ANAHEIM, Calif. – ACT Expo, the largest advanced clean transportation convention in the world, featured how school bus contractor First Student plans to electrify 30,000 school buses by 2035 as well as enhance its technology solutions to provide even safer and more efficient rides to students across North America.

During a Tuesday general session panel with transportation executives, President and CEO John Kenning highlighted the company’s innovative electrification approach, which includes developing a proprietary charging infrastructure called First Charge that can be installed in 30 days or less.

The company has secured over $500 million in federal grants to support electrification efforts. To date, the company said its electric school buses have traveled over 4 million miles.

As previously reported by School Transportation News, First Charge is a trenchless solution designed by Chief Engineer Alex Cook and his team to allow electric school buses to go online while awaiting the construction of permanent infrastructure.

Kenning also highlighted that First Student is exploring V2G technologies, partnering with utilities like Con Edison in Brooklyn, New York, to create microgrids that can use school buses as energy storage during off-hours.

Beyond electric vehicles, First Student is leveraging advanced technologies through its “Halo” system, which integrates multiple safety technologies. The system includes parent tracking for student bus boarding and drop-off, driver monitoring for speeding and idling, collision prevention technologies that have reduced preventable collisions by 17 percent, and AI-powered routing optimization to improve efficiency.

Kenning emphasized that First Student’s ultimate goal remains ensuring student safety while driving sustainability in school transportation. A case in point, he noted that customer Syracuse City Schools in New York is adding stop-arm camera cameras across its fleet, including about 200 school buses operated by First Student.

The panel discussion also considered the role of autonomous technology in commercial transportation. Moderator Erik Neandross, president of ACT Expo producer CRT Clean Transportation Solutions, commented that school buses are not best suited for complete autonomy because student passengers will continue to need monitoring.

“I was just at a conference, which is called the Council of Great City Schools with the top 110 school districts, and [autonomous school bus] was a topic. It was almost unanimous we’re not ready for that yet,” Kenning added.

Related: WATCH: First Student at ACT Expo
Related: Districts, Contractors Discuss School Bus Electrification Journey at ACT EXPO
Related: School Bus Drivers Discuss Real-Life Experiences Driving Electric Buses

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Tony Corpin sat down with First Student CEO John Kenning at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo to discuss the company’s innovative offerings, the launch of the HALO technology platform and more! Watch the full interview.

Related: WATCH: Beacon Mobility Interview at ACT Expo
Related: WATCH: Accelera by Cummins Interview at ACT Expo
Related: WATCH: Thomas Built Buses Interview at ACT Expo

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CINCINNATI, Ohio – First Student, the leading provider of student transportation, today announced it was selected by Fort Worth Independent School District to provide a comprehensive suite of fleet maintenance services. Through its division, First Services, the company will manage maintenance for the district’s 240 buses, integrating its advanced HALO technology platform to improve efficiency, safety and reliability. The partnership reflects First Student’s leadership in fleet management, predictive maintenance, and route optimization, ensuring a smoother, more dependable ride for students.

First Student will offer Fort Worth ISD’s existing technicians the opportunity to join their team with competitive wages and benefits, or they can choose to remain district employees. Forth Worth ISD will now be supported by ASE-certified technicians, providing the highest standards of service and reliability. Through First Services, the district will gain a more efficient and cost-effective approach to fleet maintenance and management, with potential savings of up to 20%.

“We’re proud to partner with Fort Worth ISD to deliver comprehensive fleet maintenance and services that keep student transportation reliable, safe and efficient,” said Leslie Norgren, vice president of First Services. “This partnership reflects First Student’s commitment to helping districts operate more efficiently, reduce costs, and uphold the highest standards of safety and service excellence.”

Operating directly from Fort Worth ISD’s facilities, First Student will equip the district with its comprehensive HALO technology platform. Technicians will leverage tablets for real-time diagnostics and integrated fleet maintenance, ensuring efficient service tracking. Through predictive analytics, the system will minimize breakdowns, while enterprise-level inventory and asset management will enhance parts availability across the district’s fleet.

“Partnering with First Student to manage our fleet maintenance allows us to ensure safe, reliable transportation for our students, minimizing the risk of bus breakdowns and ensuring they arrive at school on time,” said Kellie Spencer, Deputy Superintendent at Fort Worth ISD. “Reliable transportation is essential to student success, and this partnership enables us to provide high-quality service while focusing on our core mission, education.”

