Baltimore City Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed to apply. City Schools trains you for your Class B license and posts Driver II pay at $22.69-$27.98/hr.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Maryland CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Baltimore City Public Schools, known as City Schools, enrolls roughly 76,807 students across about 150 schools. About 5,660 of them ride a yellow bus, van, or taxi each school day, and another 31,000 or so ride MTA transit. The district runs a hybrid system: contractors, led by Durham School Services, provide roughly 80 percent of yellow bus and van capacity (229 contractor buses), while the in-house fleet has grown from 35 to 85 yellow buses and 37 vans. City Schools reports an average of about 30 driver callouts per day, and the board is building a driver trainee program to hire more of its own.
You do not need a commercial driver's license to apply. The Driver I trainee posting states that applicants without a CDL can be trained to earn one, and the district's program meets the federal entry-level training rule. Two details are not published: how long the training runs and whether trainee hours are paid, so confirm both with Transportation before you plan around them. This page covers the City Schools process, the posted pay, and what to ask when you call.
Baltimore City 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 Baltimore City
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Baltimore City Public Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
Maryland sets the minimum age for School Bus Drivers at 21, with no state years-of-experience rule. Trainees may carry no more than two current points on their driving record. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not required. DUIs, license suspensions, and serious moving violations are disqualifying, so check your record first.
Apply online for School Bus Driver
Start at baltimorecityschools.org/jobs and apply to the School Bus Driver or Trainee Bus Driver posting in the Transportation category. The application package is the online application, a resume, your current driving record and license copy, and three professional references. Certify your history accurately; hiding something the background check finds is the fastest way to be rejected.
Interview with Transportation
Expect questions about your driving history, your reliability, and how you handle children. Be ready for the split-shift schedule, with a morning run and an afternoon run and a long gap between. City Schools Transportation is at 1210 E 20th St, Baltimore, MD 21218, phone 410-396-7440.
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 DOT 5-panel drug screen, a DOT physical with a Medical Examiner's Certificate, and the annual Maryland school vehicle driver physical. Your driving record is checked against the district's safe-driver standards, including any out-of-state history.
Earn your CDL through the district's program
School Bus Drivers need a Maryland Class B CDL with the P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements. City Schools trains applicants without a CDL, and its program satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule. Private CDL schools run roughly $2,000 to $4,000, so the district route saves real money. The length of the program and whether trainee time is paid are not published.
Finish training and take your route
Maryland requires at least 8 classroom hours and 9 behind-the-wheel hours before you transport students. After you pass the three-part skills test in a School Bus, you ride your route with a trainer until you know it, then drive solo. From there it is annual in-service training of at least 6 hours and an annual school vehicle driver physical.
What's in the full Baltimore City 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 Baltimore City Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Baltimore City 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 Baltimore City 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.
Baltimore City Public Schools bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to apply to drive for Baltimore City Schools?
No. City Schools states that applicants without a CDL can be trained to get one. You need a regular Maryland license, a driving record that meets the district's standards, and to be at least 21. The district's program takes you through the Class B license with P and S endorsements. Confirm the current class schedule with Transportation at 410-396-7440.
How much do Baltimore City School Bus Drivers make?
The district's most recent posted ranges are $22.69 to $27.98 per hour for Driver II on a 12-month schedule, $23.09 to $28.47 for Driver II on 10 months, and $20.52 to $30.37 for the Driver I Trainee. Drivers are represented by AFSCME Local 44 and are in the City Retirement Plan. City Schools has not published a sign-on bonus or the pay rate during training, so ask Transportation Employee Services at 443-984-2000.
Is a Baltimore City School Bus Driver a district employee or a contractor?
Both exist. Contractors, mainly Durham School Services, run roughly 80 percent of yellow bus and van capacity, and their drivers are represented by Teamsters Local 570. Drivers hired through the City Schools postings are district employees under AFSCME Local 44. Apply through baltimorecityschools.org/jobs for the district role, and check which employer a posting names before 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 Baltimore City Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.