Effective Sept. 18, 2026, the second-largest contractor, Student Transportation of America has acquired Sunrise Transportation, an Illinois-based school transportation contractor that specializes in transporting special education students.

Who is Sunrise Transportation?

Sunrise provides transportation for special needs and general education students across Illinois and Connecticut. Based in Downers Grove, Illinois, Sunrise has been serving student transportation needs for nearly 40 years with a fleet of nearly 1,000 buses, vans, and SUVs equipped with a variety of accessible features and the latest technologies. They transport more than 23,000 students daily across their operations. Sunrise has a special focus on serving special education and differently-abled students with unique transportation needs.

What the Acquisition Means for STA and Sunrise

For STA, the acquisition reflects an expansion of footprint across multiple locations across Illinois and Connecticut, further solidifying its presence in those regions.

The company said that Sunrise Transportation’s values closely mirror its own mission to provide safe, reliable, and caring transportation to the communities it serves.

“Sunrise Transportation’s focus on safety, reliability, compassion represents exactly the kind of organization we are proud to welcome into the STA Family of Brands,” said Gene Kowalczewski, CEO of Student Transportation of America. “Their commitment to technology and innovation, partnered with their strong local leadership and deep ties to communities, aligns perfectly with who we are as a company. We are excited to support and continue this growth.”

STA plans to work closely with Sunrise leadership and employees to ensure a seamless transition for customers and staff. Day-to-day operations will continue without interruption, and the company said it looks forward to preserving the strong local relationships that have defined success for Sunrise for almost half a century.