CINCINNATI, Ohio — First Student, the trusted school transportation provider to millions of families, was named the winner of the Technology Strategy Impact Award for North America by Forrester, one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the technology space. The award honors IT organizations that excel in aligning their strategies with business goals, proving adaptability and building trust through security and resilience.
“At First Student, we pride ourselves on our ability to integrate our long history as proven school transportation providers with cutting-edge technology that enhances the bus-riding experience for students and parents across North America,” said First Student CEO and President John Kenning. “We are honored by this recognition by Forrester. We are proud to provide industry-leading advancements, which are helping to deliver unmatched care to students, ensuring that when they arrive to school they are ready to achieve their full potential.”
“This award makes clear the important role we can play in infusing technology into transportation. Our embrace of innovation, including school bus electrification, parent communications, apps, driver tools and training, and service offerings, has created the only comprehensive K-12 student transportation offering in the industry,” said First Student CIO Sean McCormack. “We keep expanding the possibilities for safe, clean and reliable transportation. We thank Forrester for recognizing our efforts on behalf of students and their families.”
First Student’s application highlighted the creation and launch of FirstAlt. FirstAlt provides districts with a safe and reliable transportation option for students with special needs, students experiencing homelessness, out of district students and hard to serve trips. FirstAlt utilizes a fleet of small capacity vehicles from existing local transportation companies. The sedans, SUVs, minivans and wheelchair vans are expertly operated and maintained, giving school districts flexibility in their transportation program, reducing costs and freeing up resources for higher-capacity trips.
FirstAlt is at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technology to enhance safety and efficiency. The program utilizes custom software for alternative transportation that provides end-to-end ride visibility, allowing for the safest ride experience for students, their families and school districts. FirstAlt exemplifies the innovation that First Student invests in across its transportation offerings.
First Student has also successfully deployed more than 360 electric buses across North America in pursuit of its goal to transition 30,000 diesel vehicles to electric by 2035. The electric buses rolled out to date have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 4,935 tons. Accelerating the company’s efforts is $488 million in federal, state and utility funding that will electrify over 1,400 buses in 74 school districts.
“We are committed to driving the future of school transportation through significant investments in digital technology,” said Neha Jatar, managing director at EQT Group. “First Student’s innovative initiatives are addressing the needs of school districts and families. We are changing the way we get students to school, making each ride safer with technology, and we will never stop innovating.”
First Student will share the company’s success story at the Forrester Technology & Innovation Summit North America, taking place in Austin, Texas, and digitally, September 9–12, 2024.
About First Student:
As a leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. With a team of highly trained drivers and the industry’s strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, route optimization, and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 44,500 buses. For more information, visit firststudentinc.com.
