First Student Assumes Additional Routes from Competitor to Support Newberg Public Schools

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Sep 30, 2022, 12:00 ET

A long-time provider of student transportation steps in to fill the gap and stands ready to assist with other routes

NEWBERG, Ore., Sept. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, First Student, the leader in home-to-school transportation in the Northwest, announced it has agreed to assume four school bus routes initially awarded to its competitor Student Transportation of America (STA), acknowledging it could not provide Newberg Public Schools with sufficient drivers or buses to fulfill the terms of the contract awarded in July 2021.

First Student, the past long-time incumbent school bus transportation provider for Newberg Public Schools, has agreed to cover the routes for STA currently through December. First Student is prepared to accept additional routes from the district.

Earlier this month, First Student agreed to cover routes for Portland Public Schools for STA and Seattle Public Schools after Zum announced it could not provide buses or drivers to fulfill their obligations to the two districts. First Student had been the primary school bus transportation provider for the students at Newberg Public Schools for more than 15 years.

"We are showing how nimble and flexible our operations are to support our communities," said Justin Cox, First Student's area general manager. "Our drivers are an important part of the education system, ensuring student passengers have safe and reliable school bus transportation and providing the best start and end of their day."

First Student is the nation's largest provider of student transportation services, providing 5 million student journeys a day and a fleet of more than 44,000 buses. First Student is a leader in the move toward vehicle electrification as a pillar of commitment to sustainability.

About First Student

First Student is the leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, providing the best start and finish to every school day. 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, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services, with a fleet of about 44,000 buses. For more information, please visit firststudentinc.com