RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; INCLUDING GRADE-LEVEL SCHOOLS IN THE PRIORITY FOR FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
Section 1. Section 22-2-19 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2000, Chapter 107, Section 3) is amended to read:
"22-2-19. FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS.--
A. The state board shall adopt rules for the development and implementation of child-centered and developmentally appropriate full-day kindergarten programs. Establishment of full-day kindergarten programs shall be voluntary on the part of school districts and student participation shall be voluntary on the part of parents.
B. The department of education shall require schools with full-day kindergarten programs to conduct age-appropriate assessments to determine the placement of students at instructional level and the effectiveness of child-centered, developmentally appropriate kindergarten.
C. The department of education shall monitor full-day kindergarten programs and ensure that they serve the children most in need based upon indicators in the at-risk index. If the department of education determines that a program is not meeting the benchmarks necessary to ensure the progress of students in the program, the department of education shall notify the school district that failure to meet the benchmarks shall result in the cessation of funding for the following school year. The department of education shall compile the program results submitted by the school districts and make an annual report to the legislative education study committee and the legislature.
D. Full-day kindergarten programs shall be phased in over a five-year period as follows with priority given to those school districts that serve children in schools with the highest proportion of students most in need based upon indicators in the at-risk index or that serve children by means of grade-level schools that serve an entire school district:
(1) effective with the 2000-2001 school year, one-fifth of New Mexico's kindergarten classes may be full day;
(2) effective with the 2001-2002 school year, two-fifths of New Mexico's kindergarten classes may be full day;
(3) effective with the 2002-2003 school year, three-fifths of New Mexico's kindergarten classes may be full day;
(4) effective with the 2003-2004 school year, four-fifths of New Mexico's kindergarten classes may be full day; and
(5) effective with the 2004-2005 school year, all of New Mexico's kindergarten classes may be full day.
E. School districts shall apply to the department of education to receive funding for full-day kindergarten programs. In granting approval for funding of full-day kindergarten programs, the department of education shall ensure that full-day kindergarten programs are first implemented in schools that have the highest proportion of students most in need based upon the at-risk index and in schools with available classroom space."
HB 246
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