SENATE BILL

56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2024

INTRODUCED BY

Mimi Stewart

 

 

 

FOR THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY; AMENDING THE LOCAL SHARE ADJUSTMENT WAIVER REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 22-24-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1975, Chapter 235, Section 5, as amended) is amended to read:

     "22-24-5. PUBLIC SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY PROJECTS--APPLICATION--GRANT ASSISTANCE.--

          A. Applications for grant assistance, approval of applications, prioritization of projects and grant awards shall be conducted pursuant to the provisions of this section.

          B. Except as provided in Sections 22-24-4.3, 22-24-5.4 and 22-24-5.6 NMSA 1978, the following provisions govern grant assistance from the fund for a public school capital outlay project not wholly funded pursuant to Section 22-24-4.1 NMSA 1978:

                (1) all school districts are eligible to apply for funding from the fund, regardless of percentage of indebtedness;

                (2) priorities for funding shall be determined by using the statewide adequacy standards developed pursuant to Subsection C of this section; provided that:

                     (a) the council shall apply the standards to charter schools to the same extent that they are applied to other public schools;

                     (b) the council may award grants annually to school districts for the purpose of repairing, renovating or replacing public school building systems in existing buildings as identified in Section 22-24-4.6 NMSA 1978;

                     (c) the council shall adopt and apply adequacy standards appropriate to the unique needs of the constitutional special schools; and

                     (d) in an emergency in which the health or safety of students or school personnel is at immediate risk or in which there is a threat of significant property damage, the council may award grant assistance for a project using criteria other than the statewide adequacy standards;

                (3) the council shall establish criteria to be used in public school capital outlay projects that receive grant assistance pursuant to the Public School Capital

Outlay Act. In establishing the criteria, the council shall consider:

                     (a) the feasibility of using design, build and finance arrangements for public school capital outlay projects;

                     (b) the potential use of more durable construction materials that may reduce long-term operating costs;

                     (c) concepts that promote efficient but flexible utilization of space; and

                     (d) any other financing or construction concept that may maximize the dollar effect of the state grant assistance;

                (4) no more than ten percent of the combined total of grants in a funding cycle shall be used for retrofitting existing facilities for technology infrastructure;

                (5) no later than May 1 of each calendar year, the phase two formula value shall be calculated for each school district in accordance with the following procedure:

                     (a) the sum of the final prior five years net taxable value for a school district multiplied by nine ten-thousandths for that school district is calculated for each school district;

                     (b) the maximum allowable gross square foot per student multiplied by the replacement cost per square foot divided by forty-five is calculated for each school district;

                     (c) the value calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph divided by the value calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (b) of this paragraph is calculated for each school district;

                     (d) in those instances in which the calculation pursuant to Subparagraph (c) of this paragraph yields a value equal to or greater than one, the phase two formula value shall be zero for the subject school district;

                     (e) in those instances in which the calculation pursuant to Subparagraph (c) of this paragraph yields a value of ninety-hundredths or more but less than one, the phase two formula value shall be one minus the value calculated in Subparagraph (c) of this paragraph; and

                     (f) in those instances in which the calculation pursuant to Subparagraph (c) of this paragraph yields a value less than ninety-hundredths, the phase two formula value shall be one minus the value calculated in Subparagraph (c) of this paragraph plus the school district population density factor;

                (6) the state share of a project approved by the council shall be funded within available resources pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph. Except as provided in Section 22-24-5.7 NMSA 1978 and except as adjusted pursuant to Paragraph (8), (9) or (10) of this subsection, the amount to be distributed from the fund for an approved project shall equal the total project cost multiplied by the following percentage, except that in no case shall the state share be less than six percent:

                     (a) for fiscal year 2024 through fiscal year 2026, the percentage shall be the phase two formula value plus a percentage equal to one-third of the difference between one and the phase two formula value; provided that, for school districts with fewer than 200 MEM, the percentage shall be the phase two formula value plus a percentage equal to one-half of the difference between one and the phase two formula; and

                     (b) for fiscal year 2027 and thereafter, the percentage shall be the phase two formula value;

                (7) as used in this subsection:

                     (a) "governmental entity" includes an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo;

