First Student is partnering with AASA, The School Superintendents Association, to support the organization’s National Superintendent of the Year award program.

Entering its 31st year, the program celebrates the contributions and leadership of public school superintendents. The criteria for the annual award includes leadership in learning, communication, professionalism, and community involvement.

The four 2018 National Superintendent of the Year finalists will be announced in December. The honoree will be named at AASA’s National Conference on Education, which will be held Feb. 15 to 17 in Nashville, Tennessee. A $10,000 college scholarship will be presented in the name of the recipient to a student in the high school from which the superintendent graduated, or the school now serving the same area.

“First Student is honored to partner with AASA, an organization dedicated to raising the voices of our school system leaders and supporting the creation of world-class learning environments,” said First Student President Dennis Maple. “I am absolutely passionate about K-12 education. This partnership is a great fit, benefiting AASA members, the broader community, and most importantly, the five million students we transport each school day.”

The 2017 recipient was Matthew Utterback, superintendent of North Clackamas School District in Milwaukie, Oregon.

“We are pleased to welcome First Student into the AASA family,” said Daniel Domenech, executive director of AASA. “First Student is a trusted source in communities from coast to coast. We call our members ‘champions for children.’ The same can be said for the team members of First Student, who are entrusted with children by families throughout the country.”