Cue angelic noises from up above, because First Student today unveiled a brand-new, homegrown technology platform for its operations.

HALO™ is its name, and the company calls it a cutting-edge technology platform designed to transform the way school districts, parents, and drivers manage and experience student transportation.

HALO brings all aspects of First Student's operations together. It blends recruiting, training, routing, dispatching, navigation, vehicle telematics, and maintenance into a real-time 360-degree view, keeping all stakeholders informed, connected, and in control.

How Halo Works

HALO was built in-house and unifies all of First Student's systems and services into a single platform with shared data and an intuitive user experience, according to the announcement. Its advanced analytics use information to provide advanced, actionable insights to improve safety, efficiency and the overall transportation experience.

Features include:

• Dynamic and Adaptive Routing: HALO's adaptive routing system continually evaluates routes, improving safety and efficiency, and identifying areas for optimization.

• 360-Degree Dispatching: HALO integrates all operational data, empowering dispatchers to manage routes, track absences, assign vehicles, and monitor route performance with ease.

• Advanced Recruiting and Training: HALO's proprietary training app has reduced onboarding time, resulting in a 90% average pass rate on commercial driver's license (CDL) exams on the first attempt.

• Driver Support and Navigation: HALO's driver apps guide drivers through every step of the process, from pre-trip inspections to student ridership tracking, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all vehicles.

• Vehicle Tracking for Parents and Districts: Through the FirstView app and dashboard, families and district staff can track vehicles, view live updates, and make data-driven decisions to improve the transportation experience.

• AI-Supported Safety: HALO incorporates optional AI cameras on buses and alternative vehicles, detecting potential hazards, providing real-time alerts and recording critical moments for improved safety.

• Driver Scoring and Monitoring: HALO tracks and scores driver performance, offering positive recognition, fostering friendly competition, and promoting continuous improvement.

• Predictive Maintenance: HALO uses predictive analytics to anticipate maintenance needs, prevent road failures, reduce downtime, and save costs.

• Optimized EV Charging: HALO's charge management system ensures that electric buses charge at the best times, optimizing energy use and maintaining operational efficiency.

• Least Restrictive Vehicle Model: HALO ensures that students are assigned to the right-sized vehicles, applying the "lease restrictive environment" concept to transportation for greater safety and comfort.

"We have long been pioneers in transportation technology at First Student," said John Kenning, CEO & president of First Student. "From online training and scheduling to vehicle inspections, we have developed technology to make lives easier. With HALO, we are taking it even further, living our values of safety, reliability and innovation by combining powerful analytics and actionable insights. This helps us set the highest standards, keep every student safe and create trusted partnerships, continually improving the experience for our student passengers."