Racine Unified School District School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed to apply. First Student gives you free CDL permit prep, then paid training, at a posted $24.00/hr.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Wisconsin CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Racine Unified School District is the fifth-largest district in Wisconsin, enrolling about 15,781 students across 25 schools. First Student has managed and operated all RUSD student transportation since the 2019-20 school year, and the district reports the contractor owns the buses. No current driver headcount or vacancy figure is published for the Racine depot, so confirm openings directly.
What most applicants get wrong: RUSD does not hire its bus drivers, First Student does. You do not need a CDL or any bus experience to apply. The standard Racine posting offers free CDL permit prep training, and paid training begins once you have obtained your permit. This page covers the real Racine process, what it costs you, and what the job pays.
Racine Unified School District 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 Racine
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Racine Unified School District.
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 First Student 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 Racine. You are applying to the contractor, not RUSD, and postings stay open until filled. Complete the full application and certify your driving and employment history accurately.
Interview by phone or virtually
First Student offers phone and virtual interviews, and you can call the Racine depot at 262-290-3534 to ask about openings and training class 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. First Student also checks your driving record, including out-of-state history. Who pays for these screens is not published.
Use the free permit prep, then earn your CDL
First Student's standard Racine language is free CDL permit prep training, with paid training once the permit is obtained. That means the permit-prep stretch is not clearly paid time, so ask the depot exactly when wages start. The program then covers the Class B CDL with passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements and satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule. Training length in weeks is not published for Racine.
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. First Student lists medical, dental, and vision coverage and a 401(k). Parents track buses through the FirstView app.
What's in the full Racine Unified School District 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 Racine Unified School District guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Racine Unified School District 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 Racine Unified School District 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.
Racine Unified School District bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to drive a School Bus in Racine?
No. First Student's Racine postings require no bus experience and no CDL at hire. They offer free CDL permit prep, and the CDL itself, a Class B with P and S endorsements, comes through the company's training.
How much do Racine School Bus Drivers make?
The posted starting rate is $24.00 per hour, from First Student's own careers site. Older Racine postings listed $21 and $22 per hour, so the rate has moved up. The job is a part-time split shift following the school calendar, with summers and holidays off. Drivers are First Student employees and do not get Wisconsin Retirement System coverage through RUSD.
Does First Student Racine offer sign-on bonuses?
Past Racine campaigns advertised a $3,000 sign-on bonus and, in other postings, $1,500 plus a $500 referral bonus and permit speed bonuses. None is confirmed for the current school year, so ask the depot whether any incentives are in effect for 2026-27 before you count on one.
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 Racine Unified School District.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.