First Student to Expand Operations in Connecticut

Easton, Conn. - First Student will be providing safe and reliable transportation to thousands of additional students in Connecticut for the 2019-2020 school year and beyond. The Easton-Redding-Region 9 (ER9) 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 is a leader in developing, designing and investing in bus safety technology. We believe the company has the experience and expertise needed to provide the best start and finish to the school day for our students."

ER9 students will be riding brand new state-of-the-art buses. First Student will replace the district's entire fleet. All 46 buses will be equipped with the latest technology, including 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, the industry's most comprehensive and secure bus tracking, communications and engagement platform. Districts can streamline daily decision-making through centralized, real-time fleet reporting and can efficiently alert parents about school delays or issues through the app.

"We appreciate the trust school districts have in our services," said First Student Area General Manager Vinnie Cappiello. "We focus on building close, trusted partnerships with the districts we serve so we can provide transportation solutions that really make a difference for students and their families."

The districts will also have access to FirstACTS®. The web-based communication tool helps manage the process of tracking student conduct on the bus.

First Student is the most chosen student transportation provider in North America. In the 2018-19 school year, more than 100,000 additional students are receiving safe, reliable transportation from First Student.

About First Student, Inc.
As the leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. First Student completes five million student journeys each day, moving more passengers than all U.S. airlines combined. With a team of highly-trained drivers and the industry's strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, route optimization and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services for 1,100 school district contracts. For more information, please visit firststudentinc.com.

###