/child-transportation-services.html.

About Zūm
Zūm is the leading provider of safe, efficient and reliable child transportation for schools and parents. Zūm is committed to saving schools money and parents time by providing flexible ride options, through highly vetted drivers. Since its inception, Zūm has provided over 3.5 million miles of safe and reliable rides and helped parents save over 200,000 hours - and counting. Founded by Ritu Narayan, Vivek Garg, and Abhishek Garg, Zūm is backed by leading venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital and Spark Capital. The company is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif. For more information or to book a ride, visit www.ridezum.com. To apply to be a driver, visit www.ridezum.com/drive.


            

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