Through customized transportation assessments, First Services collaborates with school districts to identify challenges, align with their goals, and improve operational efficiency. By evaluating current transportation systems and providing recommendations, First Services helps districts optimize performance and achieve long-term success. Its comprehensive offerings include:

Fleet Management: Fleet as a Service (FaaS) enables districts to create a program that meets their transportation needs and lower costs. First Services supports bus procurement, vehicle maintenance, technician training, and best practices.

Fleet Maintenance: Maintenance as a service (MaaS) offers best-in-class, full service maintenance as a stand-alone contract, to ensure well-maintained vehicles without worrying about parts, technician staffing or varying maintenance costs.

Fleet Electrification: First Student is the largest operator of electric school buses in North America with more than 5 million electric miles driven. As more districts look to electrify fleets, First Service’s experts assist with grant applications, infrastructure design, hardware and software selection, charger and bus selections, site assessments, utility outreach and construction, and deployment.

School Bus Routing: First Services offers a standalone routing efficiency analysis, reviewing routes, school schedules, and bus utilization. With experience managing more than 44,000 vehicles a year, First Student helps districts improve on-time performance and reduce costs.

Transportation Management: First Services brings extensive experience in evaluating key metrics, maintaining high safety standards, and delivering consistent analytics and reporting to stakeholders.

About First Student:
As the leading provider of K-12 transportation solutions, First Student ensures the safest and most reliable ride to school each day for 5.5 million students in communities across North America. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company is on track to complete 1 billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. Recognized as one of Fast Company’s 2025 Most Innovative Companies, First Student delivers a wide range of essential services, including home-to-school transportation, special needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, maintenance, and charter services. The company’s focus goes beyond logistics by creating a positive, welcoming environment for students on each of its 45,000 buses. By continuously enhancing the transportation experience for students and families, First Student helps to ensure every child arrives to school ready to achieve their full potential.

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Discover the First Serves program—a collaborative effort involving educational experts, psychologists, and parents/caregivers. This white paper provides a closer look at how First Serves, a specialized training program seamlessly supports children, connecting their classroom experience with transportation.

Key Aspects:

• Structured Support: First Serves delivers structured planning and support, closing the gap between the classroom and transportation.
• Collaborative Foundation: Forming partnerships between transportation staff, educational professionals, district leaders, and families, First Serves nurtures an environment conducive to student growth.
• Empowered Team: Through specialized training, First Serves ensures driving staff and on-vehicle monitors can adeptly address diverse student needs during their journey.
• District Customization: First Serves allows districts to customize the program, integrating social-emotional learning supports for an effective school experience.

Case Study Highlights:

See the impact of First Serves in action at Battle Ground Public Schools, showcasing tangible improvements in the student experience. This case study serves as a real-world example of collaborative, customizable approaches that enhance the student journey. Delve into the white paper for a deeper understanding of First Serves and its transformative potential in fostering student success.

Fill out the form below and then check your email for the white paper download link.

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CINCINNATI, Ohio – First Student, the leader in school transportation and electrification, today announced the deployment of 14 electric school buses in partnership with Tacoma Public Schools. This new deployment builds on a strong relationship between Tacoma’s Student Transportation Services and First Student, who currently provide around 5,000 students with daily school bus transportation.

The electric school buses will complement the school district’s existing fleet and uphold First Student’s key values of innovation and sustainability, representing a step toward a cleaner future for students who rely on school transportation every day. This initiative reinforces Tacoma Public Schools and First Student’s shared commitment to safe, reliable and forward-thinking transportation solutions.

Thanks to funding through the Washington State Department of Ecology for three buses and the US EPA Clean School Bus Program round two for 11 buses, the electric buses will offer a large benefit to students by providing a cleaner, quieter and safer ride while reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality. Electric buses require less maintenance and cut fuel costs, allowing Tacoma Public Schools to reinvest those savings into educational initiatives, classroom resources, and student enrichment programs.

“Our ongoing partnership with Tacoma Public Schools reflects our commitment to building a cleaner, healthier future for the communities we serve,” said Kevin Matthews, Head of Electrification at First Student. “As the industry leader with the most electric buses deployed in North America, we are proud to drive over five million students daily and have already logged nearly six million electric miles. At First Student, one of our core values is to care for students. Electric buses help us meet that goal by providing a smoother, quieter ride that helps students start their day focused and ready to learn.”

