WATERTOWN, N.Y. — First Student will begin providing transportation for a school district here for the 2018-19 school year.

More than 4,000 students in the Watertown City School District will ride the district’s nearly 45 new buses, updated as part of a new five-year transportation contract with First Student.   

“We are excited about our new partnership with First Student,” said Watertown City School District Superintendent Patricia LaBarr. “We believe First Student has the insights, expertise, and resources to deliver quality transportation services that will result in the best start and finish to the school day for our students.”

First Student will also introduce new technology to the district, including the FirstView District Dashboard and Parent App, a school bus tracking, communications, and engagement platform.

All buses in the Watertown fleet will also be equipped with GPS tracking systems, digital cameras, and the Child Check-Mate electronic reminder system.

“We look forward to working closely with the Watertown City School District to deliver tailored transportation solutions,” said Dave Kinley, area general manager for First Student. “We thank the district for its trust in our services and look forward to providing students with safe and reliable transportation for many years to come.”   

First Student has 54 locations in New York state. More than 4,000 employees manage nearly 3,800 routes and a fleet of nearly 4,200 buses.