Arlington County Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed to apply. Arlington County Public Schools trains you as a paid hourly trainee and puts you in a 180-day job.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Virginia CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Arlington County Public Schools (APS) enrolls roughly 28,000 students in 42 schools, making it the ninth-largest district in Virginia. Its transportation operation runs about 185 buses with roughly 145 drivers and 74 attendants out of a central depot in Shirlington. Driver vacancies climbed from 13 in 2023-24 to 24 in 2024-25, so APS keeps recruiting and training School Bus Drivers.
You do not need a commercial driver's license to apply. APS postings state that applicants without a CDL can be trained to earn one, and trainees are paid hourly during the paid training program. Virginia also requires a Class B CDL with Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements and its own state training hours, which APS delivers. APS does not publish its current hourly rate or training length, so this page covers what the district does publish, the full process, and the exact questions to ask Transportation.
Arlington County 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 Arlington County
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Arlington County Public Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
Virginia sets the minimum age at 18 for School Bus Drivers, and districts set their own experience standards, so confirm APS's current requirement with Transportation. You need a driving record that meets the district's safe-driver standards. Virginia's DMV statement must show no DUI or drug conviction, no felony conviction, and no alcohol safety program assignment in the past 5 years, and no 2 or more moving violations in the past 12 months.
Apply online for "Bus Driver"
APS posts openings through apsva.us/careers-aps, which routes into the TopSchoolJobs system. Search the title "Bus Driver." The application requires a current 5-year driving record, and incomplete applications without it are not considered. APS held no standing walk-in hiring events, so the online application is the front door.
Interview by phone, virtually, or in person
APS offers virtual and phone interviews, and you can walk in to a Transportation compound between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to inquire. Be ready to show you will arrive every day, drive safely, and stay calm around children.
Clear the post-offer screenings
After a conditional offer you complete a fingerprint criminal history check through the Central Criminal Records Exchange to the FBI, a DOT drug screen, and a DOT physical. Virginia also requires an annual school bus driver physical on the state form and a good-moral-character statement signed by two reputable people. APS has not published who pays for the screenings, so ask before you start.
Earn your CDL through APS training
APS trains you to earn the Class B CDL with P and S endorsements. Classroom instruction runs about two weeks before you get behind the wheel, followed by range and road training. Virginia requires non-CDL applicants to complete at least 24 hours of classroom training and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training, and the APS program satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule.
Complete training and start your route
After you pass the three-part CDL skills test, you ride routes with experienced trainers until you know yours, then drive solo. Full-time operators move into 180-day assignments of at least 6 hours a day. Virginia adds two in-service sessions of at least 2 hours each year. New hires may start as substitutes before a permanent assignment.
What's in the full Arlington County 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 Virginia CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Arlington County Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Arlington County 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 Arlington County 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.
Arlington County Public Schools bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to apply for an APS School Bus Driver job?
No. APS states that applicants without a CDL can be trained to earn one. The district's paid training program takes you from a regular driver's license to a Class B CDL with Passenger and School Bus endorsements, then to a solo route.
How much do APS School Bus Drivers earn?
APS does not publish its current hourly rate or step schedule. Postings confirm that trainees are paid hourly during training, and drivers then move to a salaried 10-month, 180-day assignment. Call Transportation at 703-228-6640 for the current rate before you apply.
What benefits and union coverage do APS bus drivers get?
Drivers participate in the Virginia Retirement System, with optional 403(b) and 457 accounts that include an employer match, plus health and dental insurance and sick and personal leave. APS bus drivers are represented by the Arlington Education Association, Support Personnel. No sign-on bonus appears in current driver postings.
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 Arlington County Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.