LCPS transportation: 121 drivers, new routing tech and parent app; district approves STS contract
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Summary
Las Cruces Public Schools and its contractor outlined bus staffing, a three-tier bell schedule and new bus technology (Beacon Connect, Lytics DriveCam) to improve routing and safety. The board later approved the fiscal-year student transportation services contract for $9,843,873.06.
District transportation staff told the board the department had 121 bus drivers, 44 bus attendants (for special-education routes) and six drivers in training. Officials reported 67 general-education bus routes, 38 special-education routes and five routes still listed as open but covered by substitute or standby drivers; the district said all requested eligible students had been routed and families would receive route information by July 15.
Staff said the three-tier bell schedule (elementary–high–middle) improved route efficiency by allowing buses to run multiple routes during staggered start times rather than running nearly empty duplicate buses. Officials noted the schedule reduces single-school-only buses and increases coverage for general and special-education runs.
Technology and safety upgrades include Beacon Connect tablets and a plan for a Beacon parent app, which staff said will provide GPS-based arrival alerts and incident reporting. Case managers and dispatch will get automatic emails when drivers submit incident reports through the tablet; the district also said it equipped buses with Lytics DriveCam front-facing and in-cab cameras to share live video with dispatch during an incident. Staff said they plan a pilot rollout of the parent app in the fall with districtwide availability planned by September.
Transportation leaders said maintenance and office staffing are fully operational and that bus drivers will begin dry runs of routes before school starts. The department said substitute drivers (10–15 available) will cover open routes until permanent hires finish certification; staff said they expected all routes to be staffed before the start of school.
Contract and finances: At the meeting the board approved the fiscal year 2025–26 student transportation services contract with STS for $9,843,873.06. District staff said the contract follows the New Mexico Public Education Department template and includes bus lease, route services and per-hour rates for activity and ancillary bus use. Board members discussed recruitment and retention and noted recent compensation adjustments and other measures that the district said helped boost driver counts.
