CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Hamilton County Schools has selected a new transportation provider to deliver safe and reliable transportation to nearly 13,000 students, beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. First Student will manage and operate 165 bus routes for the district as part of a three-year contract.
“Ensuring our students arrive to and from school safely is a top priority,” said Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson. “Safety was a key consideration in the transportation process, and we are confident First Student can deliver quality, consistent service that our families can rely on every school day.”
Students will be riding brand new state-of-the-art school buses. First Student will replace 185 buses in the district’s fleet. All will be equipped with air conditioning, and with the latest technology, including electronic stability control, GPS tracking systems and digital cameras.
School buses are the safest form of student transportation. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are approximately 70 times safer than passenger cars and 10 times safer than walking.
First Student drivers transport more passengers per day than all domestic airlines combined. The company’s hiring, training and ongoing development programs help deliver the safest ride in the school transportation industry.
“We look forward to bringing our industry-leading transportation services to Hamilton County Schools,” said First Student Area General Manager Shawn Albright. “First Student values safety above all else. Our extensive expertise in driver training, bus maintenance and technology exemplifies our dedication to the school districts and students we serve.”
Hamilton County Schools and their families will also be able to better manage the before-and-after school rush with the FirstView District Dashboard and Parent App. School administrators can streamline daily decision-making through centralized, real-time fleet reporting. They can efficiently alert parents about school delays or issues through the secure bus tracking app.
The district will also have access to FirstACTS and First Feedback. Both are web-based communication tools. FirstACTS helps manage the process of tracking student conduct on the bus. First Feedback collects, addresses and tracks various comments from parents, school district officials and the community.
First Student has partnered with school districts for more than a century to deliver tailored student transportation solutions. The company is the most chosen student transportation provider in North America.
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 five 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. Those services include full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, route optimization and scheduling, maintenance and charter services for 1,100 school district contracts. firststudentinc.com
About Hamilton County Schools
Hamilton County Schools provides learning opportunities to open doors to possibilities for the future for children, families and the community. The school district covers 576-square miles in southeastern Tennessee with a population of 357,738 residents. The 79 schools consist of pre-k through grade 12, with just over 6,000 teachers and support personnel responsible for educating over 45,000 students.
The district and its schools are driven by the Future Ready 2023 five-year action plan. The strategic plan seeks to provide Future Ready students and move the district toward becoming the fastest improving school system in Tennessee. For more information, visit www.hcde.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
