difference they make in the lives of children and people in their communites. “The role of a superintendent is one I genuinely respect,”
Kenning added. “I come from a long line of educators and have seen firsthand the impact teachers, principals and su- perintendents have on students. I appreciate their unending commitment and passion for education.” Meanwhile, McGowan added that having a good working
PHOTO BY TAYLOR EKBATANI
The Electric Journey First Student in partnership with The
Lion Electric Company had a Type C electric bus on display at the National Conference on Education exhibit hall from Feb. 16-18 in San Antonio, Texas. Kevin Matthews, head of electrification for First Student, said there was an over- whelming interest in fleet electrification at the conference. “I spoke with several superintendents
who recognize the benefits of electric school buses and want to know the steps to deploy them in their districts,” he continued. “School districts realize the unique perspective First Student brings as the largest operator of electric school buses in the world.” Matthews shared that last year First
Student worked with 75 school district customers and submitted 50 applica- tions for federal funding through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean School Bus program. Fourteen of those districts won grant funding for 190 electric buses. CEO and President of First Student John Kenning added he reconnect- ed with customers at the conference, including James Hiu, the superintendent for the Gresham-Barlow School District in Oregon. The district celebrated its first electric bus on the road in February. Read more at
stnonline.com/go/ir.
34 School Transportation News • APRIL 2023
relationship with the transportation department is import- ant as transportation is the backbone of the district’s work to keep children safe and get them to school. “So much information and a multitude of changing vari- ables can impact a child’s day and their safety,” he said. “If everyone isn’t working as a team, a child can be put in a bad situation and faith in the overall system is compromised.” McGowan added that the district’s plan is to continue
doing what its doing. “Our plan would be to continue to have a mission driven and strategically focused organization that every single day looks at the individual needs of the students and determines what we can do to meet their needs,” he said, adding that graduation rates have never been higher. In fact, he said, it’s the highest in their region and among
the highest in the state. “I think what’s fascinating for us and something that
we’ve talked a lot about is at one point in our history, like many places, we had success for some kids but not all kids,” McGowan continued. “Our graduation rate was that for affluent, white, neurotypical students, and we decided that that wasn’t what we should be measuring ourselves to, and that we had an obligation to make achievement and success available and happening for all kids. That was true success.” He noted that in its basic form, transportation plays a role
by getting students to school. “Transportation plays a key role in meeting basic fundamental needs,” he observed. “You know Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in terms of food shelter, a sense of belonging, all of those are facilitated by getting children to the place safely, efficiently, and effec- tively. And we understand the role that transportation plays in making that happen. “Additionally, we have to look at a lot of flexibility in our
work and we are going to be committed to every chal- lenge, every day in every way, which is bringing kids in early, having them stay late, sending them to a variety of programs, bringing them to places to develop different life experiences. All of those require getting them there safely, effectively and efficiently.” Kenning with First Student added that McGowan has a
long history of serving communities. “His volunteer work is extensive at the local, state and national levels,” he add- ed. “By serving on several educational and philanthropic boards and committees he drives to deliver on missions
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