--- title: "Highland Schools Bus Drivers Start at $25.41 | Metaintro" canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/highland-local-school-district" language: "en" author: "laceykaelani" published: "2025-10-17T11:30:00.000Z" modified: "2026-10-17T19:15:14.040Z" --- [Back to Blog](/blog) [Hiring](/blog/tag/hiring)[Jobs](/blog/tag/jobs) # Highland Schools Let Job Seekers Test-Drive a Bus, Drivers Start at $25.41 Highland Local Schools in Ohio held a Drive-a-Bus hiring event on Oct 25, 2025. New drivers start at $25.41 an hour with CDL training. See how to apply. [![Lacey Kaelani](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/2934b90b-ca20-4439-bc56-71b4f5733545_1766029465094.png)Lacey Kaelani @laceykaelani](/blog/author/laceykaelani) [October 17, 2025](/blog/archive/2025/10)Updated October 17, 20268 min read ![Highland Schools Let Job Seekers Test-Drive a Bus, Drivers Start at $25.41](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/schoolbus.png) [https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Highland%20Schools%20Let%20Job%20Seekers%20Test-Drive%20a%20Bus%2C%20Drivers%20Start%20at%20%2425.41&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhighland-local-school-district](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Highland%20Schools%20Let%20Job%20Seekers%20Test-Drive%20a%20Bus%2C%20Drivers%20Start%20at%20%2425.41&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhighland-local-school-district)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhighland-local-school-district](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhighland-local-school-district)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhighland-local-school-district&title=Highland%20Schools%20Let%20Job%20Seekers%20Test-Drive%20a%20Bus%2C%20Drivers%20Start%20at%20%2425.41](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhighland-local-school-district&title=Highland%20Schools%20Let%20Job%20Seekers%20Test-Drive%20a%20Bus%2C%20Drivers%20Start%20at%20%2425.41)[mailto:?subject=Highland%20Schools%20Let%20Job%20Seekers%20Test-Drive%20a%20Bus%2C%20Drivers%20Start%20at%20%2425.41&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhighland-local-school-district](mailto:?subject=Highland%20Schools%20Let%20Job%20Seekers%20Test-Drive%20a%20Bus%2C%20Drivers%20Start%20at%20%2425.41&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhighland-local-school-district) The [Highland Local School District](https://www.highlandschools.org/) in Medina County, Ohio, took an unconventional approach to a very conventional problem, not enough school bus drivers. On Saturday, October 25, 2025, the district [held a Drive-a-Bus hiring event](https://www.cleveland19.com/2025/10/25/medina-county-school-district-holds-hiring-fair-bus-drivers/) at [Granger Elementary School](https://granger.highlandschools.org) where visitors could test-drive an actual school bus and interview on the spot. No driving experience was required. The event represents a creative response to the nationwide school bus driver shortage that's plagued districts since the pandemic began and has been slow to ease. Rather than waiting for qualified candidates to submit applications, Highland brought the job directly to potential drivers, letting them experience what it's actually like behind the wheel of a full-size school bus before they commit to training. For workers seeking stable employment with decent benefits and predictable schedules, school bus driving offers a legitimate opportunity that often gets overlooked. The job doesn't require a college degree, previous transportation experience, or even a commercial driver's license at the start—districts like Highland train new hires to obtain the necessary credentials. And unlike many seasonal or gig economy positions, school bus driving offers a steady schedule for the full school year, and districts such as Highland offer benefits. ## Why School Districts Are Desperate for Drivers The school bus driver shortage has hit districts across the United States. It forces schools to consolidate routes, delay start times, and in some cases, shift to remote learning because they simply can't transport students to buildings. Several factors created this perfect storm. First, the pandemic drove many older drivers into retirement earlier than planned. School bus drivers skew older than the general workforce—many are retirees seeking part-time work with predictable hours. COVID-19 made this demographic particularly nervous about exposure risk in enclosed vehicles with unmasked children, prompting mass exits from the profession. Second, the labor market recovery created abundant alternative opportunities. During the worst of the driver shortage in 2021-2022, workers could find numerous jobs with better pay, more hours, and less responsibility than bus driving. [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/) delivery, [UPS](https://www.ups.com/) package handling, [Walmart](https://www.walmart.com/) distribution centers—all offered full-time schedules rather than the split shift reality of school bus driving. Third, the job itself comes with challenges that deter potential applicants. School bus drivers work split shifts, a morning route and an afternoon route, with a large gap in between. The schedule makes holding a second full-time job difficult while often providing only part-time hours. Parents with young children face childcare challenges during those mid-day gaps. Workers seeking full-time employment often look elsewhere. Fourth, the licensing requirements create barriers. Obtaining a [Commercial Driver's License (CDL)](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/) with passenger and school bus endorsements requires passing written tests, behind-the-wheel training, and a driving exam. The process takes weeks or months, during which candidates might accept other jobs rather than wait for school bus positions to open. Highland's approach directly addressed several of these barriers. By letting people test-drive buses before committing to training, the district removes the fear and mystery around operating large vehicles. Many potential drivers assume they couldn't handle a school bus. A low-pressure test