First Student set expectations for the coming school year, saying it plans to complete 1 billion trips this year, transporting 450 million students and employ 40,000 drivers.
"We are excited about the new school year and look forward to delivering on our commitment to provide an exceptional experience to the school districts, students and families we serve," says First Student CEO and President John Kenning. "Our proven, industry-leading solutions in electrification, alternative transportation and fleet management are ensuring students receive the best possible ride to and from school."
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The company, which has a presence in 41 states, also says it's the largest operator of electric school buses. It is pushing to transition 30,000 diesel buses to electric by 2035. This year, it expects to complete 125,000 trips on 458 electric buses, driving 4.3 million miles and reducing carbon emissions by 7,600 tons.
FirstAlt, First Student's alternative transportation service, expects growth this coming school year as well. This service allows districts to operate transportation systems for students with special needs and those experiencing homelessness.
"We are doing something really unique and meaningful with FirstAlt," says Gregg Prettyman, vice president of FirstAlt. "Our service allows school districts to seamlessly incorporate alternative transportation into their fleets and routes, improving efficiencies while delivering best-in-class service for our most vulnerable students."
First Student also offers First Consulting, a custom solutions provider that offers consulting and evaluation for school districts to improve areas including electrification, routing, maintenance and training.
"At First Consulting, we leverage First Student's expertise, scale and technology to help school districts solve operational challenges, offering proven solutions that ensure students receive the best possible ride to and from school every day," says Leslie Norgren, vice president of consulting at First Student.
