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Waukesha school bus company seeks drivers; what you need to know

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FOX6 News Milwaukee
Waukesha
Published June 25, 2026 4:08 PM CDT
Published June 25, 2026 4:08 PM CDT

The Brief

    • First Student in Waukesha hosted its third annual "Big Bus, No Big Deal" event to let potential applicants test drive a school bus and combat the national driver shortage.
    • The position requires no prior experience, includes 40 hours of paid training, and offers a starting wage of $25.50 an hour with a guaranteed 25 hours per week.
    • First Student needs to hire about 30 total drivers before the fall school year.

WAUKESHA, Wis. - A company in Waukesha is looking to make a few hires – and officials are handing over the keys to do it. It is all to help combat a nationwide school bus driver shortage. 

School bus driver shortage

What we know:

First Student hosted on Thursday, June 25, its third annual "Big Bus, No Big Deal" event to help calm fears of potential school bus drivers about getting behind the wheel. 

Dozens of applicants came out in 2025, and ultimately three people were hired. No experience is necessary. In fact, First Student offers 40 hours of paid training. 

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The Economic Policy Institute found school bus driver employment in 2025 was still about 9 ½% lower than in 2019. Just a few years ago in the School District of Waukesha, some routes went unfilled because of a lack of drivers. 

First Student offers part-time hours, and starting pay at $25.50 an hour. They guarantee 25 paid hours a week. 

What they're saying:

"We’ve got students, single moms and dads, we’ve got retirees, people who are in school – this works perfectly for them," said Devonte Schwartz, bus driver. 

"Last year, we covered every route on time, had excess drivers, were able to do additional field trips, and you remember a few years ago – that was not the case," said Joni Sablich, First Student Location Manager.

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First Student has 67 drivers returning this fall. They have some drivers in training right now, but need to hire about 30 drivers total. 

The Source: Information in this post was produced with help from First Student.

WaukeshaNews