WATERTOWN, N.Y. — More than 4,000 students in the Watertown City School District will be riding brand new state-of-the-art school buses beginning with the 2018-19 school year. The district is replacing its fleet of nearly 45 buses as part of a new five-year transportation contract with First Student.
“We are excited about our new partnership with First Student,” said Watertown City School District Superintendent Patricia LaBarr. “We believe First Student has the insights, expertise and resources to deliver quality transportation services that will result in the best start and finish to the school day for our students.”
First Student will also introduce new technology to the district and its families, including the FirstView District Dashboard and Parent App, the industry’s most comprehensive and secure bus tracking, communications and engagement platform. Districts can streamline daily decision-making through centralized, real-time fleet reporting. Districts can then efficiently alert parents about school delays or issues, while parents can receive their student’s bus status and district messages at their fingertips.
All buses in the Watertown fleet will also be equipped with high-definition GPS tracking systems, digital cameras and the Child Check-Mate® electronic reminder system that is designed to ensure no child is left unattended on a bus. First Student has been a pioneer in developing, designing and investing in technology to ensure a safe ride to and from school.
“We look forward to working closely with the Watertown City School District, to deliver tailored transportation solutions,” said First Student Area General Manager Dave Kinley. “We thank the district for its trust in our services, and look forward to providing students with safe and reliable transportation for many years to come.”
First Student is the largest operator of school buses in New York, with 54 locations in the state. More than 4,000 employees manage nearly 3,800 routes and a fleet of almost 4,200 buses.
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 that 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
