Hamilton County Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed to apply. First Student hires and trains School Bus Drivers for Hamilton County at $26.00/hr.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Tennessee CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Hamilton County Schools is the fifth-largest district in Tennessee, with more than 44,500 students in 79 schools in Chattanooga and the surrounding county. More than 20,000 of them ride a bus every day on 251 routes covering 23,000 miles daily. The district contracts all general student transportation to First Student, Inc., under an agreement renewed through June 30, 2031, and First Student keeps recruiting School Bus Drivers in Chattanooga.
The district employs no bus drivers. First Student hires, trains, and pays them, and applicants do not need a commercial driver's license: First Student advertises paid CDL training with no experience necessary. The district's own site, careers.hcde.org, posts bus attendant jobs, not driver jobs. Tennessee also sets an unusually high bar on age: 25, or 23 for veterans, Guard and reserve members, and licensed teachers. This page covers the real Chattanooga process, the pay, and what to confirm before you start.
Hamilton County 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 Chattanooga, TN
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Hamilton County Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
Tennessee requires School Bus Drivers to be at least 25 years old, or 23 for honorably discharged veterans, National Guard and reserve members, and licensed teachers. You also need five consecutive years of unrestricted driving experience and a record that meets safe-driver standards. DUIs, serious violations, and suspensions disqualify. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not required.
Apply to First Student, not the district
Hamilton County Schools has no bus drivers on its payroll. Go to jobs.firststudentinc.com and search "School Bus Driver" in Chattanooga, TN, then complete the full online application. Certify your driving and work history accurately. The district portal posts attendant jobs only.
Interview with First Student
First Student's Chattanooga location is at 2501 Dodds Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37407, phone 423-893-8027. The district's Transportation department shares the address, but driver hiring runs through First Student. No standing job-fair schedule is published, so the posting and the phone line are your best sources.
Clear the screenings after your offer
A conditional offer triggers a fingerprint check (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and FBI), the county board of education's criminal-offense investigation for your driver certificate, a DOT 5-panel drug screen, a DOT physical, and Tennessee's annual school bus driver physical and mental exam. A DUI, vehicular assault or homicide, or drug conviction in the past five years bars the certificate. Ask who pays the screening costs; the Chattanooga posting does not say.
Earn your CDL in paid training
School Bus Drivers need a Class B CDL with the P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements, plus the county board certificate. First Student advertises paid CDL training and covers the cost. The training pay rate and program length are not published, so confirm both. Private Class B tuition runs $2,000 or more, and you pay none of it.
Ride with a trainer, then drive solo
After you pass the three-part skills test, you ride routes with a trainer until you know yours, then drive solo on a split shift: a morning run, a midday gap, and an afternoon run. Each year you must complete state-sponsored training to keep your S endorsement and pass Tennessee's annual physical and mental exam.
What's in the full Hamilton County 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 Tennessee CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Hamilton County Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Hamilton County 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 Hamilton County 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.
Hamilton County Schools bus driver questions
Does Hamilton County Schools hire its own School Bus Drivers?
No. The district contracts all general student transportation to First Student, and every driver is a First Student employee. Apply at jobs.firststudentinc.com, not through the district. Because you are not a district employee, you are not in the state TCRS pension. First Student's benefits include dental and vision, a 401(k), and a child ride-along program.
Do I need a CDL to drive a School Bus in Chattanooga?
No. First Student's Chattanooga posting says no experience is necessary and advertises paid CDL training. You do need to meet Tennessee's age and experience rule: 25 or older, or 23 for veterans, Guard and reserve members, and licensed teachers, with five consecutive years of unrestricted driving. A 2026 bill to lower the age to 23 for everyone did not pass.
What does a School Bus Driver in Chattanooga earn?
First Student's Chattanooga posting lists $26.00 per hour, part-time, with a guaranteed 6-hour shift per school day, on the school-year calendar with summers off. The posting also offers a $200 bonus if you present your CLP within 14 days of finishing the virtual CLP class. No larger sign-on bonus appeared in current postings, so ask whether any incentive applies this year.
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 Hamilton County Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.