Complaints

This profile includes complaints for First Student's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  First Student

  191 Rosa Parks Street, 8th Floor, Cincinnati, OH 45202

• 

  First Student Inc

  12049 Springbrook Dr Eagle River, AK 99577

• 

  First Student Inc.

  835 Watsontown/New Freedom Rd. New Freedom Rd. Berlin, NJ 08009

• 

  First Student

  27 Henry Street Bethel, CT 06801

• 

  First Student

  3425 North 27th Ave Bozeman, MT 59718

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/04/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We are so disappointed in this school bus service. 90% of the time they run very late causing additional problems for parents schedules. They are forced to constantly "merge" bus routes causing way too many students on one bus...causing fights to break out...police holding up bus to address the fights...etc.. They never have stable employees...constantly different substitutes who don't know the route and get lost constantly. I've complained to Ryan at least half a dozen times. He states he will resolve these issues.. ... Then later on claims he never heard from me or about these issues. This company is a hot mess. I wish my students had another option.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/06/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Accident 8/30/2024 School bus side swiped me and I filed a claim with first student/first group. Angela B J**** was the damage specialist I was in communication with. She agreed to cover rental in which I opted out the claim because she wanted my bumper repaired rather than replaced. I then closed my claim and went through my insurance but had no rental coverage. The auto shop then told me the replacement was approved by Ms. J***. When I asked to reopen my claim to get the process going she refused saying she didn’t want to resubmit paperwork. When I asked if she didn’t want to do her job, she firmly told me no. My rental expense was in the amount of $849.92 in which she refused to reimburse me in full and sent me a check in the amount of $268.80. I’m seeking reimbursement for the remaining amount of $581.12 as she agreed to cover my rental for as long as my vehicle was in the auto shop. Not to mention this accident was no fault of my own leaving my vehicle to also depreciate. She also has avoided calls, messages and emails.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/23/2025

  The vehicle should have taken 7 days to repair. We initially put her into a rental and the vehicle was at the body shop, but the claimant refused anything but OEM parts. Because of that she remained in a rental and refused to authorize the shop to start repairs. She then advised she would go through her own carrier, we paid for her time in the vehicle for 6 days. Her carrier also wouldn't pay for OEM parts and eventually paid for aftermarket parts to fix her vehicle.  The claimant submitted an additional 16 days of rental in addition to the 6 days that we already paid. We refused to pay 16 days but offered 4 additional days for a total of 10 days rental on a repair that should not have exceeded 7 days. The only reason she needed the 16 days was because she refused OEM which she wasn't entitled to, even her own carrier wouldn't pay for that. She would have only needed 7 days if she would have fixed it from the start. In good faith, we offered her the additional 4 days. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/04/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  *Formal Complaint Against Bus Driver* To: First Student, springfield ma Subject: Formal Complaint Against Bus Driver (Bus 2 for ******** Academy) I am writing to express my deep concern and frustration regarding the behavior of bus driver (bus 2 for ******** Academy), who has consistently demonstrated unprofessional and unacceptable conduct towards my daughters and myself. *Incidents* *September 19, 2024* 1. Filed unjustified complaint against my daughter, resulting in punishment. 2. Confronted me at the bus stop, speaking rudely and yelling. *October 18, 2024* 1. Left my daughters stranded at the bus stop despite seeing them. *October 23, 2024* 1. Deviated from route to involve safety personnel, falsely accusing my daughter of threatening her. 2. Bus company confirmed no threat was made. *October 30, 2024* 1. Singled out my daughter for punishment among multiple disrespectful students. *Additional Concerns* 1. Repeatedly stops the bus abruptly, laughing. 2. Demonstrates a pattern of harassment and bias against my daughter. *Previous Actions* 1. Filed complaints (myself, and the school administration) with the bus company 2. No meaningful action taken. *Request* 1. Review bus cameras to verify incidents. 2. Investigate driver's conduct. 3. Take disciplinary action. 4. Ensure driver receives training on: - Conflict resolution - Communication - Bullying prevention *Supporting Documents* 1. Incident reports 2. Bus company confirmation 3. Witness statements Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/22/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hello on 9/22/2024 my child take a medical bus to school his pick up time is 7:58 am and if late 8:05 am. My child was standing outside with another student who takes the same bus since 7:40am the bus didn’t show up at all my child and the other student walked back home at 8:47 complaining that the bus never came at all. So I called transportation to figure out what happened to bus #16 the lady on the phone got really rude saying the bus showed up at 7:58am which it didn’t because my son been standing outside since 7:40am waiting for the bus on camera the lady got really rude and nasty over the phone saying well my driver was there at 7:58 am which is a lie and it’s not fair at all that they don’t take accountability for their actions at all this isn’t the first time this happened to my child this is the 3rd time this happened my child has a doctor note through the school district to be on that bus. They are leaving kids and making it seem like it’s the parents fault which isn’t right I would like for you guys to look into this matter with this bus company location in ********** ***

