The Hamilton County School Board voted on Thursday night to accept the proposal of First Student over the current bus company, Durham School Services, reported newchannel9.com.
The decision was based on safety, after the deadly Woodmore crash in November 2016, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the report stated.
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While First Student is almost a million more dollars for the base fee than Durham School Services, it was reported that the presenting committee said overall, First Student is a better choice.
The committee reviewed nine criteria to make a decision: safety, cost, quality of service, performance, business stability, financial strength, human resource management, fleet management and route management.
The board must still vote on a contract with First Student. If accepted, the fleet of First Student buses would start rolling in the fall of 2020, reported the article.