Communication tools, improved security measures, new schedules on priority list for the 2025-2026 school year
Las Cruces Public Schools is set to welcome students and staff for the 2025-2026 school year at the end of the month, launching new and improved communication tools for parents, improved security measures and a new bell schedule for some students. As part of its back-to-school communication, the district has compiled a list of topics helpful to parents, with links to additional resources.
Transportation and School Supply Lists
Las Cruces Public Schools is committed to providing the highest quality transportation service and appreciates the partnership with parents/guardians to ensure that our students are safe when riding the school bus. Except as required by law, student bus transportation in New Mexico is considered a privilege. Students are expected to abide by the expectations and guidelines established by STS and LCPS Department of Transportation, as safety is of utmost importance. Our drivers and attendants receive the required training to ensure that they are well prepared to safely transport our students to and from school each day. Parents and Guardians also have a responsibility to work with their children to understand the expectations of bus ridership. Parents who need assistance finding their students’ bus routes are encouraged to visit the Transportation page on our website.
Beginning this school year, LCPS will provide the following school supplies for elementary school students: pencils, glue sticks, Kleenex tissues and wide-ruled paper. A generalized school supply list was published on the district’s website last week and can be found here.
Transition Day
The district will officially open the doors to kindergarten, sixth and ninth grade students for a transition day on Friday, July 25. All students will return to school on Monday, July 28. Transition days are designed to allow students to explore their new school environment, routines, and expectations without the presence of other grades, helping them adjust more comfortably and confidently.
New Bell Schedules
Starting this school year, a new bell schedule will be implemented for middle and high school students to allow for more efficient bus service and better sleep patterns, according to scientific research:
- Elementary students will still start school at 8 a.m. and dismiss at 2:40 p.m.
- Middle school students will attend school from 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
- High school students will attend school from 8:35 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.
The district’s specialized schools will observe the following bell schedules:
- Arrowhead Park Early College High School students will attend school from 8:50 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.
- Rio Grande Preparatory Institute will observe a bell schedule from 8:55 a.m. to 3:55 p.m.
- Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy students will go to school from 8:35 p.m. to 3:35 p.m.
ParentSquare: A New Communication Tool
Over the summer, LCPS rolled out a new, two-way communication platform for parents called ParentSquare. The tool can be downloaded to any smartphone, but parents will also continue to receive important news and information via email and text messages uninterrupted, just as they did last year. ParentSquare is a safe and secure communication tool that allows for two-way messaging between parents, teachers, and staff. The platform will be used for school announcements, district alerts, and classroom updates from teachers. The new platform is easy to use and is available in over 100 languages to support multilingual families. Parents can use ParentSquare to complete forms, permission slips, and to communicate directly with their child’s teacher. To lean more, or to download the app, please visit this link.
Improved Safety and Security Measures
During the 2024-2025 school year, the LCPS Board of Education reinforced its commitment to student safety and security by revising and approving Policy JIH, Student Searches and Seizures. The vote created the opportunity for the district to be part of a grant-funded pilot program that placed weapons detection systems at all LCPS middle and high schools. The district tested several of the Evolv Weapons Detection Systems following community testing and feedback at select schools. Parents are encouraged to talk with their students about the importance of safety while at school and ensure they arrive early for school to be screened. Please remind your middle and high school students to prepare for screening upon arrival by removing laptops, large tablets, eyeglass cases and umbrellas from their bags to ensure a smoother process.
LCPS also supports safe student environments by encouraging students to report unsafe behavior using the STOPit app, a secure and anonymous mobile and web platform that enables students, staff or parents to report safety concerns such as bullying, violence, mental health crises, or self-harm to designated school officials in real-time, even including photos, screenshots, or videos. A link to the STOPit app can be found on the LCPS website and all other school sites.
Starting this school year, weather conditions and updates will be monitored at all school campuses using Perry Weather. By integrating Perry Weather’s real-time lightning detection, audible/visual alerts, and countdown‑timer technology, LCPS can automatically shelter students and staff when lightning is within 10 miles and only safely resume outdoor activities 30 minutes after the last strike, reducing human error and making decision‑making faster and more reliable. A link to weather conditions provided by this system can be found on the home page of each LCPS school – just click on the ‘Schools’ tab at the top of the LCPS website.
For additional information on inclement weather policies and the district’s lightning protocol, please visit this page.
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