Boulder Valley School District RE-2 School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed. BVSD provides your commercial license training, with starting pay of $26.79 an hour.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Colorado CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Boulder Valley School District serves Boulder County from Boulder and Lafayette to Nederland and the Peak to Peak corridor, enrolling roughly 27,988 students in 56 schools across about 500 square miles. Drivers work out of three terminals - Boulder, Lafayette, and Nederland - running some 130 routes. BVSD hires its drivers directly into the Transportation unit, and the district has faced a persistent driver shortage.
You do not need a CDL to apply. BVSD advertises paid CDL training and requires the Class B with Passenger and School Bus endorsements within 30 days of hire. The standard Bus Driver position is typically a 0.50 FTE, 20-hour-a-week job on a 9-month hourly schedule, so weigh that against your income needs. This page lays out the BVSD process, what it costs you, and what the job pays.
Boulder Valley School District RE-2 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 Boulder Valley School District
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Boulder Valley School District RE-2.
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. The posting also requires you to be insurable under the district's insurance standards. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not required.
Apply online for "Bus Driver"
BVSD posts openings at jobs.bvsd.org under the title "Bus Driver," in the Transportation bargaining unit. Postings carry closing dates, so apply promptly when one is open. Submit your current motor vehicle record with the application and certify your history accurately.
Interview by phone, virtually, or in person
BVSD offers virtual and phone interviews, and you can walk in to a Transportation terminal between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to inquire. Terminals are in Boulder (1951 63rd St), Lafayette (1220 Rock Creek Cir, serving Broomfield, Erie, Lafayette, Louisville, and Superior), and Nederland (503 Ridge Road).
Clear the screenings after your offer
The offer is contingent on a post-offer physical, a fingerprint criminal history check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI (CBI lists $39.50 for the combined check), and DOT drug testing. A DOT Medical Examiner's Certificate is required when you start. Ask HR who pays for each item when you apply.
Earn your CDL on the district's timeline
The posting requires a Class B CDL with P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements, with no air-brake restriction, within 30 days of hire. BVSD advertises paid CDL training, and the program satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule. BVSD does not publish the program length in weeks, so ask Transportation for the next class start. Private CDL schools charge $2,000 to $4,000 for the same training.
Finish the required certifications and drive solo
Within 30 days of hire you also complete a transportation equipment evaluation and Child Safety Restraint Systems certification, and you must be proficient on the two-way radio from the start. You then ride routes with trainers until you know your assignment. Regular positions of 0.50 FTE or more earn district-paid health and dental, Colorado PERA retirement, and an EcoPass transit pass, with the union agreement running through June 30, 2028.
What's in the full Boulder Valley School District RE-2 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 Boulder Valley School District RE-2 guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Boulder Valley School District RE-2 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 Boulder Valley School District RE-2 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.
Boulder Valley School District RE-2 bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to apply to drive for BVSD?
No. BVSD states that applicants without a CDL can be trained to get one, and it advertises paid CDL training. You must hold the Class B with P and S endorsements within 30 days of hire, and the district's training is how you get there.
How many hours does a BVSD bus driver work?
The standard Bus Driver position is typically 0.50 FTE, about 20 hours a week, on a 9-month hourly schedule that follows the school calendar. Benefits apply to regular positions lasting longer than 60 days at 0.50 FTE or more, starting the first of the month after your start date. Field trips and activity runs add optional hours.
Does BVSD pay a hiring bonus?
Recent recruitment listings advertised a $3,500 bonus after 90 days for drivers who already hold a CDL and the required endorsements, and a $1,000 incentive after 90 days for trainees the district licenses. Bonuses change with the shortage, so ask BVSD Recruitment whether either is in effect when you apply.
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 Boulder Valley School District RE-2.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.