Representatives from First Student gave a public overview of their local operation and safety technology at the Pleasant Valley School District board meeting on May 8. Greg Gallagher, General Manager for the First Student depot that serves Pleasant Valley, outlined features used by the company, including GPS fleet tracking, interior cameras, automated child checks, driver ranking and tablet‑based pre/post trip reporting.

Gallagher said First Student seeks to achieve high on‑time performance and noted the location’s child‑check compliance rates and maintenance practices. He also described optional tools the company offers—parent tracking apps, two‑way communications and routing analytics—and the company’s progress on alternative fuels and electrification in other districts.

Board members then discussed procurement for the district’s transportation contract, which expires in 2026. Board members emphasized the need for a competitive process to demonstrate value to taxpayers. The superintendent and business office agreed to prepare an RFP and submit it to the solicitor’s office for legal review. "The only way to know that we're getting a fair deal is to have a competition," one board member said; the district’s legal office will finalize the procurement documents.

Next steps: administration to draft and submit an RFP for legal review and publish it on the required timeline to allow competitive bidding and presentations; the board expects a bid opening and evaluation committee to review proposals.