GPS Failure Cited in MSAD 72 Student Transportation Incident

A new report is recommending several transportation changes for the MSAD 72 school district in Fryeburg after a special needs student went missing for nearly six hours late last year.

According to WGME, the incident happened in December 2025 while a 7-year-old girl was being transported by a driver with First Student, a company that had been providing transportation services for the district.

The company said the driver became lost during the trip after his GPS stopped working. First Student also said the driver lost cell service while traveling on rural roads, making the situation even more difficult.

According to the Conway Daily Sun, the new report did not investigate the details of the December incident itself. Instead, the review focused on the district’s transportation protocols and what changes could be made to help prevent something similar from happening in the future.

Some of the recommendations include equipping district-owned vehicles with GPS monitoring and requiring a second person to accompany students on all out-of-district trips. Those changes are intended to improve communication, accountability, and student safety during transportation, WGME reported.

The news station reported that following the December incident, MSAD 72 announced that it would no longer use First Student for transportation services. District officials say they have already started implementing some of the recommendations included in the report.

The incident raised serious concerns for families and the community, especially given the age of the student and the length of time she was missing. The district says the goal now is to strengthen its procedures and make sure student transportation is handled as safely as possible going forward.