Los Lunas Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
Los Lunas hires licensed drivers. Bring a Class B CDL with P and S endorsements, and LLS handles route training.
🎁 Limited-time: + free New Mexico CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Los Lunas Public Schools is the tenth-largest district in New Mexico, enrolling roughly 8,208 students in Los Lunas and Valencia County. The district runs its own Transportation Department from two centers, East Side and West Side, and carries more than 6,510 students on its buses every school day. LLS posts openings for Bus Driver, Bus Assistant, and Substitute Bus Driver, and it has faced a persistent driver shortage.
Los Lunas does not use the no-CDL trainee model. You must hold a Class B CDL with Passenger and School Bus endorsements when you apply, and no grace period is published. LLS provides post-hire training in route procedures and division policy before you drive solo. This page lays out what that means for your costs, the last published pay scale, the application path, and the union that represents drivers.
Los Lunas 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 Los Lunas
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Los Lunas Public Schools.
Hold the full CDL before you apply
LLS requires a Class B CDL with the P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements at hire. There is no permit phase and no published grace period. If you do not have it yet, you earn it on your own through a training provider listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, which runs about $2,000 to $4,000 at a private school, plus the third-party skills test fee.
Confirm the rest of the qualifications
You need a record that meets the LLS safe-driver standards. Serious moving violations, DUIs, and license suspensions disqualify you. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not required. LLS sets a minimum age of 21 for the position. You also need a valid Medical Examiner's Certificate and a current first aid and CPR certificate.
Apply online for "Bus Driver"
Start at llschools.net/careers-link, which routes into the TEDK12 hiring portal. Search the title "Bus Driver". LLS also posts Bus Assistant and Substitute Bus Driver roles. Postings stay open until filled, so apply promptly. Complete the full application and certify your driving and employment history accurately.
Interview by phone, virtually, or in person
LLS offers virtual and phone interviews. You can also walk in to the East Side or West Side Transportation center between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to inquire. Call (505) 866-2147 to ask whether the posting is full-time or pool, and when the next class starts.
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 rest of the pre-employment screening is not published, so ask Transportation before you apply.
Complete post-hire training and drive your route
LLS provides post-hire training in route procedures and division policy, then you ride your route with an experienced trainer until you know it and drive solo. Whether post-hire training hours are paid and how long they last are not published, so confirm both. Ongoing requirements include 8 hours of in-service training per semester and an annually printed driving record.
What's in the full Los Lunas 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 Los Lunas Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Los Lunas 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 Los Lunas 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.
Los Lunas Public Schools bus driver questions
Do I need a CDL to drive a School Bus for Los Lunas Public Schools?
Yes. LLS requires the full Class B CDL with Passenger and School Bus endorsements when you apply, and it does not run a train-from-zero program. The district provides post-hire route training and division procedures after you are hired. If you lack the CDL, you earn it first on your own.
How much do LLS School Bus Drivers make?
LLS does not publish current pay in its postings, which state that salary is set by the current salary schedule. The last published scale, for 2022-23, ran from $20.00 per hour at Step 0 to $23.00 per hour at Step 28 and beyond, on 189 days, with up to 15 years of verified experience creditable at hire. Raises since then mean current pay is higher, so confirm the rate with Human Resources at (505) 866-2147.
What benefits and union representation do LLS drivers have?
Drivers are classified employees represented by NEA-Los Lunas Educational Support Professionals. Benefits include district health, dental, and vision coverage and the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board pension. The 2022-23 scale listed 7 sick days and 3 personal days a year. No sign-on or attendance bonus is documented, so ask whether any incentive is in effect.
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 Los Lunas Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.