The Los Angeles (California) Unified School District has awarded a contract valued at more than $400 million to student transportation provider Zum.

LAUSD is the second largest school district in the United States, with 650,000 students across more than 1,000 campuses. Through this new partnership, Zum aims to:

• Make Los Angeles cleaner and greener by helping the school district transition its school bus fleet to electric vehicles.

• Provide reliable tracking from the moment students get on the bus until they return home.

• Modernize transportation services to ensure equity and access for all students, potentially improving educational outcomes.

“Zum is at the forefront of a massive transformation in student transportation, helping thousands of schools move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to a modern experience that provides parents, students, drivers and districts with safer, greener, more reliable, transportation services,” said Ritu Narayan, founder and CEO at Zum. “With this decision, LAUSD demonstrates its commitment to a future where student transportation advances equity, accessibility, and environmental stewardship for the Los Angeles community.”

Ahead of the start of the 2022-2023 school year in August, Zum will hire more than 400 drivers in the Los Angeles area, offering competitive pay, flexibility, and strong training programs. Zum's culture, driver satisfaction and benefits already have helped partner districts overcome obstacles in the face of a nationwide driver shortage, ensuring that students, families and school districts can rely on the school bus arriving every day, according to a news release.