Branford Public Schools (BPS) has awarded a $60 million, 10-year transportation contract to Zum to transition the school district's fleet and provide upgraded safety features, transparency, and increased technologies for the parents and guardians of students.
Under the contract, Zum will have five years to transition BPS' entire school bus fleet to electric school buses - making the district the first in Connecticut to do so.
The company will also provide access to its Zum app, which allows parents to view a profile of their child's bus driver and access real-time tracking and notifications about their school bus location and their child's pickup and dropoff status.
Additionally, Zum provides specialized access to administrators to optimize routes and provide staff with real-time data and performance reports.
"Student safety is a top priority, and safe school transportation is among Zum's hallmarks of excellence. We are excited to shape the path for our students and community by reducing our carbon footprint as we transition to an electric bus fleet with enhanced communication and technology," said Superintendent Christopher Tranberg.
Through this contract, Zum will also manage the hiring and continued education of bus drivers. The company offers competitive wages, advanced training, and certification programs to ensure all drivers meet and exceed all state and federal requirements. Zum will also provide additional training in customer service and on how to transport students with diverse needs and disabilities.
Zum is set to begin working with BPS in the 2024-25 school year, marking it as the first school district in Connecticut to partner with the company.
Zum currently operates and manages student transportation in Massachusetts, Maryland, California, Washington, Texas, Illinois, and Tennessee. During 2024, Zum also projects to launch additional operations in Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
