More school districts will be able to leverage an innovative, safe, and reliable alternative transportation option for students with unique needs.

FirstAlt, a division of First Student, earned a publicly procured, competitively solicited contract award for alternative transportation from the Region 10 Education Service Center (Region 10) and the Cooperative Council of Governments (CCOG), an Equalis Group lead agency.

The new agreement allows K-12 schools across the U.S. that are Equalis Group members to quickly and easily contract with FirstAlt.

FirstAlt uses a fleet of right-sized vehicles from qualified local transportation companies to serve students with special transportation needs, students experiencing homelessness, and out-of-district students.

Drivers are fully vetted and specially trained in behavior and equipment management.

"As more school districts experience an increasing demand for specialized transportation, we are proud to deliver an impactful solution for school districts and families of students with unique transportation needs," said Gregg Prettyman, vice president at FirstAlt, in a news release.

Equalis Group delivers compliant, publicly procured cooperative agreements that public sector entities, including federal and state agencies, local governments, and educational institutions across the country can use to:

• Quickly acquire the products and services they need.

• Receive better pricing through the collective buying power of Equalis Group Members.

• Save time through Equalis Group's legal and compliant alternative to conducting their own resource-consuming solicitation process.

Prettyman continued: "Through our new partnership with Equalis Group, districts can save time, reduce costs, and ensure all students receive unmatched care and the safest ride to school."

This contract was procured and awarded in accordance with the requirements of 2-C.F.R. Part 200.

Public sector entities receiving federal grants and award dollars can typically spend those dollars through Equalis Group's already-procured contracts without having to conduct their own bids or issue request for proposals.

"We are excited to partner with FirstAlt to provide more school districts with easier access to this innovative transportation service," said Equalis Group EVP of Sales Josh Fitzgerald. "Developed by the most experienced leadership team in alternative transportation, we are confident our members will benefit from FirstAlt's industry-leading approach to transporting students with special transportation needs safely and reliably."