EASTON, Conn. — First Student is expanding its operations to additional school districts in Connecticut as of the 2019-20 school year.

The Easton-Redding-Region 9 School Districts have selected First Student to operate, maintain, and manage all student transportation services for the next five years.

“We look forward to working with First Student,” said Dr. Thomas McMorran, superintendent of schools, Easton, Redding, and Region 9 Districts. “We are seeking new ideas to improve transportation services.”

First Student will replace the district’s entire fleet with 46 new buses, which will be equipped with GPS tracking systems, digital cameras, and three-point seat belts.

The districts and their families will also be able to better manage the before-and-after school rush with the FirstView District Dashboard and Parent App, First Student’s bus tracking, communications, and engagement platform. The dashboard and app can help districts streamline daily decision-making through centralized, real-time fleet reporting, and the app is designed to efficiently alert parents about school delays or issues.

The districts will also have access to FirstACTS, a web-based communication tool created to help manage the process of tracking student behavior on the bus.