NOTE: As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended for use by the standing finance committees of the legislature.  The Legislative Finance Committee does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report when used in any other situation.

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(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to HB28, HB30, SB39, SB260, SB141

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

State Department of Public Education (SDE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of SEC Amendment

The amendment strikes the appropriation of $6,500.0 from the bill.

Synopsis of Original Bill

This bill appropriates $6,500.0 to SDE for funding additional program units for full-day kindergarten programs, phases in full-day kindergarten over a five-year period and requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules for the implementation of child-centered, developmentally appropriate full-day kindergarten programs.

Significant Issues

According to SDE, forty-eight school districts currently provide full-day kindergarten programs in one or more schools or district-wide. In order to provide full-day kindergarten programs, school districts continue to use state operational funds, federal Impact Aid and Title I funds.

A recent SDE survey indicates that a majority of school districts currently providing only half-day or full-day kindergarten in one or more schools, would offer full-day kindergarten if additional funding was available. The survey also indicated that those school districts would also require additional classrooms. This bill requires SDE to conduct an assessment of the number of classrooms needed to fully implement full-day kindergarten and report the findings to the Legislative Education Study Committee by November 2000.

The bill sets the priorities for implementing full-day kindergarten as follows with priority given to districts with the highest proportion of students most in need based on indicators included in the at-risk factor: 1) 2000-2001, one-fifth of New Mexico's kindergarten classes may be full-day 2) 2001-2002, two-fifths of New Mexico's kindergarten classes may be full-day 3) 2002-2003, three-fifths of New Mexico's kindergarten classes may be full-day 4)2003-2004, four-fifths of New Mexico's kindergarten classes may be full-day and 5)2004-2005, all of New Mexico's kindergarten classes may be full-day.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

SDE estimates approximately 12,740 would be eligible for full-day kindergarten in FY01. The department estimates the cost to fund students for an additional half-day kindergarten program at the current unit value would be $22,565.1.

With the appropriation contained in this bill, approximately 3,668 students would receive funding, based on the current unit value, for full-day kindergarten in FY01.

Districts must apply to SDE to receive funding for full-day kindergarten programs. The department must give priority to schools with students most in need based upon the at-risk index and to schools with available classrooms.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

SDE indicates that this bill will create additional programmatic and oversight responsibilities. The bill requires SDE to conduct an assessment of the number of classrooms needed to fully implement full-day kindergarten.

CONFLICT/DUPLICATION/COMPANIONSHIP/RELATIONSHIP

HB28 and SB39 both enacts a new section of the Public School Code to provide an early literacy program for students from kindergarten through third grade that are not reading at grade level.

HB30 and SB 260 both create a new section of the public school code to provide an optional early childhood and family support education programs such as full-day kindergarten, half-day programs for children ages three though five, or summer transition programs for children ages three through five.

SB141 appropriates $13,775.0 for optional full-day kindergarten programs.

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