drive eases that anxiety and shows that ordinary people can learn these skills. ## What the Job Actually Offers School bus driver positions at Highland come in two varieties, [substitute and permanent](https://scriptype.com/?p=54864). Substitute drivers work as needed when regular drivers are sick, on vacation, or otherwise unavailable. The schedule offers maximum flexibility but minimal guaranteed hours, and some weeks may have little or no work. For retirees, parents with school-age children, or workers with other part-time commitments, substitute driving can fit nicely. For people needing reliable full-time income, it doesn't work. Permanent drivers receive assigned routes that run daily throughout the school year. The split-shift schedule remains—morning pickups and afternoon dropoffs with hours off in between—but the consistency allows drivers to plan their lives around predictable timing. Many permanent drivers use the mid-day gap for personal errands, caring for elderly parents, pursuing hobbies, or working part-time jobs that accommodate irregular schedules. Every new driver Highland hires [goes through CDL training](https://www.cleveland19.com/2025/10/25/medina-county-school-district-holds-hiring-fair-bus-drivers/) and gets a passenger endorsement to drive students. CDL training for school bus drivers typically covers: - **Written testing**: Learning traffic laws, school bus regulations, and passenger safety requirements to pass [Ohio BMV](https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/) written exams - **Behind-the-wheel instruction**: Practicing driving skills, route navigation, and vehicle operation under supervision - **Student management techniques**: Handling behavioral issues, maintaining order, and ensuring safety with dozens of children aboard - **Emergency procedures**: Responding to accidents, medical emergencies, evacuations, and other crisis scenarios Training through the district means candidates don't have to find and arrange CDL school on their own before applying. This removes a significant barrier that keeps many workers out of transportation careers. Highland's starting pay depends on experience. Drivers with no experience [start at $25.41 an hour](https://www.cleveland19.com/2025/10/25/medina-county-school-district-holds-hiring-fair-bus-drivers/), and starting pay reaches $27.72 an hour for drivers with 10 years of experience. Nationally, school bus drivers earned a [median annual wage of $47,920 in May 2025](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/bus-drivers.htm), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest 10% earned less than $29,240 and the highest 10% earned more than $65,730. ## How the Event Worked The October 25 event took place at Granger Elementary School. One visitor test-drove a bus and was interviewed on the spot, and Transportation Supervisor Bruce Berry said the district was [looking to hire at least two to three drivers](https://www.cleveland19.com/2025/10/25/medina-county-school-district-holds-hiring-fair-bus-drivers/). Officials said Highland had enough drivers for its more than 30 routes but little backup when a driver calls out, and the event was the district's third hiring event in about a year. Anyone interested in driving for Highland can email [transportation@highlandschools.org](mailto:transportation@highlandschools.org) or call the [transportation office](https://www.highlandschools.org/departments/transportation-maintenance) at 330.239.1901 ext. 1219. A test drive in a controlled setting lets people discover whether they're comfortable operating a large vehicle before committing to the training pipeline. Many people fear that driving a bus requires advanced skills they don't possess. In reality, school bus routes rarely involve complicated parking maneuvers. Drivers pull up to designated stops, load or unload students, and continue forward. The trickiest part is usually backing into the bus depot at day's end, and even that becomes routine with practice. What matters more than driving skill is temperament. School bus drivers need patience with children who misbehave, composure during traffic conflicts with other drivers, and vigilance to spot safety hazards. The job requires maturity, responsibility, and genuine care for student wellbeing—qualities that can't be taught but make all the difference in who succeeds long-term. ## The Broader Impact Every school bus driver Highland hires alleviates pressure on the entire district. With adequate driver staffing, routes run on time, reducing the domino effect of late buses causing missed classes. More drivers mean shorter routes with fewer stops, getting children to school faster and reducing their time in transit. Having substitute drivers available prevents last-minute route cancellations when regular drivers call in sick. For the community, solving the bus driver shortage has economic implications. When districts struggle with transportation, some parents must drive children to school themselves, affecting their work schedules and productivity. Others keep children home when buses don't run, impacting attendance rates and learning outcomes. Adequate transportation is infrastructure as fundamental as roads and utilities—when it fails, everything else suffers. For job seekers, school bus driving offers an entry point into transportation careers that can lead elsewhere. The CDL with passenger endorsement opens doors to charter bus driving, transit bus positions, shuttle services, and other commercial driving roles. Many school bus drivers eventually transition to full-time transportation careers with better pay and benefits once they've gained experience. The October 25 event was Highland's bet that showing beats telling when recruiting drivers. Rather than listing job requirements and benefits in a classified ad, it invited people to experience the reality firsthand. For anyone curious about a career change, seeking stable part-time work, or looking for a way to contribute to their community while earning decent money, a test drive at an event like this costs nothing and might reveal an opportunity they'd never considered. Looking for a new job? 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