                     (b) "phase two formula value" for a state-chartered charter school means the phase two formula value calculated pursuant to Paragraph (5) of this subsection for the school district in which the state-chartered charter school is physically located;

                     (c) "subject school district" means the school district that has submitted the application for funding and in which the approved public school capital outlay project will be located; and

                     (d) "total project cost" means the total amount necessary to complete the public school capital outlay project less any insurance reimbursement received by the school district for the project;

                (8) the amount calculated pursuant to Paragraph (6) of this subsection may be increased by an additional five percent if the council finds that the subject school district has been exemplary in implementing and maintaining a preventive maintenance program. The council shall adopt such rules as are necessary to implement the provisions of this paragraph;

                (9) the council may adjust the amount of local share otherwise required if it determines that a school district has made a good-faith effort to use all of its local resources. Before making any adjustment to the local share, the council shall consider whether:

                     (a) the school district has insufficient bonding capacity over the next four years to provide the local match necessary to complete the project and, for all educational purposes, has a residential property tax rate of at least ten dollars ($10.00) on each one thousand dollars ($1,000) of taxable value, as measured by the sum of all rates imposed by resolution of the local school board plus rates set to pay interest and principal on outstanding school district general obligation bonds;

                     (b) the school district: 1) has fewer than an average of eight hundred full-time-equivalent students on the second and third reporting dates of the prior school year; 2) has at least seventy percent of its students eligible for free or reduced-fee lunch; 3) has a [share of the total project cost, as calculated pursuant to provisions of this section] phase two formula value calculated pursuant to Paragraph (5) of this subsection that would be greater than fifty percent; and 4) for all educational purposes, has a residential property tax rate of at least seven dollars ($7.00) on each one thousand dollars ($1,000) of taxable value, as measured by the sum of all rates imposed by resolution of the local school board plus rates set to pay interest and principal on outstanding school district general obligation bonds; or

                     (c) the school district: 1) has an enrollment growth rate over the previous school year of at least two and one-half percent; 2) pursuant to its five-year facilities plan, will be building a new school within the next two years; and 3) for all educational purposes, has a residential property tax rate of at least ten dollars ($10.00) on each one thousand dollars ($1,000) of taxable value, as measured by the sum of all rates imposed by resolution of the local school board plus rates set to pay interest and principal on outstanding school district general obligation bonds;

                (10) the local match for the constitutional special schools shall be set at fifty percent for projects that qualify under the educational adequacy category and one hundred percent for projects that qualify in the support spaces category; provided that the council may adjust or waive the amount of any direct appropriation offset to or local share required for the constitutional special schools if an applicant constitutional special school has insufficient or no local resources available; and

                (11) no application for grant assistance from the fund shall be approved unless the council determines that:

                     (a) the public school capital outlay project is needed and included in the school district's five-year facilities plan among its top priorities;

                     (b) the school district has used its capital resources in a prudent manner;

                     (c) the school district has provided insurance for buildings of the school district in accordance with the provisions of Section 13-5-3 NMSA 1978;

                     (d) the school district has submitted a five-year facilities plan that includes: 1) enrollment projections; 2) a current preventive maintenance plan that has been approved by the council pursuant to Section 22-24-5.3 NMSA 1978 and that is followed by each public school in the district; 3) the capital needs of charter schools located in the school district; and 4) projections for the facilities needed in order to maintain a full-day kindergarten program;

                     (e) the school district is willing and able to pay any portion of the total cost of the public school capital outlay project that, according to Paragraph (6), (8) or (9) of this subsection, is not funded with grant assistance from the fund;

                     (f) the application includes the capital needs of any charter school located in the school district or the school district has shown that the facilities of the charter school have a smaller deviation from the statewide adequacy standards than other district facilities included in the application; and

                     (g) the school district has agreed, in writing, to comply with any reporting requirements or conditions imposed by the council pursuant to Section 22-24-5.1 NMSA 1978.

          C. After consulting with the public school capital outlay oversight task force and other experts, the council shall regularly review and update statewide adequacy standards applicable to all school districts. The standards shall establish the acceptable level for the physical condition and capacity of buildings, the educational suitability of facilities, the need for career-technical education facilities or classrooms and the need for education technology infrastructure. Except as otherwise provided in the Public School Capital Outlay Act, the amount of outstanding deviation from the standards shall be used by the council in evaluating and prioritizing public school capital outlay projects.

