School Bus
School Bus Inc is a privately held Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based contractor that provides daily K-12 student transportation for the Sioux Falls School District and operates an SBI Charters brand serving events, tours, and special needs transport across South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersSioux Falls, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What School Bus does
School Bus Inc (SBI) is a privately held school transportation contractor founded in 1963 by Charles J. Hey and headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The company provides daily student transportation services under multi-year contractual agreements with K-12 school districts, primarily the Sioux Falls School District — a relationship that has been continuously renewed since 1979. SBI operates a fleet of 106 yellow and activity buses across 362 daily routes, transporting over 7,000 students per day, including 310 special needs students, to 21 elementary, 5 middle, and 5 high schools. The fleet features EPA-compliant diesel emissions technology (2007/2010 standards producing 96% less NOX than 1994 engines), funded in part by federal DERA and ARRA grants awarded in 2008–2009.
Beyond its core contracted district services, the company operates a charter business under the "SBI Charters" brand with a fleet of 125+ vehicles ranging from 14-passenger vans to 78-passenger motor coaches, serving events, tours, conventions, sports teams, and special needs transportation across South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska. Charter vehicles include wheelchair-equipped buses and 42-passenger activity buses equipped with USB ports at each seat and optional Wi-Fi.
Revenue is generated through two streams: recurring contractual service fees from school districts for daily student transportation, and one-time charter booking revenue from event and group customers. Distribution is entirely direct — multi-year enterprise contracts with school districts for the core business, and phone/email/website-driven charter sales for the secondary business. The company has remained independent since founding, with no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing, no M&A activity, and 251–500 employees. SBI does not operate a mobile app, API, or third-party distribution channel, and relies on its website as the primary marketing and recruitment platform. The business is fundamentally an asset-heavy, operations-intensive service with strong incumbent advantages in its core district relationship but limited technological differentiation beyond emissions compliance.
School Bus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- School Bus
- Legal name
- School Bus Inc.
- Website
- https://schoolbusincteam.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- School Bus Inc is a privately held Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based contractor that provides daily K-12 student transportation for the Sioux Falls School District and operates an SBI Charters brand serving events, tours, and special needs transport across South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
School Bus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Student Transportation Software
- NAICS
- School and Employee Bus Transportation (485410)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- School Bus Transportation Operations (Home-to-School, Field Trips, Athletics) (EDAEADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Transportation Operations (Routing, Eligibility, Bus Compliance) (EDAJAHAI), Special Needs Student Transportation (Door-to-Door & Route Services) (EDAKAOAA)
Keywords
Where School Bus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sioux Falls
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
School Bus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- School District Transportation Contracts: Multi-year contractual agreements with school districts (Sioux Falls School District, and historically Minnesota districts) to provide daily student transportation for regular education, special education, and extracurricular activities. Revenue is generated through contractual service fees for 362 daily routes serving over 7,000 students.
- Charter Services: Charter bus services for events, conventions, special needs transportation, tours, and group travel. Fleet of 125+ buses available for charter with capacities from 14 to 78 passengers, including wheelchair-equipped buses.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
School Bus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
School Bus Inc provides a software platform that digitizes school bus fare collection and lets parents track students' school buses in real time. The platform combines a parent-facing mobile app for contactless bus fare payment with a district-facing dashboard for fleet and ridership management, targeting K-12 schools and school districts.
Product overview
School Bus Inc is a school bus transportation company providing two core services: daily school transportation for the Sioux Falls School District (106 buses, 362 routes, 7,000+ daily students) and charter services (125+ buses for events, tours, and special needs). The company operates various fleet types including yellow school buses (84-passenger), white air-conditioned activity buses (48-passenger), event buses, and extended travel vans (7-8 passenger). All vehicles include amenities like PA systems, USB ports, and Wi-Fi on newer models. The company has received environmental recognition through DERA/ARRA grants for emissions reduction and NSTA Green Fleet Certification Gold Award.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- School Bus Payments Platform SaaS platform that enables K-12 school districts to collect bus fare digitally and lets parents pay bus fares online instead of in cash. Includes a district-facing dashboard for managing fare collection and a parent-facing mobile app for payment.
