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Jackson Public Schools to partner with First Student for scholar transportation; board approves contract
Summary
At its March 18 meeting the Jackson Public School Board approved awarding RFP 2024‑25 for scholar transportation to First Student Inc., a move administrators said will address chronic driver shortages and routing inconsistencies by covering up to 70 routes and introducing contractual KPIs including GPS tracking and on‑time performance metrics.
The Jackson Public School District on March 18 approved awarding RFP 2024‑25 for scholar transportation to First Student Inc., the district said, as part of a package of agenda items the board approved during the meeting.
District presenters told trustees the award covers up to 70 routes at specified school sites, including KC Elementary, Obama Magnet, Wells APAC, McWillie Elementary, Bailey APAC and several middle‑ and high‑school routes. Administrators said First Student will partner with the district to provide reliable service while the district continues to manage routing decisions and retain responsibility for key standards and inspections.
Staff described the partnership as a bridge to address chronic driver shortages and scheduling pressure. The district reported it currently employs about 35 drivers and said its operational target is substantially higher — administrators cited a need of at least 85 drivers and discussed a longer‑term target of up to 200 drivers to build redundancy and standby capacity. Under the arrangement staff said many existing drivers would remain JPS employees and First Student would coordinate assigned routes; presenters added the contract contains reciprocal protections to reduce the risk of the vendor hiring district drivers without coordinating with the district.
Board members asked for specific performance indicators. Administrators said the contract’s key performance indicators will include GPS tracking, on‑time arrivals, contractor daily reporting of driver attendance, quarterly inspections that mirror state standards, rider and school feedback surveys and routing oversight by the district. The district said it can withhold payment for persistent contractor failures to meet KPIs and will require First Student to cure deficiencies within contract timeframes.
The district also described a separate but related consulting engagement with First Solutions to review routing, bell times and boundaries more broadly. Presenters said First Solutions is conducting a holistic review to find efficiencies while the First Student contract addresses immediate capacity and reliability concerns.
Board members and staff also raised labor concerns. Administrators told trustees the contract includes non‑solicitation language: First Student will not hire district drivers without first notifying the district, and the district will coordinate with the vendor to avoid destabilizing the workforce. The board asked staff to monitor the vendor’s performance closely and to report back to trustees as KPI data accumulates.
Action: the award of RFP 2024‑25 to First Student Inc. was approved as part of a collective motion approving items A–K. The motion was moved by James and seconded by Cynthia; the board recorded no nays and the motion carried.
