Milwaukee Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed to apply. First Student trains you for your commercial license and posts Milwaukee pay at $27 to $29/hr.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Wisconsin CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Milwaukee Public Schools is the largest district in Wisconsin, enrolling about 65,599 students across more than 150 schools. MPS contracts all of its yellow-bus service to private vendors, 17 of them, running more than 800 vehicles between them. First Student operates two Milwaukee depots, at 5873 N 55th St and 4150 W Mitchell St, and other vendors include Lakeside Buses of Wisconsin and North American Central School Bus. No current driver vacancy count is published.
The reality for applicants: MPS does not hire School Bus Drivers, its contractors do. First Student's Milwaukee postings require no experience and no CDL at entry, and the company's paid CDL training takes you from a regular license to a Class B with passenger and School Bus endorsements. This page covers the real Milwaukee process, what it costs you, and what the job pays.
Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Milwaukee Public Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
Wisconsin sets the School Bus endorsement age at 18 to 70 and sets no state minimum for years of driving experience, so the contractor sets its own standard. You need a valid driver's license and a record that meets the safe-driver standard. Serious moving violations, DUIs, and license suspensions are disqualifying. A high school diploma or GED is preferred but not required.
Apply online with First Student
Go to jobs.firststudentinc.com and search "School Bus Driver" for Milwaukee. Postings read "Now Hiring Part Time School Bus Drivers" for the West Mitchell St and North 55th St locations. You are applying to the contractor, not MPS. Complete the full application and certify your history accurately.
Interview by phone or virtually
First Student offers phone and virtual interviews, and you can call the N 55th St depot at 414-353-1027 to ask about openings and class start dates. Expect questions about reliability, patience with children, and your driving record.
Clear the screenings after your offer
After a conditional offer you complete a DOT 5-panel drug screen, a DOT physical with a Medical Examiner's Certificate, and a Wisconsin Department of Justice criminal-history search plus the MV3740 self-certification. Wisconsin does not use a Level 2 label. Your driving record, including out-of-state history, is checked too. Who pays for these screens is not published.
Earn your CDL through First Student's paid training
You need a Class B CDL with passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements, and you do not need it to apply. First Student offers paid CDL training, which satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule, and tuition is $0 to you. Training length in weeks is not published for Milwaukee, so confirm the class schedule with the depot.
Finish route training and start driving
After you pass the three-part CDL skills test in a School Bus, you ride routes with an experienced trainer until you know your route, then drive solo. The trainee role guarantees 4 hours per school day. First Student lists paid holidays, medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k), and a child ride-along program, with benefits varying by location.
What's in the full Milwaukee 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 Wisconsin CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Milwaukee Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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.
Milwaukee Public Schools bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to drive a School Bus in Milwaukee?
No. First Student's Milwaukee postings require no experience and no CDL at entry. You earn the Class B CDL with P and S endorsements during the company's paid training, and the tuition is covered.
Who hires School Bus Drivers for Milwaukee Public Schools?
MPS contracts its bus service to 17 private vendors, so there is no district posting for drivers. First Student is the named vendor with published Milwaukee driver postings, from two depots. Other confirmed vendors include Lakeside Buses of Wisconsin and North American Central School Bus. Drivers are contractor employees and do not get Wisconsin Retirement System coverage through MPS.
Does First Student Milwaukee offer a sign-on bonus?
No sign-on bonus is advertised on the current First Student Milwaukee postings. A small permit bonus appeared in an expired posting, and whether any permit bonus is offered now is unconfirmed. Ask the depot whether any incentives are in effect for 2026-27. The posted hourly rate of $27 to $29 is the main draw.
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 Milwaukee Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.