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Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 248 mandates that each public school in each conference shall provide academic competition similar to its athletic competitions. The bill further mandates that a student who participates in an academic competition shall qualify for an academic letter in the subject in which he competes. The competitions are to be governed by the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA).

Significant Issues

The issues stemming from this bill include:

Interscholastic competitions in New Mexico have traditionally been governed by participating NMAA schools whose representatives vote on the rules and procedures governing its activities. The association's governing board is currently comprised of superintendents from participating school districts and representatives from the SBE and non-public schools. The SBE also exercises some oversight over the NMAA's operations.

Local school boards have also determined eligibility for and activities for which "letters" are awarded with authority for determining recipients of letters being decided according to policies of local school boards.

In recent years, the SBE has been assigned oversight responsibility over some NMAA activities

The provisions of the bill raise the following questions, among others:

• Do the bill's provisions erode the authority of the SBE?



• Do the provisions of the bill undermine the NMAA's standing among member schools?



• Is the bill's mandate an intrusion into a local school board's autonomy?

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

None apparent at the state level. Expenses incurred for coaches, equipment, travel and other elements that are a part of the program will be incurred by local school boards. At first glance, it does not appear these academic competitions, however desirable and productive for students, will not be revenue generating events - at least in the formative years.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

Employees of local school boards will be charged with administering and implementing the activities.

LB/gm