El Paso County Colorado School District 49 School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed. District 49 provides paid CDL training and posts pay of $21.77 to $25.78 an hour based on experience.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Colorado CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
El Paso County School District 49 serves Falcon and the surrounding area across 133 square miles, enrolling roughly 25,689 students in about 26 schools - the tenth-largest district in Colorado. Transportation runs out of the D49 Transportation Center in Peyton, a 34,000-square-foot facility that opened. Drivers are district Educational Support Personnel, not contractor staff, and the district has faced a persistent driver shortage.
You do not need a CDL to apply. The posting states that no experience is required and that paid CDL training is provided; the job requires the Class B CDL with the Passenger and School Bus endorsements once you are trained. District 49 has not recognized a union for its drivers, so pay and conditions are set by the district. This page lays out the real D49 process, what it costs you, and what the job pays.
El Paso County Colorado School District 49 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 District 49
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for El Paso County Colorado School District 49.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
The posting lists a high school diploma, no required experience, a valid Colorado driver's license, and the ability to lift up to 50 pounds. Colorado sets the minimum age at 18 and no state years-of-experience minimum, so confirm any district age or record standard with Transportation. DUIs, serious moving violations, and license suspensions are disqualifying.
Apply online for "Bus Driver"
District 49 hires through Frontline AppliTrack at applitrack.com/d49. Search the title "Bus Driver." Postings run open until filled, so you can apply when you see one. Certify your driving and work history accurately; the background check will surface anything you leave out.
Interview with Transportation
Interviews are site-based, run by Transportation rather than by HR. You can also go to the D49 Transportation Center at 11971 Swingline Rd, Peyton, to inquire. For application questions, District 49 Human Resources is at 719-495-1143.
Clear the screenings after your offer
The posting requires a criminal background check, which runs as a fingerprint check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI (CBI lists $39.50 for the combined check), plus drug and alcohol testing before hire, at random, and after accidents. You also need a DOT physical and Medical Examiner's Certificate. Ask HR who pays for each item when you apply.
Earn your CDL through paid training
You need a Class B CDL with P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements. District 49 provides the CDL training and pays you hourly while you learn; the program satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule. The posting also requires CPR and first aid within 3 months and a mountain training certification within 6 months. The district does not publish the program length in weeks, so ask Transportation for the next class start.
Finish route training and drive solo
After you test, you ride routes with trainers until you know your assignment, then drive solo. Full-time drivers are guaranteed at least 5 hours a day on a school-year calendar, and part-time positions are also benefits-eligible. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, disability, paid time off, and Colorado PERA retirement.
What's in the full El Paso County Colorado School District 49 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 El Paso County Colorado School District 49 guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the El Paso County Colorado School District 49 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 El Paso County Colorado School District 49 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.
El Paso County Colorado School District 49 bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to apply to drive for District 49?
No. The District 49 posting states that no experience is required and that paid CDL training is provided. You apply with a regular Colorado driver's license, and the district trains you for the Class B CDL with the Passenger and School Bus endorsements the job requires.
How much do District 49 bus drivers make, and what are the hours?
The current posting lists $21.77 to $25.78 per hour depending on experience, and no sign-on or training bonus is advertised. Full-time drivers are guaranteed at least 5 hours a day on a school-year calendar of 162 to 184 days, with breaks and summers off. Part-time positions are also benefits-eligible.
Do District 49 bus drivers have a union?
No. Colorado law does not require school districts to bargain collectively, and District 49 has not recognized a union for its bus drivers. Pay and working conditions are set by the district's board and administration. Employee input runs through the district's Workforce Collaboration Team, a quarterly meet-and-confer body, which cannot bargain a binding contract.
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 El Paso County Colorado School District 49.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.