HATTIESBURGH, Miss. — The Hattiesburg Public School District has awarded a new contract to First Student to transport nearly 4,000 students through the 2023 school year. The decision marks the first time the district has partnered with a transportation provider for busing services, the company noted.
“Working with First Student will allow us to significantly enhance our ability to provide students with safe and efficient transportation,” said Hattiesburg Public School District Superintendent Dr. Robert Williams. “We were impressed by their industry-leading safety record, rigorous driver training programs and adoption of new technologies. We are confident First Student has the expertise needed to drive the district forward.”
First Student will install additional safety features in the district’s school buses, including Child Check-Mate. The electronic reminder system is designed to ensure that no child is left unattended on a bus. Also, each bus will be equipped with GPS systems, which allow staff to pinpoint the exact location and speed of each bus.
“We are proud to become an integral part of the Hattiesburg community,” said First Student Area General Manager Tony Vidrine. “The district is seeking new solutions to improve transportation services, and we can deliver. We look forward to providing thousands of children in the community with the safest ride to and from school.”
First Student has more than a century of experience providing student transportation. The company’s hiring, training, and ongoing development programs for drivers and monitors help deliver the safest ride in the school transportation industry.
For this upcoming school year, more school districts have chosen First Student than any other provider. To date, more than 30,000 additional students across North America will receive safe, reliable transportation from First Student in the 2019-20 school year, the company reported.
About First Student, Inc.
As the leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. First Student completes 5 million student journeys each day, moving more passengers than all U.S. airlines combined. With a team of highly-trained drivers and the industry’s strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services. These include full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, route optimization, and scheduling, maintenance and charter services for 1,100 school district contracts. www.firststudentinc.com