          D. The acquisition of a facility by a school district or charter school pursuant to a financing agreement that provides for lease payments with an option to purchase for a price that is reduced according to lease payments made may be considered a public school capital outlay project and eligible for grant assistance under this section pursuant to the following criteria:

                (1) no grant shall be awarded unless the council determines that, at the time of exercising the option to purchase the facility by the school district or charter school, the facility will equal or exceed the statewide adequacy standards and the building standards for public school facilities;

                (2) no grant shall be awarded unless the school district and the need for the facility meet all of the requirements for grant assistance pursuant to the Public School Capital Outlay Act;

                (3) the total project cost shall equal the total payments that would be due under the agreement if the school district or charter school would eventually acquire title to the facility;

                (4) the portion of the total project cost to be paid from the fund may be awarded as one grant, but disbursements from the fund shall be made from time to time as lease payments become due;

                (5) the portion of the total project cost to be paid by the school district or charter school may be paid from time to time as lease payments become due; and

                (6) neither a grant award nor any provision of the Public School Capital Outlay Act creates a legal obligation for the school district or charter school to continue the lease from year to year or to purchase the facility.

          E. In order to encourage private capital investment in the construction of public school facilities, the purchase of a privately owned school facility that is, at the time of application, in use by a school district may be considered a public school capital outlay project and eligible for grant assistance pursuant to this section if the council finds that:

                (1) at the time of the initial use by the school district, the facility to be purchased equaled or exceeded the statewide adequacy standards and the building standards for public school facilities;

                (2) at the time of application, attendance at the facility to be purchased is at seventy-five percent or greater of design capacity and the attendance at other schools in the school district that the students at the facility would otherwise attend is at eighty-five percent or greater of design capacity; and

                (3) the school district and the capital outlay project meet all of the requirements for grant assistance pursuant to the Public School Capital Outlay Act; provided that, when determining the deviation from the statewide adequacy standards for the purposes of evaluating and prioritizing the project, the students using the facility shall be deemed to be attending other schools in the school district.

          F. It is the intent of the legislature that grant assistance made pursuant to this section allows every school district to meet the standards developed pursuant to Subsection C of this section; provided, however, that nothing in the Public School Capital Outlay Act or the development of standards pursuant to that act prohibits a school district from using other funds available to the district to exceed the statewide adequacy standards.

          G. Upon request, the council shall work with, and provide assistance and information to, the public school capital outlay oversight task force.

          H. The council may establish committees or task forces, not necessarily consisting of council members, and may use the committees or task forces, as well as existing agencies or organizations, to conduct studies, conduct surveys, submit recommendations or otherwise contribute expertise from the public schools, programs, interest groups and segments of society most concerned with a particular aspect of the council's work.

          I. Upon the recommendation of the authority, the council shall develop building standards for public school facilities and shall promulgate other such rules as are necessary to carry out the provisions of the Public School Capital Outlay Act.

          J. No later than December 15 of each year, the council shall prepare a report summarizing its activities during the previous fiscal year. The report shall describe in detail all projects funded, the progress of projects previously funded but not completed, the criteria used to prioritize and fund projects and all other council actions. The report shall be submitted to the public education commission, the governor, the legislative finance committee, the legislative education study committee and the legislature.

          K. For any school district that received a standards- or systems-based award from the council in fiscal year 2023, the state share for any future phase of the project for which funding has not yet been awarded shall be the amount calculated pursuant to Subsection B of this section for fiscal year 2024, regardless of the state share at the time of the initial award.

          L. As used in this section:

                (1) "MEM" means membership; and

                (2) "membership" means the total enrollment of qualified students on the current roll of a class or school on a specified day. The current roll is established by the addition of original entries and reentries minus withdrawals. Withdrawals of students, in addition to students formally withdrawn from the public school, include students absent from the public school for as many as ten consecutive school days; provided that withdrawals do not include students in need of early intervention and habitual truants the school district is required to intervene with and keep in an educational setting."

     SECTION 2. APPLICABILITY.--The provisions of this act apply to public school capital outlay awards made during the 2023-2024 awards cycle and subsequent award cycles.

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