Los Alamos School Board meeting recap: Aug. 12, 2025
LAPS approves higher bus driver pay
Los Alamos Public Schools Superintendent Jennifer Guy provided an update on a dire shortage of school bus drivers during the Aug. 12 meeting of the Los Alamos Public Schools Board. Low pay, she said, has been a longtime problem that’s made it difficult to recruit new drivers and retain current ones. As a result, the district has had to start the school year with cuts to its regular service.
Guy proposed a raise in the starting salary for LAPS drivers from approximately $25 per hour to $33 per hour, which the board unanimously approved.
The district’s transportation department currently has seven bus driver positions open. Guy said that even with both supervisors and a mechanic driving regular shifts, this year was the first time they’ve been forced to make cuts to daily routes to and from school. Buses are also not available for field trips or athletic events until the shortage is remedied. Athletic teams will likely need to use charter buses, at a cost of $57,000 for the fall semester.
The approved salary increase will apply to both current and new drivers, and new drivers and trainees will be paid from their date of hire. Additionally, all training and licensing fees will be covered by the district. Regular drivers, but not substitute ones, are also eligible for medical and retirement benefits.
While driver recruitment is an ongoing problem nationwide, Guy said she’s optimistic that the pay increase would help to improve Los Alamos’ ability to recruit drivers from other parts of the Northern New Mexico region.
More information about jobs at Los Alamos Public Schools can be found here.
Upcoming School Board elections
Two school board seats are up for grabs in the upcoming 2025 regular local election: District 1, currently held by Ellen Specter, represents western White Rock and part of downtown Los Alamos, and District 2, which represents the eastern part of White Rock, and is currently held by Ryan Adams.
The Los Alamos Public Schools administration will hold an information session for potential candidates on Aug. 18, at 5:30 p.m. in the LAPS boardroom. The Los Alamos County Clerk will provide information about the general election process and campaign requirements, followed by a Q&A session with a panel of former and current board members, designed to help potential candidates learn more about the duties of the positions.
Candidates for the 2025 regular election must declare their intent to run on Tuesday, Aug. 26, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Los Alamos County Clerk’s office.
Details on the information session can be found here.
2025 School Open House schedule
Each open house begins at 5:30 p.m.
Mountain Elementary: Tuesday, Aug. 19
Aspen Elementary: Wednesday, Aug. 20
Los Alamos Middle School: Thursday, Aug. 21
Barranca Elementary: Tuesday, Aug. 26
Los Alamos High School: Wednesday, Aug. 27
Chamisa Elementary: Wednesday, Sept. 10
Piñon Elementary: Thursday, Sept. 11
Upcoming school board meetings
The LAPS board will meet for a work session starting at 5:30 p.m on Thursday, Aug. 28 at the LAPS boardroom, 2101 Trinity Drive, Suite V, in Los Alamos.
Minutes and recordings of previous LAPS school board meetings can be found here: https://www.laschools.net/school-board/meetings