44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2000

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR SCHOOL COUNSELING SERVICES TO PREVENT VIOLENCE.

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

Section 1. APPROPRIATION.--One million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the state department of public education for expenditure in fiscal year 2001 to increase school counseling programs by lowering the counselor-to-student ratio to 1:250 and to provide school counseling services for violence prevention, mediation and conflict resolution, stress and conflict management, child abuse, harassment, family problems, interpersonal concerns and other concerns that may impede student learning. The state department of public education shall distribute the money to public schools based on applications from individual public schools that submit a written comprehensive school counseling program services plan. The plan shall comply with the department's technical assistance handbook and the national standards for school counseling programs and include a proposal to reduce the counselor-to-student ratio to 1:250 and a demonstration that counselors will devote eighty-five percent of their time to direct services to students. The department and each school shall develop an evaluation component that includes measurement indicators that will demonstrate the impact of lowering the counselor-to-student ratio and report to the legislative education study committee by November 2001. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2001 shall revert to the general fund.