The Easton-Redding-Region 9 School Districts have selected First Student to operate, maintain and manage all student transportation services for the next five years. The company will replace the district's entire fleet. All 46 buses will be equipped with the latest technology, including GPS tracking systems, digital cameras and three-point seat belts.
The Here Comes the Bus' more affordable Lite version will be available later this year. Designed to serve smaller school districts that normally don't invest in smart school bus fleet technology. it provides real-time tracking info as well as e-mails and push notifications to connect parents and students with their bus.
Many districts have bus fleets that are over 10 years old, creating a costly backlog of deferred maintenance. In this thought leadership Q&A, an industry expert outlines some practical strategies to evaluate your transportation needs, and update a bus fleet while staying within budget through alternative financing.
Students at Leander ISD will be riding to school in 24 new Blue Bird Vision Propane buses, thanks to grants from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The buses are equipped with Ford’s 6.8L V10 engine and ROUSH CleanTech’s propane fuel system, which are EPA- and California Air Resources Board-certified. Students at Leander Independent School District […]
Many districts have bus fleets that are over 10 years old. Why is this a growing problem? Many school districts are having overall budgeting challenges and it's difficult to come up with a large amount of capital for fleet replacements, which can range from $85,000 to $150,000 for a single bus. As a result, replacements […]
What are the top transportation challenges at school startup? The biggest challenges are routes, drivers and buses. School bus routing is more complex than other routing. District routes can be affected by ongoing school enrollment and by families moving. During the summer, districts experience higher turnover in bus drivers, which can impact startup. Lastly, readying […]
Quick quiz: After the buildings, salaries and benefits, what is one of the biggest expenses for most school districts? Chances are that it's those ubiquitous yellow buses that pick up kids in the morning and return them home (or close to it) after school. With the typical school bus costing between $45,000 and $90,000 a […]
Just about every major company uses sophisticated enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to streamline procedures, automate purchasing and monitor finances. Now, some early adopters in K12 education have deployed ERP to manage a range of operations more efficiently. The technology has the power to automate many routine events—from payroll to procurement to recruitment—that keep school […]
Why is contracting a beneficial option for school districts and communities? Contracting allows education professionals to focus on their core responsibility, which is educating young people, not running a complicated logistics operation. Every day contractors safely and efficiently transport millions of children to and from school—it's their core mission and focus and they are good […]
