Anne Arundel County Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
Contractors, not AACPS, hire you. No CDL needed to apply, and Durham advertises up to $23.00 an hour.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Maryland CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Anne Arundel County Public Schools serves Annapolis and the rest of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, enrolling about 85,029 students across 128 schools. It is the fourth-largest district in Maryland. More than 70,000 students ride a bus every day, on 4,200 daily trips covering about 10.5 million miles a year. The county owns only 55 buses. More than 590 buses are contracted, so the shortage is a contractor hiring problem across the Baltimore-Washington corridor.
Here is the part most people get wrong: AACPS does not hire most of its drivers. Private contractors do, including Durham School Services, Annapolis Bus Company and R.E. Wilson and Sons (operating together as Student Transportation of America), and Nixon Bus. Pay, benefits, and hiring terms are set per contractor. No CDL is needed to apply, and the contractors provide training. This page covers the real process, what to ask, and what the job pays.
Anne Arundel County 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 Anne Arundel County
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
Maryland sets the minimum age for a school bus driver at 21. Durham's Anne Arundel posting asks for a valid driver's license held for 3 years. Trainees may have no more than two current points on their driving record, and listed criminal conduct is a permanent statewide disqualification. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not required. DUIs and license suspensions disqualify you.
Pick a contractor and apply directly
Most AACPS routes are run by private operators, so you apply with the contractor, not the district. Durham School Services, Annapolis Bus Company and R.E. Wilson and Sons, and Nixon Bus Inc. (7745 Hartwell Road, Glen Burnie) all serve the county. The AACPS Transportation Division (410-923-7890, transportation@aacps.org) and HR Recruitment (410-222-5370) can point you to contractor openings.
Interview and attend a hiring event
Contractors run their own interviews, and Durham has held in-person hiring events. Complete the full application and certify your driving history accurately. Ask each contractor for the starting rate, guaranteed hours, bonus terms, and training schedule in writing.
Clear the screenings after your offer
After a conditional offer you complete a fingerprint criminal history check through the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, a sworn disclosure of convictions and pending charges, a DOT 5-panel drug screen, and a DOT physical with a Medical Examiner's Certificate. Maryland requires a DOT physical every 12 months for school vehicle drivers.
Earn your CDL in the contractor's training program
The contractors train applicants who have no CDL and no experience. You earn a Maryland Class B license with the P and S endorsements by passing the knowledge tests and the three-part skills test in a school bus. The contractors do not publish the program length or whether trainee hours are paid, so confirm both with the contractor you choose.
Finish state training and start your route
Maryland requires at least 8 hours of classroom instruction and 9 hours behind the wheel before you transport students, then at least 6 hours of in-service training every year. You ride with a trainer, then drive solo. Durham lists medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) match, and paid holidays.
What's in the full Anne Arundel County 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 Maryland CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Anne Arundel County Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Anne Arundel County 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 Anne Arundel County 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.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools bus driver questions
Does Anne Arundel County Public Schools hire its own bus drivers?
Mostly no. AACPS owns 55 buses and contracts more than 590 more, so most drivers are employees of private operators and are paid, trained, and hired by them. The district employs a small transportation staff on its own salary scale. Apply with the contractor for a route driver job, and ask AACPS HR Recruitment at 410-222-5370 if you are unsure where to start.
Do I need a CDL to drive a School Bus in Anne Arundel County?
No. Durham's Anne Arundel posting requires no CDL and no experience, and the contractors provide the training toward a Class B license with passenger and School Bus endorsements. You must be at least 21, hold a valid license, and pass a DOT physical and drug screen. Confirm with the contractor who pays for each.
How much do Anne Arundel contractor bus drivers make?
Durham School Services advertised pay of up to $23.00 per hour for Anne Arundel operations, with a sign-on bonus of up to $2,500 that may no longer be active. Rates differ by contractor, and the wage rates in the 2025 UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO agreement were not published. Ask each contractor for its current rate, guaranteed hours, and bonus terms.
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 Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.