KPS Launches Recruitment Campaign for Full-Time Bus Drivers, a Flathead Valley Rarity

District offers full-time school bus driver routes with full benefits and paid CDL training in a market where most transportation work is part-time only.

The KPS Transportation team. Drivers, dispatch, mechanics, and support staff transport approximately 2,500 students daily across 12 schools and the surrounding Flathead Valley communities.

KALISPELL, MONT. — Kalispell Public Schools has launched a multi-month recruitment campaign to hire full-time school bus drivers for the 2026-27 school year, distinguishing the district from most Flathead Valley transportation employers, which offer only part-time work. The campaign opens paid commercial driver license training to any Flathead Valley adult with a clean driving record, and runs through September 7 across social media, local radio, print advertising in the Daily Inter Lake, and community outreach.

KPS bus driver routes are built around three shifts: morning (6:30 to 9:30 a.m.), midday (10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.), and afternoon (2:00 to 4:00 p.m.). Drivers commit at hiring to a single shift, two shifts, or all three. A full-time route, which combines all three shifts for approximately 40 hours per week, is the district's primary hiring focus. Single-shift and part-time routes are also available.

KPS Transportation moves approximately 2,500 students to and from school every day across Kalispell, Evergreen, Somers, Lakeside, and surrounding Flathead Valley communities. Starting wages for district bus drivers begin at $22.35 per hour, with a guaranteed raise every year of service and a top-of-scale rate of $28.34 per hour. The same wage scale applies regardless of which shift combination a driver works. Full-time positions include health, dental, and vision coverage, Montana Public Employees' Retirement System pension eligibility, paid holidays, sick leave, and vacation accrual.

Applicants do not need a commercial driver license to apply. KPS pays for CDL training and teaches new drivers on the job from its transportation facility at 124 School Station Court. Drivers earn a paycheck during training, and the CDL belongs to them once licensing is complete.

How to apply

Applicants must be 18 or older and hold a licensed driving record of five years or longer.

About Kalispell Public Schools

Kalispell Public Schools, District #5, serves approximately 5,928 students and employs more than 900 staff members across 12 schools in the Flathead Valley. The district's mission is to engage students in personalized and diverse opportunities that empower individuals to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens. More information is available at www.sd5.k12.mt.us.

Joel Danoy, Communications Coordinator

joel.danoy@sd5.k12.mt.us · 406-751-3400

High-resolution photography of KPS transportation staff, the School Station Court facility, and bus operations is available upon request for use with this story. Interview requests with Transportation Director Laura Hawkins or current KPS bus drivers can be arranged through Joel Danoy in Communications. Campaign creative, including the full-page and half-page print advertisements, social media cards, and radio scripts, is available for preview on request.