CINCINNATI — First Student, Inc., the nation’s leader in student transportation, has signed a contract to provide student transportation for the Shawnee Mission Unified School District 512 in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, beginning August 1, 2009. First Student is part of Cincinnati-based FirstGroup America, North America’s largest transportation company. The Shawnee Mission School District covers 72 square miles in northeast Johnson County serving 28,000 students and is the second largest school district in Kansas.
The contract is a five-year agreement which includes the operation, maintenance and management of a fleet of 250 vehicles that will service 50 schools throughout the district. First Student will provide brand new school buses for 85 percent of the 250 vehicle fleet. These new buses will feature some of the industry’s latest technologies, including GPS, Child Checkmate electronic reminder system, digital video cameras and cleaner running diesel engines that meet the newer, more stringent emissions guidelines.
Carey Paster, President & CEO of Commercial Development, Sales, & Marketing for First Student said: “We are pleased to be able to bring our quality student transportation services to Shawnee Mission. School buses are clearly the safest way for children to get to and from school, and by replacing 85 percent of the district’s current fleet with brand new buses, the students and schools of Shawnee Mission can enjoy some of the latest advancements the school bus industry has to offer. Our industry-leading safety record, commitment to customer service, and rigorous driver training and injury prevention program all ensure we will deliver the safest, most efficient student transportation services for the families and children who rely on us each day.”
First Student’s core values of safety and customer satisfaction are evident through the regular investments we make in our fleet, our adoption of new technologies and enactment of stringent safety policies and operational procedures. Our drivers are skilled professionals who are trained to provide the highest level of safety for the 3 million students we transport to and from school each day.
