DE School Bus Facts

Hourly Wages

The state formula only allocates $15.92 per hour for school bus drivers and they average 5 hours a day with no benefits.

Comparable hourly rates with the potential to work 40+ hours a week:

  • Walmart average hourly rate is $15.25 Apply Here

  • Amazon hourly rate is $17.75 with benefits Apply Here

  • Dunkin Donuts hourly rate $16.00 with tips and benefits Apply Here

  • UPS driver average hourly rate $21.00 with benefits Apply Here

  • Garbage Truck Driver hourly rate $22.31 with benefits Apply Here

CDL Requirements

On average it takes three months to get qualified as a bus driver. Here are some of the requirements needed to be a bus driver.

  • Less than 5 points on your driving record

  • Regular drug tests

  • Annual physicals

  • Background checks

State Formula Facts

The state formula was originally built in 1978. It's purpose was to compensate local farmers as they drove a school bus for an average of two hours a day. The formula hourly rate breaks down as follows:

  • If a route is under 30 miles the school bus is expected to travel at an average of 7 MPH. This makes sense with stops.

  • For every mile over 30, it is considered additional mileage and the formula pay structure is calculated at one driver minute for every 1.5 miles driven. That means a school bus is expected to travel 40 MPH, which is almost 6 times as fast as a route under 30 miles!

  • The average route in Delaware is 68 miles a day.

This clearly shows that the formula is not correct for modern school bus routes.

The Good Stuff

  • Each school bus on average reduces traffic by 32 cars a day

  • Modern propane buses have similar emissions to an average passenger car

  • School buses are the safest form of road transportation in the country

  • School buses are the most efficient form of mass transit in the country

  • School buses deliver five times more passengers on a daily basis than DART

What Can You Do?

  • First and foremost understand it's not your school districts fault. Their hands are tied by the state transportation compensation formula

  • Contact your state legislators and ask them to "Save the School Bus"

  • When your bus is late, write your legislator. Your school district is doing it's best, but they really don't have any control

  • Take a look at Title 14 - 1150 Section 17.3. That single line is the biggest reason why your kids aren't able to ride the bus