First Student is expanding its operations in Oregon through a new partnership with the Silver Falls School District in Silverton. The company will provide transportation to school for the district’s students beginning with the 2022-23 school year.

First Student will equip each vehicle with GPS, digital cameras and DriverHub. The onboard tablet technology shows drivers the most efficient route to take to help ensure students arrive to school and home on time.

“We believe partnering with First Student will allow us to significantly enhance our ability to provide students and families with safe and modern school transportation,” said Steve Nielsen, Silver Falls School District director of finance and operations. “We are impressed by the company’s industry-leading safety record, rigorous driver training programs and adoption of new technologies. We are confident First Student has the expertise needed to drive our district forward.”

First Student’s exclusive technology suite will be introduced over the course of the contract and will provide the Silver Falls School District and their families with innovative tools to better manage the school day. The FirstView District Dashboard and Parent App shows when a bus will arrive in real time. Parents or caregivers can check their child’s bus route from their smartphone, receiving accurate and quick information to alleviate any worry about the journey to and from school.

“First Student continually seeks a better way to do things, especially when it comes to developing, designing and investing in new technologies to provide the safest ride to school for our students and drivers,” said Andrew Good, First Student district manager. “We look forward to working closely with the Silver Falls School District to deliver forward-thinking transportation solutions that address the district’s specific needs.”

To help buses remain welcoming and trusted places for students, the Silver Falls School District will use a powerful web-based communications tool to track student conduct on the bus. FirstACTS simplifies the process by eliminating tedious and time-consuming paper-based reporting. It provides more efficient communication of incidents for timely action and resolution.

Recognizing the importance of providing appropriate and unique care to students with disabilities, First Student will also introduce its FirstServes program. The company considers this approach the next evolution in special-needs transportation. Drivers and monitors will receive enhanced training, clinically proven tools, and communications guidelines to help ensure students with disabilities arrive to school feeling safe and physically ready to learn.

First Student has more than 100 years of experience partnering with school districts to deliver modern student transportation solutions. The company serves nearly 40 districts in Oregon and more than 60,000 students.