Denver approves $710,000 cap for HopSkipDrive rides

Denver City Council approved an amendment Oct. 26 lowering the maximum for Denver Human Services’ HopSkipDrive contract from $1.5 million to $710,000 and extending the agreement through Dec. 31, 2028, the adopted amendment record shows.

The contract covers door-to-door rides for children and youth involved with or receiving services from Denver Human Services. Trips include transportation to school and school-related activities, supervised parenting time, placement transitions, extracurricular activities, therapy and medical appointments, the department’s amendment request says. The department identifies rides to a student’s school of origin under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act as a priority and says the city is reimbursed 90% for those rides.

The department cited current budget limits and lower-than-anticipated spending as reasons for reducing the maximum. At the council meeting, a city representative said the city reviewed use of the service and described the reduction as a right-sizing, not a service cut. The representative said the city would continue using the service for children who need access to their schools of origin, the meeting video shows.

The $1.5 million figure was the previous contract ceiling, not reported spending. The agreement form says the amendment is not binding until required signatures are complete and, if required, council approval is obtained; the public record reviewed does not include a fully executed agreement, the form states.