Chicago Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed. CPS bus contractors hire you, pay for your CDL training, and start you at $22-$25 an hour.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Illinois CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Chicago Public Schools is the fourth-largest district in the country and the largest in Illinois, with roughly 324,000 students. More than 17,000 of them ride a yellow bus each day, and the district has said its contracted fleet runs hundreds of drivers short of the roughly 1,300 it needs. That gap is the opening for anyone who wants steady, school-calendar work.
Here is how Chicago actually works: CPS does not own buses or employ a single driver. All routes run through a pool of 16 private contractors, including Alltown Bus Service, First Student (Maywood), and Illinois Central School Bus. You apply to the contractor, not the district. Those three contractors hire applicants with no CDL and pay for CDL training, so a regular driver's license and a clean record are enough to start. This page covers the real Chicago process, what each contractor offers, and what the job pays.
Chicago 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 Chicago
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Chicago Public Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
Illinois sets the floor: you must be at least 21 and have a clean 3-year driving history, with no revocation, suspension, or cancellation in that window. DUI or reckless driving within 3 years bars the school bus permit, and certain criminal offenses are a lifetime bar. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not required. You do not need a CDL to apply.
Pick a contractor and apply directly
CPS employs no drivers, so there is no district posting to apply to. Contractors hire for the District: Alltown Bus Service (8151 S Dobson), First Student Maywood (1001 St Charles Rd), and Illinois Central School Bus (2555 S Blue Island Ave). Search the title "School Bus Driver" on their hiring sites and apply early; postings stay open until filled.
Interview with the contractor
First Student Maywood runs on-site job fairs Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at its Maywood terminal; call 708-345-5502 before you go. Interviews are practical. The contractor wants to know you will show up every day, drive safely, and stay calm around children.
Clear the screenings after your offer
After a conditional offer you complete the pre-employment battery: an Illinois State Police and FBI fingerprint check, a DOT 5-panel drug screen, a DOT physical with a Medical Examiner's Certificate, and the annual Illinois school bus driver medical exam. Your driving record is pulled and checked, including any out-of-state history.
Earn your CDL in the contractor's paid training
School Bus Drivers need a Class B CDL with the P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements. Alltown and First Student advertise paid CDL training with no experience necessary; Illinois Central advertises paid training at minimum wage per hour. The contractor's program satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule. Training length is not published, so ask the contractor for its next class start date.
Finish the Illinois permit and start your route
Illinois requires a separate annual School Bus Driver permit from the Secretary of State ($4, valid one year), an 8-hour initial classroom course with first aid, and a 2-hour refresher every year after. You then ride with trainers until you know your route and drive solo. Extra hours on field trips and activity runs are available at some contractors.
What's in the full Chicago 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 Illinois CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Chicago Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Chicago 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 Chicago 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.
Chicago Public Schools bus driver questions
Does Chicago Public Schools hire School Bus Drivers directly?
No. CPS does not own or operate buses and employs no drivers. Routes are contracted to a pool of 16 private vendors, and drivers are employees of those contractors. Pay, benefits, bonuses, and hiring are set per contractor, so you apply to Alltown, First Student, Illinois Central, or another vendor directly.
How much do Chicago School Bus Drivers make?
Starting pay varies by contractor. Alltown advertises $25.00 an hour, First Student Maywood $22.00 an hour, and Illinois Central a range that begins in the low $20s and climbs with experience. CPS publishes no single pay scale, so confirm the live rate with the contractor before you apply.
Are there sign-on bonuses for Chicago bus contractors?
Yes, at some. First Student Maywood has advertised a $5,000 sign-on bonus and a $500 referral bonus, and Alltown a $3,000 sign-on bonus for candidates who already hold a CDL with passenger and School Bus endorsements. Illinois Central has advertised a smaller bonus for credentialed hires. Bonuses change with the shortage, so ask what is in effect for the current school year.
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 Chicago Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.