Durham Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed to apply. Durham runs its own in-house CDL program, and starting pay is about $19.43-$20.22/hr.
🎁 Limited-time: + free North Carolina CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Durham Public Schools serves Durham County, enrolling roughly 31,000 students across 57 schools. Its Transportation Services department delivers more than 18,000 students to and from school 180 days a year on a fleet of nearly 300 buses that cover about four million miles annually. Drivers are district employees, not contractors. At a joint city-county-school board meeting, a district executive reported about 140 drivers covering 138 routes, with roughly 10 more drivers needed to be fully staffed. That gap is a live opening.
You do not need a commercial driver's license to apply. DPS runs an in-house CDL training program that takes a candidate from a regular license to a licensed School Bus Driver, with a dedicated Transportation specialist coordinating with the NC DMV on testing. The district has not published the program's length or whether trainee hours are paid, and the live starting rate is reported two ways, so this page tells you exactly what to confirm with Transportation before you commit.
Durham 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 Durham
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Durham Public Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
North Carolina law sets the minimum age at 18 and requires at least six months of licensed driving experience (G.S. 115C-245). DPS prefers a high school diploma or GED. Your record must meet the district's safe-driver standards, and North Carolina certification allows no DWI conviction in five years and no more than one moving-violation conviction in the past 12 months.
Apply online for "Bus Driver"
DPS posts openings on its AppliTrack job board at applitrack.com/dpsnc/OnlineApp/JobPostings, reached from the employment pages at dpsnc.net. Search "Bus Driver." Postings stay open until filled, and the position is a 10-month, full-time classified role. Complete the full application and certify your history accurately.
Interview by phone, virtually, or in person
DPS offers phone and virtual interviews, and you can walk in to the Transportation Center at 2013 Hamlin Rd between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to ask questions. Ask for the current starting rate, the next training class date, and whether trainee hours are paid.
Clear the screenings after your offer
After a conditional offer you complete a fingerprint criminal history check through the State Bureau of Investigation, a pre-employment DOT drug screen, and a DOT physical with a Medical Examiner's Certificate. North Carolina law bars a board from charging you for the fingerprint check. DPS has not published who pays for the physical and drug screen, so ask before you apply.
Earn your CDL through DPS in-house training
DPS trains candidates from zero through its own CDL program, which runs the full process from candidate to licensed School Bus Driver. You earn a Class B CDL with the P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements, and the district covers the training itself. North Carolina also certifies every driver through the DMV: a 3-day classroom course, four knowledge tests at 80 percent, behind-the-wheel training, three skills tests, and a Physical Performance Standards Test.
Finish route training and start driving
After testing you ride routes with an experienced driver until you know yours, then drive solo. DPS has not published how many weeks training lasts or whether training hours are paid, so ask Transportation at 919-560-3822. Certification renews every three years, and full-time drivers work about 180 days with summers off.
What's in the full Durham 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 North Carolina CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Durham Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Durham 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 Durham 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.
Durham Public Schools bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to apply to drive for Durham Public Schools?
No. DPS runs an in-house CDL training program and hires candidates who hold a regular driver's license. A Transportation specialist coordinates with the NC DMV on testing and records. The district has not published the program length or whether trainee hours are paid, so confirm both with Transportation at 919-560-3822.
How much do Durham School Bus Drivers make?
The live starting rate is reported two ways: current postings list $19.43 per hour, and a district executive cited $20.22 per hour at an meeting. Confirm the rate on the live posting. Drivers are 10-month classified employees working about 180 days at a minimum of 4 hours per day, with NC State Health Plan coverage and the TSERS state pension.
Does Durham offer supplements or bonuses, and is there a union?
District officials reported a $200 monthly driver supplement and a $150 monthly perfect-attendance bonus, but terms and eligibility should be confirmed with Transportation before you rely on them. No union represents Durham drivers, because North Carolina law voids public-sector union contracts, so the school board sets pay and working conditions.
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 Durham Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.