LAPS News:

Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) will welcome back students for the start of the 2025-2026 school year on Monday, Aug. 11.

“We’re excited for the start of the new school year, and look forward to seeing our students,” Superintendent Jennifer Guy said.

School hours:

• Elementary students (preschool through 6th grade) will attend 8:10 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.;
• Middle school students will attend 8:40 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and,
• High School students will attend 8:30 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.

Middle and high school students will follow a special 7-period day schedule the first day of school.

Families with students participating in the 3Y program will be notified with more information.

Special Events

• Class lists will be posted at the elementary schools on Friday, Aug. 8. Students will be able to meet their teachers and drop off school supplies in their classrooms.
• Los Alamos Middle School students will be able to pick up materials on Thursday, Aug. 7 during designated times.

8th grade:

• Last Names A-G, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Last Names H-N, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Last Names O-Z, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

7th grade:

• Last Names A-G, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
• Last Names H-N, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
• Last Names )-Z, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

A makeup materials pick-up session will be available noon to 3 p.m., Friday, Aug. 8.

Orientation for incoming 7th graders is scheduled 9:30-11:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 8.

Los Alamos High School will host Freshmen Orientation 8:30-11 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 8. An orientation for freshmen parents and guardians will be held 10:30-11 a.m. in Duane Smith Auditorium.

In addition, students new to LAHS are invited to attend a new student luncheon and orientation, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8.

All school sites are providing students and families with more information about the start of school.

School Site Leadership

Most of the school site leadership teams are returning for the 2025-2026 school year. At the end of last year, Eric Ziegler was appointed the principal at Los Alamos High School, taking over the role from Renee Dunwoody. Stan Maschal has been hired to fill the assistant principal role vacated by Ziegler.

Leadership staff at each school site:

• Aspen Elementary
  • Principal Liz Janusz
  • Assistant Principal Shannon Trujilo
• Barranca Mesa Elementary
  • Principal Kristen Martines
  • Assistant Principal Audrey Juliani
• Chamisa Elementary
  • Principal Craig Washnok
  • Assistant Principal Elizabeth Meek
• Mountain Elementary
  • Principal Megan Lee
  • Assistant Principal Jen Schmierer
• Piñon Elementary
  • Principal Ivanna Austell
  • Assistant Principal Jennifer Kieltyka
• Los Alamos Middle School
  • Principal Jill Gonzales
  • Assistant Principal Alicia Edgin Cardiel
  • Assistant Principal Colby Holland
• Los Alamos High School
  • Principal Eric Ziegler
  • Assistant Principal Ryan Finn
  • Assistant Principal Stan Maschal
  • Assistant Principal Suzanne Montoya[i]
  • Athletic Director Guy Meyer

Registration

• If you haven’t already completed registration for the 2025-2026 school year, please go to the Registration page and complete this process as soon as possible. Middle and high school students who completed course selection are also required to complete registration, as this is a different process from course selection. Students planning to enroll at LAPS must complete the registration process before starting school.

Transportation

• Each student who meets the requirements to ride the school bus must complete a 2025-2026 Student Bus Card. LAPS provides bus service for all Los Alamos County elementary students who live at least 1 mile from the school, for middle school students who live 1.5 miles from the school, and for high school students who live 2 miles from the school. Check Bus Services for more information and to review bus routes.

Food Services

• LAPS will continue to offer a free breakfast and lunch to students during the upcoming school year, utilizing the Offer Versus Serve (OVS) model pertaining to USDA and NSLP requirements. This model provides students with more of a choice for both breakfast and lunch service.
• If a student has a dietary need (this includes vegan requests), this must be communicated to the school site nurse. The school site will inform our food service partner so they can prepare the requested meal for the student. You can view menus online at https://laschools.nutrislice.com/menu.
• Even though all students can participate in the breakfast and lunch program, LAPS encourages all families to complete the free and reduced meal program application. These applications are used for other important funding opportunities that support the district and students. Also, students become eligible for reduced fees at school sites based on these applications. Please use the online option at schoolcafe.com.
• If you are unable to complete the online option, please download a copy of the Free and Reduced Meal Program Application (en español). Instructions for this application can be found at USDA Application Instructions. Email the completed form to the Assistant Superintendent for Operations and Safety at johnson@laschools.net.

More information about LAPS Food Services may be found here.

School Supply Lists

• School supply lists are posted on each school website. Go to laschools.net and click on the applicable school.

Safety Tips

• With the start of school, school buses will be sharing the road with drivers commuting to and from work, as well as parents dropping off students at school, and high school students driving themselves to school.
• The LAPS Transportation Department would like to remind drivers in Los Alamos and White Rock to exercise caution when it comes to school buses, bus stops and the students who ride those buses, as well as inform the community about the law regarding school buses.
• “We want to do everything we can to keep our students safe on or near the school bus. Once students start to walk away from the bus, it is essential that the public stop when the lights are flashing and the stop arm is out to ensure the safety of our students,” said Keith Rosenbaum, LAPS Director of Transportation. “We continue to witness a large number of incidents of cars passing school buses when the red lights are flashing and the stop arm extended. We don’t want to see any student get hurt while getting on or off a school bus.”

Here is a list of the school bus safety rules:

• First, drive slowly and look for children waiting at the bus stop, walking or riding their bicycles to school.
• Second, know what the flashing lights indicate. A red flashing light with the extended stop arm means traffic is required to stop, even in both directions of a two-lane road. Yellow flashing lights mean the bus is preparing to stop, so proceed with caution.
• Be careful when pulling up to a bus stop because children might be running out to the bus.
• Finally, follow all school zone speed limits, look for students in crosswalks and never pass a bus on the outside of a turn. 

LAPS Athletics

• The LAPS Athletics department is gearing up for the 2025-2026 Los Alamos Middle School and Los Alamos High School sports seasons. Varsity football began practices on Monday, Aug. 4. Soccer, cross country, golf and volleyball practices will begin on Monday, Aug. 11. The fall sports season at the middle school starts on Wednesday, Aug. 13.
• Season passes and all tickets for fall athletic events will go on sale beginning Aug. 11. They may be purchased in advance or with a debit/credit card at the gate. Cash will not be accepted at the gate. Click here to purchase tickets or season passes.
• All season passes include entry to all middle school games as well as high school regular season games. Passes are good for admission to all regular season home games but will not be accepted for any postseason events. The cost for a season pass is $85 for an individual, $50 for a student (K-6), military or senior citizen (65+) or $175 for a family of four.
• The Varsity football season starts on Friday, Aug. 22, as Los Alamos High School visits the Española Valley High School Sundevils. Game time is 7 p.m. The first home game is scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 28 at Sullivan Field when the Hilltoppers face the Taos Valley High School Tigers.

For more information about LAMS and LAHS Athletics, including schedules and merchandise, check out LAPS Athletics.