Cherokee County School District Seeks Bus Drivers, and Will Pay to Train You

The Cherokee County School District is hosting a bus driver recruitment event Thursday, April 23, at 1020 Keeter Road in Canton, with six 30-minute informational sessions running from 9 a.m. to noon.

Sessions are offered at 9, 9:30, 10, 10:30, 11 and 11:30 a.m., each running 30 minutes, so prospective applicants can drop in at whatever time fits their morning.

The package the district is putting forward is worth a close look. Starting pay is $23.69 per hour, and the position comes with full benefits eligibility. Perhaps most significantly, the district is offering paid CDL training for candidates who don't yet hold a commercial driver's license. That matters because the credential required under Georgia law, a Class B CDL with a school bus endorsement, is a real cost and time commitment that stops many otherwise qualified people from ever applying. Covering that training removes the single biggest barrier to entry.

The stakes behind this recruitment push are straightforward: Cherokee County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Georgia, with more than 42,000 students enrolled across schools in Woodstock, Canton, Ball Ground and surrounding communities. Every unfilled driver position is a route at risk, and a family scrambling to figure out how their kid gets to school. Keeping buses staffed isn't a back-office logistics problem; it's something thousands of Cherokee County households feel directly, twice a day.

Beyond pay and benefits, the district is also pointing to a balanced school calendar, a supportive work environment, and pathways for professional development and advancement, factors that tend to matter for long-term retention as much as the starting wage.

Current openings can be found and applied for at cherokeek12.net. For questions about the April 23 event or the hiring process, contact Rebecca Carlisle at Rebecca.carlisle@cherokeek12.net or 770-704-4256.