CINCINNATI, Ohio — As part of its biggest school year ever, First Student, the trusted school transportation provider to millions of families, is visiting even more school districts in 2024-25 to promote safe bus behavior through its Safety Dog Bus Tour. The program uses fun and interactive activities to teach bus riding basics to elementary school students, empowering them to feel confident and safe riding to and from school.
The Safety Dog Bus Tour kicks off Wednesday, September 25 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and will travel across North America this school year. Some of the districts First Student’s safety mascot will visit include:
Calgary Catholic School District in Calgary, Alberta
Corona-Norco Unified School District in Corona, Calif.
KIPP Texas in Austin, Texas
Madison Metropolitan School District in Madison, Wis.
Norristown Area School District in Norristown, Pa.
Palm Springs Unified School District in Palm Springs, Calif.
Stamford Public Schools in Stamford, Conn.
The Point College Prep and Leadership Academy in Jamestown, N.C.
Toronto Catholic School District Board, in Toronto, Ontario
Waterloo Community Schools in Waterloo, Iowa
“At First Student, we understand the significant role school bus safety plays in ensuring the well-being of the students we transport” said First Student Senior Vice President of Safety and Security Darryl Hill. “We are proud to expand the Safety Dog Bus Tour this school year, helping even more students feel comfortable and secure on our buses, which is especially important for young riders who may be on the bus for the first time. By partnering with school districts to teach these effective safety tips in a memorable way, we hope to instill safe bus-riding behavior for this school year and beyond.”
School buses are the safest way for children to and from school. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are approximately 70 times safer than passenger cars.
During Safety Dog Bus Tour stops, students learn how to be a safe bus rider through various hands-on activities. They receive a safety demonstration on the school bus, sign a safety pledge, have a photo taken with Safety Dog, and leave with a special gift bag to remember the information shared during the event.
There have been more than 50 stops on the Safety Dog Bus Tour to date. Nearly 16,000 students have signed the safety pledge.
About First Student:
As the leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students every day. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company will complete 1 billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 45,000 buses. For more information, visit firststudentinc.com.
