For private schools
Run your own athletics and field trips, or keep chartering?
Owning a bus gives you control of the schedule: no waiting on a charter company before a game or a trip. Whether it also costs less depends on how many trips you run and what your charter quotes are. Put your own numbers in and see.
Cost per year
| Own a bus | Add your figures |
| Charter | Add your quote |
Every figure is yours. Nothing here is an estimate of ours.
Before you buy
- What a school may buy: activity bus, Type A or full-size, and why not a van.
- The CDL checker for who can drive it.
- The board proposal tool to take it to your board with a five-year cost.
Common questions
What bus can a school buy for athletics and field trips?
A new vehicle that carries more than 10 passengers, sold to a school for regular student transport, must meet school bus safety standards (49 U.S.C. 30112). For trips and events only, an activity bus (MFSAB) meets those standards without the stop arm and flashing lights. See what a school may buy for the details.
When does owning beat chartering?
When the school runs enough trips a year that its yearly cost of owning, including driver pay, insurance and maintenance, falls below the charter bills. Only your own quotes can answer it, which is why the calculator starts empty.
Who drives a school-owned activity bus?
Staff or contracted drivers who meet your state's school bus driver rules and, at 16 or more people including the driver, hold a CDL with passenger and school bus endorsements. Many schools choose a smaller bus to stay under the CDL line.