First Student Brings Full-Service Fleet Management to Lafourche Parish School District

Fleet-as-a-Service provides districts with tailored solutions to meet their transportation needs, including fleet maintenance, routing and operations

CINCINNATI, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- First Student, North America's largest student transportation services provider, today announced it was selected by Lafourche Parish School District in Thibodaux, Louisiana to provide its comprehensive Fleet-as-a-Service (FaaS) solution.

"At First Student, our mission is to provide the best transportation experience, so students arrive ready to achieve their full potential," said John Kenning, CEO and President of First Student. "Partnerships like this reflect our values in action: combining safety, operational expertise, and innovation to help districts like Lafourche Parish strengthen their transportation systems while allowing school leaders to stay focused on supporting students and their communities."

As part of the contract, First Student's service offering, First Services, will manage leasing and on-site maintenance for the district's fleet of 115 school buses. The agreement also includes routing support, preventive maintenance, roadside assistance, staffing and repair services, and delivering a fully integrated transportation management solution.

"Lafourche Parish Schools chose a tailored solution specific to their needs that streamlines operations, improves efficiency, and strengthens reliability," said Todd Hawkins, senior vice president of maintenance at First Student. "Our Fleet-as-a-Service offering stands out due to proven processes, deep operational expertise, and the hands-on support we provide so districts don't have to navigate complex fleet challenges alone."

Prior to our partnership, Lafourche Parish Schools managed their routes on paper and relied on an older fleet with inconsistent maintenance. Offsite fleet repairs required drivers to travel for service, creating operational challenges. First Services worked with the district to design a customized program in which the district retains ownership of its facility while First Student performs all maintenance and support services onsite.

"This partnership allows our district to focus on what matters most: our students and drivers, " said Jarod Martin, superintendent of Lafourche Parish Schools. "With First Student handling everything from the buses and onboard equipment to technology upgrades and maintenance, the process is seamless for our team. The simplicity of this model, combined with the reliability and financial benefits, makes this a clear win for our district."

Lafourche Parish School District will begin implementing First Student's Fleet-as-a-Service solution for the upcoming 2026-27 school year.

About First Student
First Student is reimagining the school transportation experience with 4.6 million student rides across North America every single day. As the largest student transportation services provider in North America, the company completes 825 million student rides annually, delivering not just students, but confidence, reliability, and peace of mind to families and school districts alike. Backed by a workforce of highly trained drivers and an industry-leading fleet of 47,000 vehicles, including electric buses, First Student is a mission-driven partner in education.

Named one of Fast Company's 2025 Most Innovative Companies, First Student offers cutting-edge services including special-needs transportation, AI route optimization, fleet electrification, vehicle-maintenance services, and charter solutions. First Student's impact extends beyond logistics: every ride is designed to be a safe and supportive space where students can start and end their day with a great experience. With innovation at its core, First Student is driving the future of student transportation one ride at a time. Learn more at https://firststudentinc.com

About First Services
First Services is First Student's comprehensive suite of transportation support solutions for school districts that manage transportation in-house but want access to additional expertise and resources. First Services provides flexible, customized support based on each district's needs. Services include fleet maintenance, student behavior support and special needs training, routing optimization, electrification planning, operational consulting, and technology integration. Districts maintain full control of their transportation programs while gaining access to the experience and resources of North America's largest student transportation provider. First Services helps districts improve efficiency, control costs, and ensure students get to and from school safely and reliably. Learn more at https://firstservicesconsulting.com.

Media Contact
Brenna Rudisill
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SOURCE First Student, Inc.