First Student to take over NSD's busing, Union to become transportation center

Nampa School District has switched transportation providers after 64 years with Brown Bus Company to First Student. The move is expected to save the District money. The former Union High School building will be converted to a transportation center for the district.

• Once recommended to the board of trustees to be demolished, the former Union High School will become the permanent parking place for 100 school buses.
• "It works perfectly because the building is intact as a drivers lounge," Sizemore explains. "Right now it's a short-term vision but it has the foundation to be long-term but doesn't mean it will."
• Switching to First Student is expected to save $5 million over 5 years.

( Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)

"As of right now Union is going to serve as our temporary or our short-term transportation hub," says Nampa School District Community and Media Specialist Matt Sizemore. "Once we get rolling with First Student, which we're already in the works with, that's where all our buses will be parked."

Once recommended to the board of trustees to be demolished, the former Union High School will become the permanent parking place for 100 school buses serving the Nampa School District under its new contract with First Student, at least for now.

"It works perfectly because the building is intact as a drivers lounge," Sizemore explains. "Right now it's a short-term vision but it has the foundation to be long-term but doesn't mean it will."

Tuesday is day two of a three-day job fair for First Student.

The first two days catered to Brown Bus Company drivers impacted by the District's switch with Wednesday opening up to the public.

Bus driver reaction to the demo on-site has been positive.

"The buses are a year old, this one is 2023, diesel, clean fuel, state of the art, tablet-ready and air conditioning! [The District] may want different sizes, different types because they're working on adjusting their routes so we're going to make sure the fleets match the current needs and student population and routes," explained First Student's Director of Business Development Meredith Christiansen.

The switch to First Student was one of many cost-saving measures for the District this year.

At a previous school board meeting, Brown Bus Company asserted that transitioning Union to a transportation hub would not ultimately save the District money.

"What does that budget look like for getting Union ready to be a transport hub?" I asked Sizemore.

"Right now, just over $200,000 and we don't need to mess with the building. That's the beautiful thing. That's to just take some things out and lay down gravel for the buses to be parked." he replied.

"Over the 5 years of the First Student contract, how much will it save?"

"We had a budget of $40 million over 5 years so with this plan and going out to bid and going with first student we're going to save roughly $5 million over 5 years," concluded Sizemore.