District hears First Student update amid parent complaints about late routes and a bus accident

Representatives from First Student told the Southfield school board the company has largely staffed routes for the school year, is near a tentative union contract ratification and is working with the district on an electric bus pilot — but parents at the meeting said chronic lateness and a recent bus accident left them frustrated and fearful.

First Student introduced Benjamin Newsom and said the contractor currently operates 57 routes with approximately 65 full-time drivers, and reported a 95% on-time arrival rate across all routes so far this year. Company representatives described a multi-step training program that includes 15 hours of classroom time, skills training, on-road hours and six hours of special-needs training before drivers take the state test.

Newsom also said First Student and district partners completed an engineering walk-through…