Aurora Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed to apply. Aurora Public Schools trains you for your commercial license and posts starting pay at $25.07 an hour.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Colorado CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Aurora Public Schools serves Aurora across Adams and Arapahoe Counties, enrolling roughly 38,702 students in 65 schools - the fifth-largest district in Colorado. More than 6,000 students ride a school bus every day on a fleet of about 146 buses, and the district has faced a persistent driver shortage. APS bus drivers are district classified employees, not contractor staff, and regular route drivers are hired through the district's own postings.
You do not need a CDL to apply. APS requires the Class B with Passenger and School Bus endorsements by the end of its district-run training program, and the district trains and licenses you. Two details are not published: how many weeks the program runs and what trainees are paid during it, so confirm both with Transportation before you plan around them. This page covers the APS process, what it costs you, and the posted pay.
Aurora Public Schools at a glance
The essentials, pulled from official sources. The full pay tables, the exact application walkthrough, and the school calendar are in the guide.
How to become a School Bus Driver in Aurora Public Schools
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Aurora Public Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
Colorado sets the minimum age for a School Bus Driver at 18 and no state years-of-experience minimum, so the district sets its own standard; confirm it with Transportation. You need a valid license and a driving record that meets the district's safe-driver standards. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not required. DUIs, serious moving violations, and license suspensions are disqualifying.
Apply online for "Bus Driver"
APS posts openings on its Talent Acquisition page at aurorak12.org/divisions/human_resources/talent_acquisition, which is moving from Frontline AppliTrack to Oracle Cloud HCM. Search the title "Bus Driver." Postings run open until filled. You can also apply by calling the hiring line at 303-326-1986 ext. 28819. Certify your driving and work history accurately.
Interview by phone, virtually, or in person
APS offers virtual and phone interviews, and you can walk in to a Transportation compound between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to inquire. The Transportation Department's main compound is at 160 Airport Blvd, Aurora; training is run from the office at 80 Airport Blvd.
Clear the screenings after your offer
The offer is contingent on a federal DOT physical, a criminal background check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI (CBI lists $39.50 for the combined fingerprint check), and pre-employment drug testing. You also authorize an annual motor vehicle record check. Colorado adds no separate state physical for School Bus Drivers. Ask HR who pays for each item when you apply.
Earn your CDL through the district program
APS policy does not require a CDL at hire; it requires you to hold one by the end of the training program. You need a Class B CDL with the P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements. Training covers classroom work, range and road driving, and a first-aid course, and it satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule. The district pays for the CDL training; a private school charges $2,000 to $4,000. APS does not publish the program length or the trainee wage, so ask Transportation for both.
Finish route training and drive solo
After you test, you ride routes with experienced trainers until you know your assignment, then drive solo. Full-time Bus Drivers work 180-day assignments of at least 7 hours a day with Colorado PERA retirement and district health, dental, and vision coverage. Each year you pass the state operator written test, a driving performance test, and a motor vehicle record check.
What's in the full Aurora Public Schools guide
35+ pages, twelve chapters, written in plain English — everything above in full detail, plus the parts that change year to year.
Right now, includes a free Colorado CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Aurora Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Aurora Public Schools pay scale, benefits, and the split-shift schedule — the numbers that decide if this fits your life.
The application, walked through
Exactly what to submit and which documents to attach, so you are not knocked out on a technicality.
The interview
The three things every interviewer is really asking, and what to highlight. (Free in the sample.)
Screenings & paid CDL training
Every screening after your offer, who pays for what, and how you are trained toward your CDL.
The school calendar
This year's Aurora Public Schools calendar — work days, holidays, and breaks — so you know your real schedule.
Managing a bus full of kids
The passenger-management techniques veteran drivers swear by. (Also free in the sample.)
See inside before you buy
A few real pages from the manual — the interview and passenger-management chapters — so you can judge the quality yourself.
Aurora Public Schools bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to apply to drive for Aurora Public Schools?
No. APS states that applicants without a CDL can be trained to get one, and its policy requires you to hold the CDL by the end of the training program rather than at hire. You apply with a regular driver's license, and the district covers the CDL training.
Is APS training paid, and how long does it take?
APS does not publish the length of its training program or what trainees earn during it. The posted starting rate for Bus Driver is $25.07 per hour, but confirm the trainee wage and the next class start date with APS Transportation before you plan your finances around training weeks.
What are the hours, and do Aurora bus drivers have a union?
Full-time routes are 10-month, 180-day assignments of at least 7 hours a day with no weekend or late-night shifts., Aurora's education support professionals, including bus drivers, voted 88 percent to unionize and join the Aurora Education Association. Bargaining had not yet taken place at that point, so there is no union contract to cite yet.
What's the free CDL study guide?
For a limited time, every district guide comes bundled with a free study guide for your state's CDL Passenger and School Bus endorsements — the two written tests you'll take. It covers exactly what's on those tests so you can pass the first time, at no extra cost.
Is this an official guide from the School District?
No. It is an independent preparation guide, not affiliated with or endorsed by any School District. It organizes the public information into one clear manual so you do not have to dig for it.
How do I get the guide after I pay?
Instantly. Checkout takes about a minute, then you get a download link on the screen and by email. It is a PDF you can open on any phone, tablet, or computer and keep.
Get hired in Aurora Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.