About our drivers
The school bus is an important part of your student’s day, and the bus driver is a vital link between home and school. GCPS bus drivers are required to have a Commercial Driver's License and undergo a comprehensive training program of driving skills, student management, classroom schooling, CPR, and First Aid. All bus drivers are required to participate in monthly in-service meetings, attend a safety workshop each year, and pass our Annual Driver Proficiency Test (ADPT). Our bus drivers are well-trained and dedicated professionals whose primary responsibility is to transport students safely!
If you are interested in helping to “drive” student success as a GCPS bus driver, we’re hiring! Our drivers enjoy competitive pay ($17.98/hr. to $25.48/hr.), excellent benefits, paid training, retirement benefits, and more!
While the first day of classes is Aug. 4, you may be noticing school buses on the roads this week. All GCPS bus drivers will run their assigned routes during actual drive times in the mornings and afternoons, through Tuesday, Aug. 3. Families should look for their school’s name, which will be displayed on a card in the bus window, to help identify their child’s bus.
Bus riders should plan for additional time during the first three weeks of school. Once bus transportation begins for students on the first day of school, Gwinnett school officials ask that parents have students at the bus stop approximately 15 minutes before their scheduled bus arrival. In addition, families should be aware that routes will run slower than normal during the first few weeks of school so that drivers can go through additional procedures before releasing students at their bus stop. This extra time and attention to bus rules will help to ensure the safety of students, especially young students who are new bus riders.
Below, find bus safety tips for families. Online, find more back-to-school Transportation information, including important numbers, forms, and more.
Bus safety tips for families
Riding the school bus is an exciting experience, especially for young, first-time riders. As the new school year begins, take a moment to review bus stop safety with your student and follow these tips:
Find the location of your child’s bus stop. (Check with the school on meet-the-teacher day). Before school starts, walk with your child to the stop. Show your child where to wait, a safe distance from the roadway. Remind your child that the bus stop is not the place to run and play.
Drive your child around the area near the bus stop, ensuring familiarity with the route and recognition of where to get off the bus. Point out landmarks that are easily recognized so your child will know which stop is theirs. (Note: On afternoon routes, students are not let off a bus on cul-de-sac streets until the bus has completely turned around and is on its way out of the cul-de-sac.)
Make sure your child understands that if she is uncertain about a stop, she should not get off the bus and should tell the driver she isn’t sure. The school bus driver will take the student back to the school and contact the parents. This is particularly important for younger students (grades K-2) who are more likely to follow the crowd off the bus.
Set your child’s routine from the very first morning. If you have decided your student will ride the school bus for the school year, go ahead and let your child ride the bus that first morning rather than driving him to school. Following the routine from the first day helps the student and the driver become familiar with each other and the bus route.
Plan with a group of other parents and adults to have an adult present each morning and afternoon at the bus stop. When students recognize the adult "on duty" during the afternoon route, it gives them a sense of reassurance that they have gotten to the correct stop.
GCPS requires masks for students riding the bus. All riders will sit in assigned seat on the school bus. Note that buses will be disinfected after morning and afternoon routes, and windows will be open for ventilation.
Bus rules keep kids safe at the bus stop, during loading and unloading, and on the bus. Learn more with these FAQs for riders of regular education and special education buses, and a rider guide for families of students served by Special Needs Transportation staff.