First Student Canada Charged with Permitting Operation of Unsafe Vehicle

Following an accident on March 17th, 2008 in which a bus lost it's tire while on the road, First Student's Canadian division is being charged with Permitting Operation of an Unsafe Vehicle, and the driver has as well. No students were on the bus at the time, but First Student and the driver allegedly knew the bus was unsafe.

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Child Left Miles From Home, First Student Sued

A 6-year-old boy was left miles from home, and now his family is suing the driver, First Student, and the school district.

Anastasia and John Nikolopoulos filed the lawsuit in Scott County District Court against Kathryn Gilbraith, First Student and the Davenport Community School District. They are seeking damages amounting to more than $5,000.

Gilbraith, who could not be reached for comment, “had a duty not to endanger the health, safety and/or welfare of the children she transported,” the lawsuit says. Gilbraith was convicted of child endangerment and sentenced to a year probation and a $500 fine. She was fired from her job.

The bus picked the boy up, but when it arrived at Eisenhower Elementary School, the child did not get off the bus.

The bus continued on to pick up children heading to Adams Elementary School, officials said. At some point, the boy realized the children on the bus were not the ones he usually rides to school with and told the driver he needed to go to Eisenhower. She thought the child had just gotten on the bus when it stopped along Sturdevant Street.

“All he could say is ‘I need 911,’” Jo Robbins said at the time. “Poor little guy. He was just so scared. I sat him on my step and helped him out a bit. It’s not a very good neighborhood where I live. I am just glad nothing happened to him.”

Gilbraith, who had worked for the company for two years, said at the time she was a substitute driver on a bus route she had never done before. Another driver was along to learn the route, too, she said.

First Student would not comment on litigation.

Costs Going Up for Parents, First Student/Laidlaw Merger Blamed

In Weymouth, Massachusetts, parents are required to pay to use the school's bus services, run by First Student. However, as a result of the Laidlaw and First Student merger, costs are going up.

We actually had only one responsive bidder, and that was the First Student Laidlaw Company, and we've been very happy with First Student, so it wasn't that we were looking necessarily to get a different bidder, but it would be better for pricing purposes to have at least one major competitor.

Mary Jo Livingstone, the Weymouth Superintendent of Schools, says in past years, it was typical for the town to get several major bidders for its bus contract.

MARY JO LIVINGSTONE: Mostly First Student and Laidlaw were the two companies that would bid for our business.

THYS: And then, last year, because of the merger, everything changed.

First Student's merger will cost many school districts more money at their next contract negotiation. Even though in this case the costs were transferred directly to parents, it will hit other districts in their budgets, possibly leading to cuts in other important school activities.

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