- School Bus Tracking App Mobile application for parents that provides real-time GPS tracking of their child's school bus and confirms student boarding, integrated with the School Bus Payments Platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 96% less NOX emissions compared to 1994 engines
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use School Bus
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
School Bus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
School Bus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sioux Falls School District (SFSD)corePrimary strategic partnership with Sioux Falls School District since 1979. School Bus Inc provides all daily transportation services for the district including regular education, special education, and extracurricular needs. The partnership also extends to joint grant applications including DERA and ARRA funding for fleet modernization.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)minorFederal grant funding recipient under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program. EPA funding enabled fleet modernization with EPA-compliant diesel emissions technology.
- Ronald McDonald House Charities - Giving TreeminorSchool Bus Inc staff contributes to the Ronald McDonald House Giving Tree program, supporting children and families in need.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
School Bus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GO Riteway Transportation: GO Riteway is a Wisconsin-based school bus, charter, and corporate shuttle operator — a comparable multi-state regional peer combining K-12 district contracts with charter and employee shuttle services.
- Voyago: Voyago is a Canadian school bus and charter transportation operator — comparable in operating a mixed fleet for student and charter transportation with regional contract concentration.
- Durham School Services: Durham School Services is one of the largest U.S. school bus contractors (a National Express subsidiary), providing student transportation under multi-year district contracts with a comparable fleet-based operating model and customer mix.
- National Express Transit: National Express Transit is the U.S. school transportation arm of UK-listed National Express Group, operating pupil transportation services nationwide — directly comparable as a multi-region K-12 contract operator with similar compliance, special-needs, and charter capabilities.
- First Student: First Student is the largest school bus transportation contractor in North America, operating a fleet of ~40,000 buses across 600+ districts. It is the most directly comparable peer — competing for the same K-12 school district contracts with similar multi-year B2B service model.
- Kobussen Bus Ltd: Kobussen is a Wisconsin-based school bus and charter operator serving districts across the upper Midwest — closely comparable mid-sized regional peer with similar mix of K-12 contracts and charter/event services.
Regional players
- Anderson Coach & Travel: Anderson Coach & Travel is a Pennsylvania-based charter and tour bus operator with a similar fleet size and charter business model — comparable on charter services rather than school contracts.
Broad incumbents
- Coach USA: Coach USA is a large U.S. motor coach and charter bus operator with broader intercity services — overlaps with School Bus Inc's charter business but at materially larger scale and broader geographic scope.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
School Bus social profiles
Digital presenceSchool Bus compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
School Bus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
School Bus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
School Bus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
School Bus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about School Bus
What does School Bus do?
School Bus Inc provides a software platform that digitizes school bus fare collection and lets parents track students' school buses in real time. The platform combines a parent-facing mobile app for contactless bus fare payment with a district-facing dashboard for fleet and ridership management, targeting K-12 schools and school districts.
Is School Bus a public or private company?
School Bus is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was School Bus founded?
School Bus was founded in 1963. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is School Bus based?
School Bus is headquartered in Sioux Falls, United States, in the North America region.
How does School Bus make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. School District Transportation Contracts are the primary driver. The others are charter Services.
Who are School Bus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GO Riteway Transportation, Voyago, Durham School Services, National Express Transit, First Student and Kobussen Bus Ltd. Anderson Coach & Travel is listed as a regional player. Coach USA is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does School Bus have an API?
No public API is recorded for School Bus.
What industry is School Bus in?
School Bus's product category is Student Transportation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEADAA, School Bus Transportation Operations (Home-to-School, Field Trips, Athletics), with a secondary code of EDAJAHAI, Transportation Operations (Routing, Eligibility, Bus Compliance). Its NAICS code is 485410 and its SIC code is 4100.