RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; PROVIDING TIME FOR HOME VISITS AND PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE FIVE.

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

Section 1. Section 22-2-8.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986, Chapter 33, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:

"22-2-8.1. LENGTH OF SCHOOL DAY--MINIMUM.--

A. Except as otherwise provided in this section, regular students shall be in school-directed programs, exclusive of lunch, for a minimum of the following:

(1) kindergarten, for half-day programs, two and one-half hours per day or four hundred fifty hours per year or, for full-day programs, five and one-half hours per day or nine hundred ninety hours per year;

(2) grades one through six, five and one-half hours per day or nine hundred ninety hours per year; and

(3) grades seven through twelve, six hours per day or one thousand eighty hours per year.

B. Thirty-three hours of the full-day kindergarten program may be used for home visits by the teacher or for parent-teacher conferences. Twenty-two hours of grades one through five programs may be used for home visits by the teacher or for parent-teacher conferences.

C. Nothing in this section precludes a local school board from setting length of school days in excess of the minimum requirements established by Subsection A of this section.

D. The state superintendent may waive the minimum length of school days in those districts where such minimums would create undue hardships as defined by the state board."

HB 68

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