Las Cruces Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
Las Cruces buses run on a contractor. STS hires you, pays your CDL training, and posts $20.15/hr.
🎁 Limited-time: + free New Mexico CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Las Cruces Public Schools is the second-largest district in New Mexico, enrolling roughly 22,782 students across 39 schools in Las Cruces and Dona Ana County. LCPS does not hire School Bus Drivers directly. Student transportation is operated by STS New Mexico LLC, a division of DS Bus Lines and part of the Beacon Mobility family, from a depot at 533 N Seventeenth St in Las Cruces. The contractor is your employer, so you apply to STS, not to the district.
You do not need a commercial driver's license to apply. STS advertises paid CDL training that takes you from a regular driver's license to a Class B CDL with Passenger and School Bus endorsements. Current postings list $20.15 per hour, and the contractor sets a minimum age of 21 and three consecutive years of driving. This page covers where to apply, what the trainee wage may be, the part-time weekday schedule, and the union that represents drivers.
Las Cruces Public Schools at a glance
The essentials, pulled from official sources. The full pay tables, the exact application walkthrough, and the school calendar are in the guide.
How to become a School Bus Driver in Las Cruces
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Las Cruces Public Schools.
Confirm you meet the contractor's requirements
STS sets a minimum age of 21 and three consecutive years of driving. You also need a valid driver's license and a record that meets safe-driver standards. Serious moving violations, DUIs, and license suspensions disqualify you. You do not need a CDL to apply.
Apply with the contractor at dsbuslines.com
LCPS contracts its bus service, so you apply through the DS Bus Lines hiring site, not a district portal. Search for the title "School Bus Driver" and complete the full application. Certify your driving and employment history accurately, because it is checked against your record.
Interview and confirm the terms
Call STS at (575) 523-5686 or visit the Las Cruces depot to ask about openings. Ask about the starting hourly rate, the trainee rate, daily hours, and the next training class start date. Interviewers look for reliability, safe driving habits, and the patience and authority to manage students.
Clear the post-offer screenings
After a conditional offer you complete a fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check, a DOT drug screen, and a DOT physical that earns your Medical Examiner's Certificate. Under New Mexico law the public school pays for an applicant's fingerprint check. Who pays for the physical and drug screen is not published for STS, so ask before you start.
Earn your CDL through paid contractor training
School Bus Drivers need a Class B CDL with the P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements. STS advertises paid CDL training, with about one week of classroom instruction before you get behind the wheel, and the program satisfies the federal entry-level driver training rule. The trainee hourly rate has been advertised at $12.65 per hour and the program length is not published, so confirm both.
Ride with a trainer, then drive your route
After you pass the three-part CDL skills test in a School Bus, you ride your route with an experienced trainer until you know it, then drive solo. Ongoing requirements include 8 hours of in-service training per semester, an annually printed driving record, and current first aid and CPR.
What's in the full Las Cruces Public Schools guide
35+ pages, twelve chapters, written in plain English — everything above in full detail, plus the parts that change year to year.
Right now, includes a free New Mexico CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Las Cruces Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Las Cruces Public Schools pay scale, benefits, and the split-shift schedule — the numbers that decide if this fits your life.
The application, walked through
Exactly what to submit and which documents to attach, so you are not knocked out on a technicality.
The interview
The three things every interviewer is really asking, and what to highlight. (Free in the sample.)
Screenings & paid CDL training
Every screening after your offer, who pays for what, and how you are trained toward your CDL.
The school calendar
This year's Las Cruces Public Schools calendar — work days, holidays, and breaks — so you know your real schedule.
Managing a bus full of kids
The passenger-management techniques veteran drivers swear by. (Also free in the sample.)
See inside before you buy
A few real pages from the manual — the interview and passenger-management chapters — so you can judge the quality yourself.
Las Cruces Public Schools bus driver questions
Does Las Cruces Public Schools hire its own School Bus Drivers?
No. LCPS contracts its bus service to STS New Mexico LLC, a division of DS Bus Lines, part of the Beacon Mobility family. STS hires, trains, and pays drivers, so you apply to the contractor at dsbuslines.com or (575) 523-5686. Drivers are contractor employees, not district staff.
Do I need a CDL, and how old do I have to be?
You do not need a CDL to apply. STS advertises paid CDL training for applicants without one. The contractor sets a minimum age of 21 and requires three consecutive years of driving, which is stricter than the federal CDL minimum of 18 for intrastate driving.
How much do Las Cruces School Bus Drivers make, and is there a union?
Current STS and DS Bus Lines postings list $20.15 per hour. An earlier posting advertised $19.50 per hour with part-time flexible weekday schedules and summers off, and a trainee rate of $12.65 per hour, so confirm the current rates with STS. Drivers are represented by the Las Cruces Transportation Federation, Local #6341 (AFT-NM), and the contract includes a sick-leave accrual of 1 hour per 30 hours worked.
What's the free CDL study guide?
For a limited time, every district guide comes bundled with a free study guide for your state's CDL Passenger and School Bus endorsements — the two written tests you'll take. It covers exactly what's on those tests so you can pass the first time, at no extra cost.
Is this an official guide from the School District?
No. It is an independent preparation guide, not affiliated with or endorsed by any School District. It organizes the public information into one clear manual so you do not have to dig for it.
How do I get the guide after I pay?
Instantly. Checkout takes about a minute, then you get a download link on the screen and by email. It is a PDF you can open on any phone, tablet, or computer and keep.
Get hired in Las Cruces Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.