DECATUR - When Superintendent Gloria Davis heard that the new bus company for Decatur schools, First Student, intended to install a hot line between their office and hers, she said, "Wonderful!"

That's just one of the changes afoot as First Student takes over transporting Decatur students to school. The transition from Durham School Services, the previous company, is under way, and First Student will be ready to go in time for Hope Academy's first day of school July 27.

First Student is part of a national company that also owns Greyhound and First Transit and offers charter bus rental. It transports about 4 million children to school daily and operates more than 60,000 buses in North America and more than 5,000 in Illinois. Locally, First Student also serves Meridian and Mount Zion school districts.

Over the life of the three-year contract, Davis said, the district will save $400,000 by using First Student.

"We're very excited about having a new transportation company to work with the district," Davis said. "We truly believe that First Student will let us have better customer service, first of all to our students, and then to their families."

Davis said the district had a good relationship with Durham, and she didn't want to give the impression that there were problems with the company.

"It's just time to change and look at doing things differently," she said.

Many, though not all, of the drivers who worked for Durham have been hired by First Student, said region Vice President Roger Moore. Experienced drivers are required to take 16 hours of training, and new drivers undergo 52 to 56 hours of training.

"First Student's safety record is better than twice as good as the national average," Moore said, citing the company's receipt of the Green Cross Award.

One of the most significant changes is that buses will be equipped with global positioning systems next year, Moore said.

"That is a really good system for accountability and safety," he said. "It will allow you to know exactly where any of our buses are at any time, you'll be able to know who's driving the bus, did they pick up the child at this stop on time, were they a minute late, were they five minutes early?"

The GPS even will allow them to check on complaints, such as if someone calls in that they saw a school bus speeding, he said.

Management will be local, with area natives Edith South and Molly Stuken overseeing the Decatur buses. The phone number will stay the same as it was for Durham, 362-2000.

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