ROME, N.Y. — Significant enhancements to student transportation services are expected in the Rome City School District (RCSD) as part of a new partnership with First Student. RCSD has finalized its agreement with First Student to deliver safe and reliable transportation to thousands of families beginning in the 2021-2022 school year.
RCSD students will be riding brand-new, state-of-the-art school buses. First Student will replace the district’s entire fleet of 73 buses. All will be equipped with the latest technology, including GPS tracking systems and driver tablets. The tablets provide advanced views of bus routes and turn-by-turn directions, as well as real-time traffic updates.
“There is nothing more important than the well-being of our students,” said Rome City School District Superintendent Peter Blake. “Our transportation partner needs to have the resources to operate with the highest standards for safety, quality and transparency. We believe First Student has the expertise to deliver forward-thinking transportation solutions to improve the bus-riding experience for our students.”
Over the course of the contract, First Student will introduce the company’s full industry-leading technology suite. Families will 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 and efficiently alert parents about school delays or issues through the secure bus-tracking app.
RCSD will also have access to two web-based communications tools, FirstACTS and First Feedback. 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.
“We look forward to working collaboratively with the Rome City School District this upcoming school year and beyond,” said First Student Area General Manager Michael Wilson. “At First Student, we’re more than a service provider. As a vital partner in the educational experience, we’re excited to introduce the latest technological innovations that will improve the quality of transportation service, create new efficiencies and keep students safe.”
First Student is the largest operator of school buses in New York. The company has more than 50 locations in the state. About 4,000 of its employees manage approximately 3,800 bus routes and a fleet of nearly 4,200 vehicles.
About First Student:
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 including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, route optimization and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 40,000 buses. For more information, please visit firststudentinc.com.
