The accident occurred in the morning traffic and reportedly there was both very slippery and dense fog at the site. The driver lost control and drove off the road and the bus rolled down a slope.
"I provide for the dead and injured children and send my participation to their families," Bodo Ramelow, Prime Minister of the Thuringia district, wrote on Twitter.
The accident happened at 7.30am when the bus was on its way to pick up more school children. In addition to the driver, some 20 children have suffered serious injuries. They were taken to hospitals by the emergency services, which were on site early.