Memphis, Tenn. – The largest school district in Tennessee is partnering with First Student to provide the best start and finish to the school day for more than 23,000 students and their families. Shelby County Schools (SCS) has selected the company to operate, maintain and manage all student transportation services for the 2021-22 school year and beyond.
“Safe, reliable transportation is critical to our mission to educate, empower and inspire our students,” said Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Joris M. Ray. “We are confident First Student will deliver the high-quality transportation services we expect, so our students arrive at school on time and ready to learn.”
SCS students will be riding brand new, state-of-the-art school buses equipped with the latest technology. First Student is replacing the district’s entire fleet. All 373 buses will have air conditioning, GPS tracking systems, six cameras and flashing LED stop arms with 8-way warning lights, exceeding Tennessee state specifications for yellow school buses.
“We are excited to partner with Shelby County Schools to enhance transportation services for thousands of students and their families,” said First Student Region Vice President Tony Vidrine. “At First Student, we’re committed to using our experience, values and resources to support the mission of the district, and we look forward to becoming a vital part of the community for years to come.”
School buses are the safest form of student transportation. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are approximately 70 times safer than passenger cars and 10 times safer than walking.
First Student invests heavily in driver hiring, training and development. The company’s drivers typically take part in at least 40 hours of training before driving a school bus.
First Student has partnered with school districts for more than a century to deliver tailored student transportation solutions. The company is the most chosen student transportation provider in North America.
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.