First Student's Tech Expansion for 2025-26 School Year

The contractor company revealed its roadmap for the upcoming school year, which includes expanding its HALO platform to all buses, rolling out a new Rate My Service feature, and adding to its alternative transportation solution.

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August 1, 2025

Two children with backpacks walk toward a First Student yellow school bus parked on a suburban street under the shade of trees. — First Student will deploy 40,000 driver tablets through its HALO technology platform in the 2025–26 school year, supporting safety checks, navigation, and real-time service monitoring.
Photo: First Student

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First Student is preparing for its largest school year yet, serving more than 20,000 schools across North America with a fleet of over 46,000 buses and 46,100 drivers. The company reports growing demand for student transportation services and is expanding its use of technology to improve operations and safety.

HALO Platform Rollout

For the 2025-26 school year, First Student will expand its HALO technology platform to all buses and districts. More than 40,000 driver tablets will be deployed, supporting pre- and post-trip inspections, turn-by-turn navigation, and verified child check procedures. The HALO system is also being used to address driver shortages by streamlining recruitment and training, helping identify candidates more quickly and increasing first-time CDL pass rates.

New “Rate My Service” Feature

The company is introducing a “Rate My Service” feature in its First View app. The tool allows families and students to provide real-time feedback on transportation services, aiming to improve accountability and service quality.

“At First Student, our priority is ensuring that traveling to and from school is safe and reliable,” said John Kenning, CEO of First Student. “We focus on safety and practical solutions that support drivers, reassure families, and give school districts dependable transportation for their students.”

Alternative Transportation Growth

First Student’s alternative transportation division, First Alt, continues to expand, serving students with special needs, those experiencing homelessness, and others with nontraditional transportation requirements. All First Alt drivers must meet state, local, and district standards, as well as company-specific requirements. The HALO platform provides real-time trip monitoring for First Alt, alerting districts to delays, driver substitutions, or missed check-ins.

2025-26 School Year Projections

For the upcoming year, First Student expects to:

Transport more than 5.5 million students daily.
Serve approximately 20,000 schools in 44 states and eight Canadian provinces.
Employ 46,100 professional drivers.
Deploy 40,000 tablets with HALO integration.
Reach 10 million electric miles driven by year-end.
Hit 700,000 downloads of the First View app.
Launch the new “Rate My Service” feature in First View.
Equip more than half of First Alt vehicles with AI-integrated on-board cameras.

Focus on Safety and Maintenance

The company’s operations continue to emphasize proactive maintenance, comprehensive driver training, and technology-enabled route management. Tools such as AI-powered route optimization, predictive maintenance, and GPS tracking support consistent performance and transparency for school districts and families.

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