“Tacoma Public Schools is committed to making environmentally responsible decisions that benefit both our students and the community,” said Josh Garcia, superintendent of Tacoma Public Schools. “Partnering with First Student allows us to enhance our transportation services while reducing our carbon footprint, creating a more sustainable, safe and efficient future for our students and the environment. This initiative aligns with our strategic goals by improving health and safety through cleaner air, enhancing operational efficiency with modernized transportation, and strengthening partnerships that support student success. Investing in sustainable solutions ensures a safe learning environment that promotes academic achievement and well-being for all students.”

At a joint celebratory event held today, officials including Tacoma Public School Board Member Elizabeth Bonbright, Director of Transportation Zachary Midles, Clean Air Agency CEO Chrissy Cooley, Tacoma Public Utilities Board Chair John O’Loughlin, and two students from the Science and Math Institute, along with representatives from Pierce County Planning and Public Works, Pierce Transit, Tacoma Education Dream Fund, and the Washington State Department of Ecology and Air Quality Program touted the long-term, measurable benefits of electric school buses on our youth and gave community members the chance to ride in an electric school bus and feel the difference for themselves.

About First Student:
As North America’s leading school transportation solutions provider, First Student strives to provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students daily. 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, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services. Its fleet includes about 45,000 buses.

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CINCINNATI, Ohio – First Student, the leader in student transportation and electrification, today announced the deployment of 16 electric school buses in partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools. This deployment, made possible through funding from the first round of the US EPA Clean School Bus Program, marks an important milestone in the shared commitment to provide safe, reliable and innovative transportation solutions for students. By embracing innovation and investing in the future, First Student and Pittsburgh Public Schools are setting a new standard for student transportation, one that prioritizes progress, sustainability and the well-being of every student served.

The Pittsburgh Public School District is the largest in Allegheny County and second largest in Pennsylvania, serving nearly 20,000 students daily. Starting immediately, the district’s new electric school buses are delivering a cleaner, quieter and safer ride while protecting student health and improving their daily transportation experience. With their quiet operation, electric school buses also reduce noise pollution, creating a calmer and more focused start to the school day.

“Partnering with Pittsburgh Public Schools to deploy these electric school buses is a big step forward in reducing emissions and prioritizing student health and safety,” said John Kenning, CEO and President of First Student. “With nearly 450 electric school buses in our fleet and nearly six million electric miles driven, we are not just transporting students to school; we’re setting the highest standard by helping build a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for the Pittsburgh community. Every child deserves a safe, welcoming and trusted environment on their way to and from school, and that starts with us.”

In addition to improving student health, electric school buses are also a smart financial investment for school districts. With fewer moving parts than diesel buses, they require less maintenance and fewer repairs, saving districts money in the long term. By cutting fuel and maintenance costs, Pittsburgh Public Schools can redirect savings toward what matters most: educational programs, classroom resources and student enrichment.

“Every day, thousands of students in the City of Pittsburgh rely on school buses to get to and from school,” said Dr. Wayne N. Walters, superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools. “The addition of electric buses, allow us to take an important step toward a cleaner, quieter and safer ride, protecting student health and enhancing their daily experience.”

Today’s celebration also featured a ride-along in an electric school bus provided by First Student. Attendees at the event included Pittsburgh Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak, Pittsburgh School Board President Gene Walker, Representative Summer Lee (PA-12), DaVonn Brown, Community Engagement Coordinator and Constituent Services Manager from the Office of District 8, as well as representatives from Moms Clean Air Force and Duquesne Light Company.

About First Student:
As North America’s leading school transportation solutions provider, First Student provides unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students daily. 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, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services. Its fleet includes about 45,000 buses.

The post First Student and Pittsburgh Public Schools Roll Out 16 New Electric School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.

A webinar demonstrated the efficiency benefits of partnering with a national contractor for school bus maintenance.

“Fleet maintenance is evolving, plain and simple,” stated Edmund Dixon, a principal consultant for the First Consulting division of Thursday’s webinar sponsor First Student. “Do you have the latest and greatest technology in your shop?”

Todd Hawkins, senior vice president of maintenance for First Student, reviewed how costs and types of repairs coincide and their effect on shop environment, technician stress and bus uptime. Scheduled, preventative and predictive maintenance, he said, helps avoid things like road calls, misdiagnoses and neglected repairs.

