[1] NOTE:  As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended only 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.

 

Only the most recent FIR version (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) is available on the Legislative Website.  The Adobe PDF version includes all attachments, whereas the HTML version does not.  Previously issued FIRs and attachments may be obtained from the LFC’s office in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.

 

F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

 

 

SPONSOR:

SEC

 

DATE TYPED:

02/07/02

 

HB

 

 

SHORT TITLE:

Repeal Public School Code

 

SB

CS/33aSEC

 

 

ANALYST:

Segura

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY02

FY03

FY02

FY03

 

 

 

NFI

 

 

 

 

 

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

State Department of Education (SDE)

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Amendment by Senate Education Committee for Senate Bill 33

 

The amendment strikes the appropriation and removes the section that applies to the appropriation. The amendment does not change the original intent of the bill.

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

Senate Bill 33 repeals the Public School Code and creates the Public School Code Review Task Force.

 

     Significant Issues

 

Senate Bill 33 creates a 16-member Public School Code Review Task Force composed as  follows:

 

-        three members ( including two principals and one teacher) appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

 

-        two members (including one principal and one teacher ) appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;

 

-        three members ( including two principals and one teacher) appointed by the President Pro Tem of the Senate;

 

-        two members ( including one principal and one teacher) appointed by the minority leader of the Senate;

 

-        one member of the Governor’s staff

 

-        one member of the business community appointed by the Governor;

 

-        one school parent appointed by the Governor;

 

-        two school district superintendents appointed by the state superintendents’s association;

 

-        one member appointed by the State Board of Education.

 

The members will be appointed by July 31,2002 and function as a task force until December 31,2003.

 

The bill charges the task force with conducting a review of the “Public School Code and state board of education rules governing primary and secondary education in  New Mexico to identify those statutes and rules that unnecessarily burden administrators and teachers at the school site, and that prevent administrators and teachers at the school site from effectively performing their roles as instructional leaders and educators.

 

The task force is directed to present its findings and recommendations no later than December 31,2003. The State Department of Education is directed to staff the task force.

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

Senate Bill 33 appropriates $20.0 from the general fund for the per diem and mileage costs for members.

 

According to SDE, the task force will place a significant burden on the department to be absorbed within available resources.  In addition, to the staffing requirements the projects suggests the need for experts in a variety of areas, and no appropriation is available to support this function.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

 

According to SDE, if the outcome of the task force is to rewrite the Public School Code in its entirety, the department will be required to implement  changed requirements in a broad variety of areas, including public school funding, program requirements, transportation accountability and numerous other areas. Also, public school districts will be required to implement and respond to changed requirements.  A complete revamping of the state’s system of public education will require significant fiscal and administrative resources for implementation, both at the state and local levels.

 

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

 

According to SDE, the provisions of the Public School Code are broad-ranging and cover virtually all aspects of the public education system. The task of rewriting the code in its entirety in an 18 month period is formidable, given the complexity of a number of the areas subsumed in the code.

 

RS/ar :sb

 [1]Begin typing on the * in replace mode.  Do not add or delete spaces.