CINCINNATI — On April 20, 2010, Pueblo County School District 70 awarded First Student, Inc., the nation’s leader in student transportation, a contract to provide pupil transportation services to the district. First Student will begin operations on July 1. In addition to providing bus service and maintenance, the company’s First Planning Solutions division will work with the district to identify further cost savings through routing efficiencies and the implementation of routing software. The district currently operates 69 routes providing regular education, special education and extracurricular bus service.
The contract is a three-year agreement with the possibility of future extensions. First Student will be the sole transportation provider for the district’s 8,000 students. As part of the agreement, the company will purchase the district’s current fleet of buses for $1.5 million as well as add new buses to the fleet in the first year of the contract.
“We are pleased that Pueblo County School District 70 chose First Student to be its student transportation provider,” said Linda Burtwistle, president, First Student. “We are focused on providing the safest and most reliable student transportation available, and we look forward to working with the district to maximize their efficiency and provide service to the students and parents throughout the county.”
The company will also bring new technology to the district’s buses. All First Student buses serving the district will be equipped with such safety features as GPS tracking systems, the Child Check-Mate electronic reminder system designed to ensure no child is left unattended on a bus, and crossing gates to allow children to cross in front of the bus at a safe distance.
First Student provides transportation to districts throughout Colorado including schools in Montrose, Garfield County and Mesa County Valley.