Jackson Diodoardo, a principal consultant for First Student, reviewed the case of a 200-vehicle fleet operated for St. Landry Parish School Board in Louisiana. The district had what Diodoardo referred to as extreme driver and technician shortages, burdensome maintenance costs and budgetary constraints.

A tiered fleet leasing plan was implemented, starting with 15 buses and growing to 30. First Services by First Student staffed the shop with its own technicians and provided training, which reduced turnover rates.

Diodoardo concluded that the district is now enjoying a reliable fleet with new technology and reduced maintenance costs.

How It’s Done

Diodoardo reviewed First Student’s size and scale across 44 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces, while Hawkins shared the expertise and training that its technicians undergo to receive ASE Certifications as well as the company-wide policies that ensure that KPI and efficiency standards are met.

“We’re trying to turn unscheduled events to scheduled, which will save time,” Hawkins declared. “Accurate diagnosis and repair saves money.”

Hawkins reviewed the company’s asset management system, Hexagon, and revealed how First Services teaches techs to “fix something that’s not broken” by effectively leveraging predictive analytics.

“It’s not hard to buy a program and get predictions, but it’s hard to make it effective,” he noted.

Dixon shared that on-demand support is available through the Technical Assistance Center, where district staff can seek insights from certified technicians to reduce repair time and unnecessary parts usage.

“Everything we do is to provide efficiency in our maintenance operations and service with the resources we have,” he added.

Hawkins reviewed stats from the past 10 years to demonstrate how partnering with First Services can reduce maintenance costs and improve customer satisfaction.

First Services offers maintenance consulting, maintenance as a service, and fleet as a service. The latter, Dixon noted, allows that a school district to retain full control of the fleet and drivers, resulting in greater efficiency and uptime.

Hawkins and Dixon also reviewed support for technicians, which includes good wages, higher training opportunities and technology usage—the latter being popular with younger technicians.

“Paying more for a good tech saves you money in the long run,” Hawkins declared.

He encouraged districts to ensure their shops and managers are satisfactory since sending out for help costs more.

Related: Oregon School District Maintenance Internship Program Yields Success
Related: (STN Podcast E222) Tools to Get the Job Done: Georgia Garage Star Talks Maintenance Evolution
Related: Updated: Electric School Bus Maintenance Safety to Take Center Stage at STN EXPOs
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“It really comes down to what each specific district needs and how those needs can be met, and we can partner with you to figure that out,” Dixon said. First Services will conduct audits and consultations and can be involved with any size district to the degree that the district desires, he confirmed.

Dixon and Hawkins added First Student’s scale and experience leads to providing the insights, experience and buying power that a standalone district would lack.

“Our whole life is efficiency because efficiency drives customer satisfaction. The better we do it, the cheaper it is and the happier the customer is,” Hawkins quipped. “We’re showing people what good looks like.”

Hawkins said that when First Services assumes school bus maintenance for a location, consultants work with unions and keep the existing technicians, who they continue to train. He confirmed that the turnover rate is low.

In answer to an attendee question, Hawkins confirmed First Services averages a 94-95 percent bus in-service rate.

Watch the webinar on-demand. 

The post Contractor Helps School Bus Maintenance Operations Cut Costs, Not Corners appeared first on School Transportation News.

CINCINNATI — First Student, the leading provider of student transportation services, today announced the launch of HALO, a cutting-edge technology platform designed to transform the way school districts, parents and drivers manage and experience student transportation.

HALO integrates every aspect of First Student’s operations, from recruiting and training to routing, dispatching, navigation, vehicle telematics and maintenance, offering a unified, real-time 360-degree view of each vehicle and student, keeping families, districts and drivers informed, connected and in control.

“We have long been pioneers in transportation technology at First Student,” said John Kenning, CEO & president of First Student. “From online training and scheduling to vehicle inspections, we have developed technology to make lives easier. With HALO, we are taking it even further, living our values of safety, reliability and innovation by combining powerful analytics and actionable insights. This helps us set the highest standards, keep every student safe and create trusted partnerships, continually improving the experience for our student passengers.”

HALO: The Future of Student Transportation
First Student developed the platform in-house, resulting in rapid growth and earning industry recognition, including Forrester’s Technology Strategy Impact Award. With HALO, First Student is making a major leap forward in transportation, unifying all its systems and services into a single, powerful platform with shared data and an intuitive user experience.

