Brentwood UFSD School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL and no truck-school tuition. Brentwood's bus contractor hires and trains you, then covers the license.
🎁 Limited-time: + free New York CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Brentwood Union Free School District serves roughly 17,800 students across 17 schools in Suffolk County, making it the 6th-largest district in New York State. A fleet that size runs on bus drivers, and BUFSD contracts its service to Suffolk Transportation Service (STS), which hires continuously for its Brentwood-area depots. That steady demand is the opening for anyone who wants stable, school-calendar work close to home.
Here is what most people get wrong: you do not need a commercial driver's license to apply. STS trains applicants who have never driven anything bigger than a pickup, provides free CDL training for qualified candidates, and takes you from a regular driver's license to a licensed School Bus Driver. This page lays out the real Brentwood process under New York's Article 19-A rules, what the job pays, and how to get hired.
Brentwood UFSD 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 Brentwood
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Brentwood UFSD.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
New York sets the minimum age for School Bus Drivers at 21, with no state driving-experience minimum beyond that - each district sets its own standard. You need a valid New York driver's license and a record that meets BUFSD's safe-driver standards. Serious moving violations, DUIs, and license suspensions are disqualifying. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not strictly required.
Apply online for the "School Bus Driver" role
Brentwood contracts its bus service to Suffolk Transportation Service, so you apply through the contractor, not the district. Start at suffolkbus.com/apply-now and search the title "School Bus Driver." Positions are posted open until filled, so apply promptly. You will certify your driving and employment history - accuracy matters.
Interview by phone, virtually, or at a compound
STS offers phone and virtual interviews, and you can walk in to a Transportation compound between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to inquire. Bus driver interviews are practical: they want 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 New York's Article 19-A pre-employment package: DMV-initiated fingerprints, a three-state driving abstract, a medical exam, and a three-year employment investigation, plus a DOT 5-panel drug screen, the DOT physical and Medical Examiner's Certificate, and the 19-A medical exam. Who pays these costs was not published for STS Brentwood - ask the contractor before you apply.
Earn your CDL at no cost as a trainee
School Bus Drivers need a New York Class B CDL with the P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements. STS advertises free CDL training for qualified candidates: you study for and pass the written knowledge tests, hold the learner permit the federally required time, then train behind the wheel in STS buses. The program satisfies the federal Entry-Level Driver Training rule, so private truck-school tuition of $2,000 or more is unnecessary.
Complete training and start your route
New York requires at least 4 hours of preservice safety instruction before any service and a 30-hour Basic Course covering School Bus safety, operations, and student management. STS did not publish its Brentwood program length in weeks - confirm the current class schedule with hiring. When you finish you ride routes with trainers, then drive solo on a school-year schedule with summers, holidays, and breaks off.
What's in the full Brentwood UFSD 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 York CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Brentwood UFSD guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Brentwood UFSD 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 the district trains you toward your CDL.
The school calendar
This year's Brentwood UFSD 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.
Brentwood UFSD bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to apply in Brentwood?
No. Suffolk Transportation Service, the contractor that runs Brentwood's buses, explicitly trains applicants without a CDL and advertises free CDL training for qualified candidates. You apply with a regular New York driver's license, and the contractor takes you from there to a licensed Class B driver with P and S endorsements.
How much do Brentwood School Bus Drivers make?
The most recent STS-sourced figure is $29.71 to $35.13 per hour. Because the contractor negotiates pay with the Teamsters and can adjust it during the year, confirm the live rate on the suffolkbus.com posting or by calling 631-665-3245 before you apply.
Is this full-time, year-round work?
No. Brentwood drivers are school-year employees of Suffolk Transportation Service, working roughly 180 days a year with guaranteed hours around 25 per week (a 5-hour-per-day minimum). The schedule follows the school calendar, so summers, holidays, and breaks are off - plan your budget for a 10-month pay cycle, or pick up field trips and extra runs for more hours.
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 Brentwood UFSD.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.