Luna moved to Idaho to attend college at Ricks College, (now ) in 1981, and later attended Boise State University. He announced his candidacy for state superintendent in September 2001. In March 2002, Luna graduated from Thomas Edison State College.
He was elected to the position in 2006. Luna was re-elected in 2010 following a challenge from the former superintendent of the Boise School District. From 2003 to 2005 Luna worked for the United States. Department of as an adviser to then-United States. Secretary of Rod Paige.
He is the owner and president of Scales Unlimited, Incorporated., an industrial truck scale company.
In 2012, Presidential candidate Mitt Romney named Luna to Romney"s 19-member education policy advisory group, the only state superintendent to be chosen for the panel. Running for the Superintendent of Public Instruction in Idaho position in 2006, Luna focused on promoting charter schools.
Columnist William McGurn stated that he found Luna"s business experience and lack of education degree, "refreshing". Students Come First The centerpiece of education reforms spearheaded by Luna following his 2006 election as Superintendent is a package of legislation known as Students Come First.
Among the reforms in the Students Come First package, passed by the Idaho Legislature in 2011, are: New limits to the collective bargaining rights of Idaho teachers Raised the annual minimum pay for new teachers by $345 Established a performance-based merit pay system for teachers Increase classroom sizes in grades 4 through 12 Phase out tenure, instead implementing oneand two-year rolling contracts for every new teacher and administrator, depending on experience Requiring online course cr for high school graduation Providing laptop computers for all high school teachers and high school students and classroom Wi-Fi Luna"s proposed reforms have been challenged though ballot initiatives.
Among the opponents is the The Idaho Association, a state teachers union. Petitions challenging the Students Come First legislation collected enough signatures to place the matter on the state"s November 6, 2012, general election ballot. There were three separate ballot propositions because the reforms were passed with three legislative bills.
Voters rejected all three propositions on November 6, striking down the reforms.
As a member of the Nampa School Board from 1994 to 2002, Luna supported school vouchers and tax credits for private schools as a means to increase competition in education.