HALO Includes:

• Dynamic and Adaptive Routing: HALO’s adaptive routing system continually evaluates routes, improving safety and efficiency, and identifying areas for optimization.
  360-Degree Dispatching: HALO integrates all operational data, empowering dispatchers to manage routes, track absences, assign vehicles and monitor route performance with ease.
• Advanced Recruiting and Training: HALO’s proprietary training app has reduced onboarding time, resulting in a 90% average pass rate on commercial driver’s license (CDL) exams on the first attempt.
• Driver Support and Navigation: HALO’s driver apps guide drivers through every step of the process, from pre-trip inspections to student ridership tracking, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all vehicles.
• Vehicle Tracking for Parents and Districts: Through the FirstView app and dashboard, families and district staff can track vehicles, view live updates and make data-driven decisions to improve the transportation experience.
• AI-Supported Safety: HALO incorporates optional AI cameras on buses and alternative vehicles, detecting potential hazards, providing real-time alerts and recording critical moments for improved safety.
• Driver Scoring and Monitoring: HALO tracks and scores driver performance, offering positive recognition, fostering friendly competition and promoting continuous improvement.
• Predictive Maintenance: HALO uses predictive analytics to anticipate maintenance needs, prevent road failures, reduce downtime and save costs.
• Optimized EV Charging: HALO’s charge management system ensures that electric buses charge at the best times, optimizing energy use and maintaining operational efficiency.
• Least Restrictive Vehicle Model: HALO ensures that students are assigned to the right-sized vehicles, applying the “lease restrictive environment” concept to transportation for greater safety and comfort.

HALO’s advanced analytics utilize the information to provide advanced, actionable insights to improve safety, efficiency and the overall transportation experience.

“HALO’s ability to offer real-time data and intelligent recommendations sets a new standard in the industry,” added Kenning. “By prioritizing safety, efficiency and innovation, HALO helps us deliver exceptional services to students, parents, and school districts.”

About First Student

As North America’s leading school transportation solutions provider, 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, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 45,000 buses.

The post First Student Unveils HALO, Groundbreaking Technology Platform Revolutionizing Student Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.

School bus maintenance can be costly and complex, but there are new ways to manage it more efficiently. This webinar will explore how districts can reduce maintenance costs, simplify operations, and ensure fleet reliability—without committing to a full home-to-school contract.

Attendees will learn:

• How to manage maintenance costs more predictably
• Ways to streamline fleet operations and reduce administrative burden
• Strategies to meet evolving environmental regulations
• Insights into First Student’s Fleet as a Service model

Whether you’re looking to improve efficiency or explore alternative maintenance solutions, this session will provide actionable insights to help your district make informed decisions. Register now to learn more!

Presented by First Student

REGISTER BELOW:

Presenters:

Todd Hawkins
Senior Vice President of Maintenance
First Student

Senior Vice President of Maintenance Todd Hawkins oversees management for all 500 maintenance operations for First Student. Hawkins has more than 30 years of experience as a manager of maintenance. He is responsible for First Student’s maintenance activities which include school buses, transit contracting systems operating fixed-route, paratransit, trolley, shuttle, and over-the-road vehicles. Hawkins’ focus is on managing our maintenance quality assurance programs and implementing innovative methods to improve efficiency and bring accountability to our clients.

He and his staff offer technical assistance, training, and best-practice information to First Student’s maintenance operations and can provide technical assistance as necessary to the 2,600 fleet maintenance staff.

Prior to First Student, Hawkins held leadership positions at Ryder Truck Rental including Mechanic and Assistant Supervisor and Maintenance Manager. Hawkins earned his degree in diesel technology from Atlanta Area Technical College.

Edmund Dixon
Principal Consultant
First Consulting

Edmund Dixon is a Principal Consultant for First Consulting, focused on providing districts with efficient routing solutions, streamlined operations procedures and effective fleet maintenance.

He has been instrumental in leading multiple consulting engagements across North America, for districts with fleets spanning from 12 to 200+ busses. Dixon has served as an educator and administrator for Chicago Public Schools as well as providing a wide range of consulting and business development opportunities ranging from IT Consulting to EdTech Consulting.

Dixon holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of Virginia and a Master’s Degree in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University.

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