A new South Windsor school bus hub would support First Student’s transportation contract starting this summer.
School transportation provider First Student is seeking local approvals to establish a bus operations facility in South Windsor to support a newly awarded contract with the town’s school district.
The company has filed an application with the South Windsor Planning and Zoning Commission for a temporary and conditional permit to operate from 405 Sullivan Ave., an industrial property it plans to lease.
First Student said it was awarded a contract through a competitive bid process to provide student transportation services for South Windsor beginning July 1. The proposed facility would house administrative offices, parking for school buses and employee vehicles, but no vehicle maintenance operations, according to the filing narrative.
The planned fleet would include 47 buses, including 31 full-size Type C buses and 16 smaller Type A buses. The company said operations would generally run weekdays from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with most buses departing between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. and returning in the afternoon.
First Student said the site would initially employ 43 workers, including 40 drivers, along with a trainer, dispatcher and location manager. Vehicle maintenance would be handled at the company’s East Hartford facility.
A public hearing on the project is scheduled for May 26.
