Knox County Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed to apply. Knox County contractors train you in about 4 weeks, with pay from $20/hr and CDL stipends.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Tennessee CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Knox County Schools is the third-largest district in Tennessee, enrolling more than 60,000 students in 91 schools in Knoxville and the surrounding county. About 42,800 students are eligible for district buses, and roughly 20,000 ride on any given day. The district employs no bus drivers. It contracts with about 60 independent providers who run about 360 buses, and those contractors do the hiring.
That means there is no single district application. You apply directly to a contractor, such as KTG Bus of Tennessee, one of the county's largest with about 80 drivers, and the contractor hires, trains, and pays you. You do not need a commercial driver's license to apply; KTG advertises about four weeks of paid training. Pay and benefits vary by contractor. Tennessee also requires School Bus Drivers to be 25, or 23 for veterans, Guard and reserve members, and licensed teachers. This page covers the process and the figures that are published.
Knox 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 Knox County, TN
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Knox 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.
Pick a contractor and apply directly
Knox County Schools posts no driver openings. KTG Bus of Tennessee is at 2650 Western Ave, Knoxville, (865) 443-0000, ktgbuslines.com. Olympus Car and Coach, which bought Gentry Bus Lines, operates at Tennessee Ave. and Burnside Street in North Knoxville. Pay, benefits, and bonuses differ by contractor, so compare before you commit.
Interview with the contractor
Each contractor runs its own interviews and sets its own schedule. No district job-fair schedule for drivers exists, because contractors hire independently. Call the contractor's line and ask about open training classes and the current start date.
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. KTG's postings do not say who pays these costs, so ask.
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. KTG's training runs about four weeks and is paid, with an $800 stipend when you complete the permit and $1,200 when you earn the full CDL. It requires a 6-month employment commitment after you obtain the CDL, and a portion of training costs may be repayable if you leave early. Private Class B tuition runs $2,000 or more.
Ride with a trainer, then drive solo
After you pass the three-part skills test, you ride routes with an experienced 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 Knox 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 Knox County Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Knox 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 Knox 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.
Knox County Schools bus driver questions
Does Knox County Schools hire its own School Bus Drivers?
No. The district employs zero drivers. It contracts with about 60 independent providers who own the buses, hire the drivers, and run their own facilities. The district sets routes and monitors performance. Pay, training, benefits, and hiring are contractor-specific, so there is no single district application. Apply directly to a contractor such as KTG Bus of Tennessee at (865) 443-0000.
What does a School Bus Driver in Knox County earn?
KTG Bus of Tennessee advertises pay from $20.00 per hour. Other contractors' rates were not published, and the district does not set driver wages. KTG also advertises a $1,000 bonus after three months of driving, a $500 referral bonus, attendance bonuses of $50 a month and $500 a year, and yearly raise opportunities. Confirm the current figures with the contractor.
Do I need a CDL to drive a School Bus in Knox County?
No. KTG trains applicants without a CDL in about four weeks of paid training, with stipends when you finish the permit and the full CDL. Expect a 6-month commitment after you earn the CDL. 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.
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 Knox County Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.