School District of Waukesha School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed to apply. First Student offers 40 hours of paid training and posts Waukesha pay at $25.50/hr.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Wisconsin CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
The School District of Waukesha is the seventh-largest district in Wisconsin, enrolling about 10,922 students across 27 schools. All of its student transportation is contracted to First Student. For fall 2026 the contractor reported 67 drivers returning and a need to hire about 30 more, with some drivers already in training, which is the opening for new applicants.
The key fact: Waukesha School Bus Drivers are First Student employees, not district staff, and you apply to the contractor. No experience and no CDL are needed to apply. First Student offers 40 hours of paid training and paid CDL training, which takes you from a regular license to a Class B with passenger and School Bus endorsements. This page covers the real Waukesha process, what it costs you, and what the job pays.
School District of Waukesha 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 Waukesha
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for School District of Waukesha.
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 Waukesha. The posting reads "Now Hiring Part Time School Bus Drivers - WAUKESHA, WI." You are applying to the contractor, not the district. Complete the full application and certify your history accurately.
Interview or attend a hiring event
First Student offers phone and virtual interviews, and you can call the Waukesha depot at 262-524-0667. The company has hosted an annual "Big Bus, No Big Deal" hiring event in Waukesha. Check the careers site for the next one.
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
First Student states it offers 40 hours of paid training, and no CDL is required at hire. You earn a Class B CDL with passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements, and the training satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule. The hourly trainee rate and the length of the full program in weeks are not published, so confirm both 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. First Student lists medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k), 4 paid holidays, and a child ride-along program, with benefits varying by location. Year-round work is available.
What's in the full School District of Waukesha 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 School District of Waukesha guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the School District of Waukesha 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 School District of Waukesha 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.
School District of Waukesha bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to drive a School Bus in Waukesha?
No. First Student's Waukesha postings say no experience is needed and describe paid CDL training. You get your Class B CDL with P and S endorsements during the company's training program.
How much do Waukesha School Bus Drivers make and what are the hours?
The posted starting rate is $25.50 per hour. The job is a part-time split shift, a 2.5-hour morning route and a 2.5-hour afternoon route, with 25 paid hours per week guaranteed. Extra hours come from charters and trips. Drivers are First Student employees and do not get Wisconsin Retirement System coverage through the district.
Is there a hiring bonus in Waukesha?
A $4,000 bonus opportunity appeared on a mirror of the Waukesha posting with its conditions and expiration not shown, so treat it as advertised and unconfirmed. Ask First Student Waukesha which incentives are in effect for 2026-27. No union has been documented for the Waukesha depot.
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 School District of Waukesha.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.