First Student, First Transit Enter Bus Electrification Agreement
First Student Acquires Nebraska School Bus Operation
The school bus contractor signs a deal to acquire Mid States School Bus Inc., a provider of school and charter transportation services.
by SBF Staff
March 18, 2021
The acquisition of Nebraska-based Mid States School Bus Inc. is First Student’s third since the start of 2020.
File photo courtesy First Student
1 min to read
First Student has signed an agreement to acquire Nebraska-based Mid States School Bus Inc., a provider of school and charter transportation services.
Headquartered in Wayne, Nebraska, Mid States provides transportation to nearly 20 school districts across Eastern Nebraska and South Dakota with a fleet of approximately 200 buses, according to a news release from First Student.
“Mid States has a great team of drivers and staff who understand the needs of rural communities and share in our mission to provide safe and reliable transportation,” said First Student President Paul Osland.
As part of the acquisition, Dean Carroll, Mid States’ general manager, will reportedly maintain a leadership role with First Student. Other terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
This acquisition is the school bus contractor's third since the start of 2020. In January 2020, First Student acquired two Ontario locations and a fleet of more than 500 buses from Campeau Bus Lines. In September, the school transportation provider acquired Ontario-based school bus company Wubs Transit.
More Management
5 Questions: How CharterUP Brought a Marketplace to Student Transportation
What does it take to bring a transportation marketplace into K-12? Hear firsthand what CharterUP has learned about the unique needs of schools and bus operators.
Read More →
EverDriven Expands TripCentral Transportation Management Platform to All Partner Districts
The platform provides school districts with real-time trip tracking, student transportation scheduling tools, and pickup and drop-off management capabilities.
Read More →
6 School Transportation Trends to Watch: 2026 District Survey Results
School bus buying is up, fuel choices are shifting, and driver shortages persist. This and more in the latest K-12 public school survey, plus the largest fleets in the U.S.
Read More →
The 100 Largest School Bus Fleets in America: 2026 Rankings
Which public K-12 school districts are the largest in the nation in terms of bus fleet size? Here are the new standings of the top 100 district fleets.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches Route Consolidation Calculator to Estimate Diesel Savings
As diesel prices hit record highs, the largest alternative transportation provider says a 10% route consolidation could save a 120-route district more than $78,000 a year in fuel alone.
Read More →
Zum Secures Continued Financing Support for School Bus Expansion
Generate Private Credit has financed approximately $75 million in school bus deployments across three states, supporting more than 500 buses as Zum expands across the county.
Read More →
Beyond Discipline: A Different Approach to Student Behavior on the Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements. Here’s how it worked. The Route is brought to you by IC Bus.
Read More →
A Dean of Transportation's Different Approach to Student Behavior on the School Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements on the bus. Here’s how it worked.
Read More →
Inside NAPT ACTS 2026: Highlights from Louisville
From federal updates and student behavior strategies to new school bus technology and industry awards, see highlights from NAPT ACTS 2026 in Louisville.
Read More →
Meet the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Winner: Annette Brown
We caught up with Wa-Nee Community Schools' Annette Brown on site at SBFX, where she was named the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Award winner. Hear about her reaction, what she loves most about being a school bus driver, and more!
Read More →