Santa Fe Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed to apply. SFPS trains you with paid hours, and the posted start is $25/hr.
🎁 Limited-time: + free New Mexico CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Santa Fe Public Schools serves Santa Fe County and is one of the larger districts in New Mexico, with roughly 11,300 students across 29 schools. SFPS runs its own transportation department and has been short on drivers for years: it announced a shortage of 30 drivers covering 39 routes, and it was still hiring for multiple Bus Driver positions in the 2025-26 cycle. That ongoing gap is the opening for anyone who wants steady public-sector work with the school calendar.
You do not need a commercial driver's license to apply. SFPS offers free CDL training with paid training hours, and its driver information document limits your out-of-pocket cost to a $10 commercial learner's permit fee. The district has not published how many weeks training runs, and it lists a minimum age of 21, so this page tells you what to confirm with Transportation before you commit. It covers the Santa Fe process, what the job pays, and what you will and will not pay yourself.
Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Santa Fe Public Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
The SFPS driver information document lists a minimum age of 21. A high school diploma or GED is preferred. You need a driving record that meets the district's safe-driver standards; serious moving violations, DUIs, and license suspensions are disqualifying. New Mexico sets no minimum age of its own, so confirm SFPS's current age and experience requirement with Transportation when you apply.
Apply online for "Bus Driver"
SFPS posts openings on its RedRover portal at jobs.redroverk12.com/org/3877. Search "Bus Driver"; the recent posting was titled "Bus Driver - Multiple Positions." Positions stay open until filled, so apply as soon as you see one. Complete the full application and certify your driving and employment history accurately.
Interview by phone, virtually, or in person
SFPS offers virtual and phone interviews, and you can also walk in to the Transportation Department between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to ask questions. Expect practical questions about your driving history, reliability, and how you handle students.
Clear the screenings after your offer
After a conditional offer you complete a fingerprint criminal history check, a pre-employment DOT 5-panel drug screen, and a DOT physical with a Medical Examiner's Certificate. Under New Mexico law the public school pays for an applicant's fingerprint background check. Ask Transportation who covers the drug screen and physical, since the district's document names only the $10 permit fee as your cost.
Earn your CDL with free, paid training
School Bus Drivers need a Class B CDL with the P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements. SFPS provides CDL training free of charge and pays you for training hours; its program satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule. You pay a $10 commercial learner's permit fee, valid for six months. Skills tests in New Mexico run through third-party examiners.
Finish route training and start driving
New Mexico requires department-certified preservice training before you perform assigned duties. After classroom and behind-the-wheel work you ride routes with an experienced trainer until you know yours, then drive solo. SFPS has not published how many weeks training lasts, so ask for the next class start date.
What's in the full Santa Fe 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 New Mexico CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Santa Fe Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe 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.
Santa Fe Public Schools bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to apply to drive for Santa Fe Public Schools?
No. SFPS trains applicants without a CDL to earn a Class B license with the P and S endorsements. Training is free and carries paid training hours. Your out-of-pocket cost is limited to the $10 commercial learner's permit fee, per the district's driver information document.
How much do SFPS School Bus Drivers make, and how many days do they work?
The most recent posting, for the 2025-26 school year, advertised a starting rate of $25 per hour. SFPS does not publish its driver pay schedule, so confirm the current rate on the live posting or with Transportation at (505) 467-3500. The role follows a 175-day school calendar with summers, holidays, and breaks off, and benefits include district health coverage and the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board pension.
Does SFPS offer a hiring bonus, and is there a union?
Whether a bonus is currently offered is unconfirmed. SFPS paid cash incentives to employees who recruited drivers during its 2023 shortage, and later board discussions touched on retention bonuses. Union status is also unresolved: recent postings list NEA for some roles and non-union for others, so ask about representation when you are hired.
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 Santa Fe Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.