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The school Is ******** elementary school in *** **** *********, *** **** school district number 256. The incidents have been ongoing for years, but the last 2 weeks the incidents Have been getting more frequent. ******** is 9 years old and will be 10 on February 3rd, 2025. The perpetrators of the actual bullying have been a various number of small children from the *** **** school district. But I believe that the school district Needs to be held accountable and that they are also a perpetrator in this. The *** **** public school district was sued about a decade ago. The bus company also has a duty to provide safe transport, And not only that , but do not make my child feel singled out or ostracized, and the last few incidents have really affected her. Some of the children call her things like poopy or poop. They call her almond joy. They asked her why her skin looks dirty like that and why her mom doesn't give her a bath. They ask her why her hair looks that way. They call her burnt marshmallow and roasted marshmallow. They call her money gorilla and ape. She's been called the n word seven times this year and school has not been in session for even a whole month yet. My child used to love school and now most days she wakes up and begs me to not send her to school. When these children torment her like this, they know enough to not do it around another adult. They know to say it to the brown kids. As a result of one of the bullying incidents my daughter had hit a kid back that had repeatedly called her a racial slur. She was suspended off for the bus 1 day and the bus company confirmed that. I reported something inappropriate that the Driver had said about the humanitarian flags on the side of my house. General manager told me she would be reprimanded and the next day she kicked my daughter off the bus for an additional two days. The bus company said she should have never done that. They are claiming it's a mistake but I know it's retaliatory In nature.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/22/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The bus company is very unprofessional! 8.21.24 was the first day of school and the bus monitor threatened to have the bus driver stop the bus and put my daughter on the side of the road, due to my daughter being afraid of a bee that entered the bus and was surrounding her.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/10/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My children went through a distressing incident with their bus driver today, May 10th, 2024, at 3:37 pm. They informed me via text that the bus driver had kept them on the bus against their will for 15 minutes before allowing them to disembark. Upon receiving the message, I rushed to their location, which turned out not to be their designated bus stop. Upon arrival, the bus driver, named Fred, ignored my inquiries about the situation. Despite my repeated requests for him to release my children, he remained unresponsive. Eventually, two more students emerged from the bus along with my children, and they sought refuge with me as I contacted the authorities to report the bus driver's behavior. The incident endangered the lives of the children, as witnessed by one student who was nearly trampled as the bus abruptly moved while students were still standing. The children were understandably frightened and distressed, with my sons experiencing heightened anxiety, possibly triggering an asthma attack. ********* Police Department case# ************ ********* ** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/07/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  bus driver verbally abuses children and parents.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/13/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This company is a school bus company that is very poorly run. When other schools have half days or get out early, it forces the bus for our school to have a late pick up. My son is over 45 minutes late every time. They either do not have enough buses or drivers. This an easily be resolved by the company. It is unacceptable that my son should be getting home that late. He is 7 years old. He has homework to do, dinner to be eaten, a bath and then off to bed. When he gets home late it throws off the whole schedule. And sometimes he has after school activities that he will either be late to or have to miss because he gets home too late. This has to stop! This company must be warned or get in trouble for this! It doesn’t matter how many complaints the school makes or we make, nothing changes. Their staff is less than friendly, very nasty. I will also be reaching out to our school district to fire this company!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/12/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Since August 2023, there have been nothing but problems with this bus company. They set the pick up and drop off times and NEVER stick to them. They want us to wait at the bus stop 5 minutes before thr pickup time but don't show up for up to 40 minutes late for pickups and there were several times it was nearly an hour late for drop offs. Tried to blame it on the school's for late dismissals but the school sends out emails letting parents know busses were held/when they pulled out. Promising the app to do real time tracking, delaying it, delaying it, then finally saying nevermind all together. They tell you it takes 5 days to make changes to a bus route so you plan your life accordingly but then the day after you submit the bus change form they put the changes through without telling you! Not one day has the bus actually arrived at pick up time all school year until yesterday when it arrived a minute early, and then left 3 minutes later. Now today they don't show up at all and when I called to find out how long it was going to be, they told me my kid (who was standing right next to me) was on the bus! Then they said her bus was paused. Then they said she was dropped from the bus, maybe because of another student with the same name, even though she rode it home yesterday. WITHOUT NOTIFYING ME! Also, if there are 2 kids with the same name, YOU DO MORE TO VERIFY YOU ARE DROPPING THE RIGHT ONE than just match names! All the dispatcher had to say was its not their fault and the bus driver is a nice lady. The school did more to apologize to me over the bussing problems than the bus company did. First Student is a huge joke. There is no excuse for this level of incompetence, no remorse or compassion, and I seriously doubt I'll even be getting a phone call to clear up how they absolutely blundered today. Neither of these times is the first I've been late to work because of the bus not showing up on time, but after today I'm so sick of it.