First Student reports electric‑bus grants, single‑rider routes and a 69‑bus scenario for combined high/elementary routes

First Student, the district’s contracted transportation provider, briefed the Gresham‑Barlow board March 5 on recent program changes, safety work and a study of the costs of combining high‑school and elementary riders on the same buses.

Tammy Rickman, First Student location manager, said the company secured funds through PGE grants for electric vehicles and that the district received three Type D electric buses in the most recent award round; First Student said this brings the district’s PGE awards to nine EV buses with an expected total of 18.

Rickman and Jennifer Roche, assistant location manager, described a pilot of single‑rider routes — 20 single riders across 18 dedicated routes in 2024 — and said those routes provide personalized transportation for students who require individual support. They also presented results of a district‑commissioned bussing impact study that assumed no student would be on a bus longer than one hour and no bus would exceed 60 students. Under those parameters, First Student estimated the district would need roughly 69 additional buses to combine high school and elementary routes, a change that would increase capital and operating costs and require more facilities and staff.

The presenters highlighted local programs meant to reduce behavioral incidents. The School Ambassador program — drivers and ambassadors visiting schools, engaging students and discussing bus safety — was correlated in First Student’s data with a drop in reported behavior incidents from 618 before the program to 356 after implementation across selected sites.

First Student said 541 parents were using its First View GPS tracking app; presenters encouraged broader promotion and recommended the district share the app information via ParentSquare or ParentVUE to increase uptake. Staffing numbers reported in the presentation showed 122 regular routes; First Student also discussed drivers in training and spare/cover drivers, noting numbers that were updated during the presentation.

Board members asked about collaboration on safety incidents (including a recent pellet‑gun incident) and praised First Student for coordination with the district and local law enforcement; First Student said radio traffic during incidents can be challenging because other drivers hear emergency calls.

Ending

First Student invited board members to observe the new automotive career‑education visits the company is organizing with Gresham High School and encouraged district leaders to help publicize the First View app to families.