JACKSONVILLE, Fla.  – Student Transportation of America (STA) today reported a textbook start-up as it nears the end of its first month as the new school bus company serving Duval County public school students in the Arlington/ Beaches area of Jacksonville.

Duval County School District Transportation Director Leslee Russell credits the experience of STA Bus Terminal Manager Chris Ingold and STA's support as key to the successful start-up.

"It was an excellent start-up in terms of the number of routes they had to prepare for, the set-up of two facilities and all the drivers they had to hire and train," Russell said. "STA has been there for us every step of the way. They are very customer-oriented; even the company CEO Denis Gallagher paid us a visit. They set a high standard for a smooth start-up."  

Student Transportation of America is new to Florida but operates a family of local school bus companies serving school districts in 10 other states where it is an industry leader in the use of environmentally-friendly fuels and maintenance practices.  

Next week, school and town officials will gather as the company unveils a new biofueling station at its Lee Road area terminal where 10 of the company's 275 new school buses have been converted to run on cleaner-burning biofuel. This innovative biofuel pilot program will utilize North America's fastest growing alternative to diesel fuel, reducing greenhouse emissions and generating cost savings. The company will evaluate data on cost-savings and reduced emissions in six months to determine the future of the program.

With the start-up behind them, Russell said she is impressed with the new state-of-the art school buses and that she and her team are now digging deeper into how all the new technology is going benefit the school district and its students.

STA purchased its new fleet of 275 vehicles from Jacksonville-based Rivers Bus Sales. State-of-the-art technology on the buses includes:

• A video system that monitors activities inside and outside the vehicles
• A unique alarm system called the Child Check-Mate Safety System, which acts as an electronic reminder to ensure that all children have safely disembarked the vehicles upon completion of each run.
• Two-way radios with direct communications to a dispatcher
• Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

About Student Transportation of America
Founded in 1997, Student Transportation of America (STA) is North America's third-largest and fastest-growing provider of school bus transportation services, operating more than 6,300 vehicles. STA's family of local companies delivers safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation solutions to school districts throughout the U.S. and Canada. Services are delivered by drivers, dispatchers, maintenance technicians, terminal managers and others who are caring members of their local communities. For more information, please visit www.rideSTA.com.

CONTACT:
Alison Karam, APR
860-906-6264
[email protected]