Norfolk City Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
Norfolk starts School Bus Drivers at $24.79/hr, but you arrive with a Class B CDL (P and S) already in hand.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Virginia CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Norfolk City Public Schools serves roughly 26,807 students across 49 schools in the Hampton Roads city of Norfolk, Virginia. The transportation department runs a fleet of 320 buses that carry approximately 8,000 students a day and more than 1.4 million miles a year. The division has been open about its staffing gap: its own transportation update warns families to expect intermittent delays because of continued driver shortages. For a licensed driver, that shortage is a standing opening.
Norfolk hires differently than districts that train you from scratch. Applicants are expected to hold a Class B CDL with the Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements and air brake qualification at hire, and the district provides post-hire training in route procedures and division policy. The district has not published whether it pays for CDL training, how long onboarding runs, or who covers the pre-employment screening costs. This page lays out the real Norfolk process, what is published, and what to confirm before you apply.
Norfolk City 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 Norfolk
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Norfolk City Public Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
Virginia sets 18 as the minimum age for School Bus Drivers and requires a driving record free of a DUI or drug conviction, a refused chemical test, or a felony in the past 5 years, and no two or more moving violations within 12 months. Norfolk sets its own experience standard, and many Virginia districts require age 21, so confirm the current minimum with Transportation. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not required.
Hold your Class B CDL with P and S endorsements first
Norfolk's requirement is the full credential at hire: a Class B CDL with the Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements and air brake qualification. No grace period or permit phase is published. First-time applicants must complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training from a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before the skills test. A Virginia learner's permit costs $3, must be held 14 days before testing, and private CDL programs are estimated at $2,000-$4,000.
Apply for "School Bus Driver I" through npsk12.com
Start at the careers section of npsk12.com and search the title "School Bus Driver I." Positions are posted until filled, and the district also hires substitute drivers. Complete the full application and certify your driving history accurately, because the fingerprint and DMV checks verify it.
Interview by phone, virtually, or in person
Norfolk offers virtual and phone interviews, and you can walk in to the Department of Transportation at 5555 Raby Road between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to inquire. Expect practical questions about showing up every day, driving safely, and staying calm around children.
Clear the post-offer screenings
After a conditional offer you complete a fingerprint criminal history check submitted through Virginia's Central Criminal Records Exchange to the FBI, a DOT 5-panel drug screen, and a DOT physical with a Medical Examiner's Certificate. Virginia also requires its own annual school bus driver physical on the state form and a good-moral-character statement signed by two reputable people. Who pays for these is not published, so ask HR before you start.
Complete onboarding and start your route
Norfolk provides post-hire training in route procedures and division policy. New drivers ride with experienced trainers until they know their route, then drive solo. The district has not published the onboarding length or whether it is paid, so confirm both at 757-892-3320. Full-time drivers work about 183 days a year with summers and school breaks off.
What's in the full Norfolk City 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 Norfolk City Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Norfolk City 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 Norfolk City 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.
Norfolk City Public Schools bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to drive a School Bus for Norfolk Public Schools?
Yes. Norfolk expects a Class B CDL with Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements and air brake qualification at hire. The district provides post-hire route and procedure training, but it does not publish an entry-level CDL program the way some Virginia districts do. If you do not yet hold a CDL, plan to earn it first, or compare Norfolk against nearby Virginia districts that train non-CDL applicants.
How much do Norfolk School Bus Drivers make, and what are the hours?
The district's School Bus Driver I position starts at $24.79 per hour on Grade MM, with a posted range up to $40.54 per hour. Full-time drivers work a 10-month schedule of about 183 days, minimum 6 hours per day, which works out to roughly $27,000 a year at the starting rate. That is a computed estimate, not a published salary. The work is a split shift with a midday gap, and there are no weekend routes.
Does Norfolk offer a hiring bonus, benefits or a union?
No sign-on, referral or attendance bonus is currently documented, so ask Transportation before you apply. Benefits include membership in the Virginia Retirement System and district health coverage. Norfolk has not authorized collective bargaining for its bus drivers, so pay and working conditions are set by the school board and administration.
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 Norfolk City Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.