School districts and contractors alike across the country are reporting increased demand for service for students with special needs, making an already complex landscape change even more quickly. As ridership increases, transportation providers are adjusting their fleets, staffing, and technology to keep pace. 

Let’s dig into the progress being made and what looks different today than yesterday.

11 Takeaways & Shifts from the 2026 Survey

• Special-needs ridership is rising again. A majority (57%) of respondents reported increased special-needs ridership year over year, reversing last year’s plateau and signaling renewed demand.

• More buses are dedicated to special-needs service. The average share of fleet vehicles primarily transporting special-needs students jumped to 24%, up from 15% last year.

• Door-to-door service continues to shrink. School-to-home special-needs bus stops dropped to 83%, down from 90%, amid tighter budgets, budget shortfalls, and evolving IEP interpretations.

• Pay equity gains for special-needs drivers stalled but premiums grew. While most drivers still earn the same rate, those receiving higher pay for special-needs routes more than doubled, rising from 5% to 12%.

• More aides are boarding special-needs buses. Nearly two-thirds of operators now include aides on all special-needs routes, continuing a three-year upward trend.

• Mainstreaming continues to expand. A record 87% of respondents now report some level of mainstreaming, reflecting growing confidence that many students with disabilities can succeed on general-ed routes.

• Supply chain disruptions persist, with less severity. More respondents felt some impact this year, but far fewer categorized it as severe or critical, indicating stabilization rather than resolution.

• Uncertainty around outsourcing is growing. While most districts still don’t outsource, more are undecided, with interest split between traditional bus contractors and alternative transportation providers.

• Small vehicles are gaining ground. Van, SUV, and car usage increased significantly, while Type C bus routes remained steady. In fact, vans now make up 14% of the total vehicle fleet for special-needs operators. 

• Technology adoption accelerated across the board, with more respondents using A/C on buses, videosurveillance nearing universal adoption, student tracking use more than doubling year over year, and child-check systems remaining widely in use.

• The driver shortage is easing, but behavior challenges are rising. Fewer operators report major staffing impacts overtaking workforce shortages for the first time in years.

The following data was compiled and averaged from qualified online survey respondents, including transportation staff at school districts and contractors, collected in November and December 2025. 

For reference, most survey respondents this year (56%) had small fleets with fewer than 50 total buses, though the average fleet size was 115.

Average Percentages Across Respondent Fleets

• Vehicles primarily used for special-needs transportation: 24%

• Riders with special needs: 22%

• Special-needs riders using wheelchairs: 6%

• School-to-home special-needs stops: 83%

• Fleet vehicles that are vans: 14%

Most Common Vans used for Special-Needs Transportation

• Ford Transit

• Dodge Caravan

• Chrysler Pacifica

• Toyota Sienna

• Chevrolet Express

For the full survey report, please watch for the February 2026 issue of the magazine!