46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003
RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; AMENDING THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY ACT TO PROVIDE FOR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PLANS, A METHOD FOR CALCULATING AMOUNTS TO BE DISTRIBUTED AND A PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES AUTHORITY; AMENDING THE TECHNOLOGY FOR EDUCATION ACT PERTAINING TO DISTRIBUTIONS; AMENDING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ACT; AMENDING A CERTAIN SECTION OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE CONCERNING APPROVAL OF CONSTRUCTION; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
Section 1. A new section of the Public School Capital Outlay Act is enacted to read:
"[NEW MATERIAL] PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES AUTHORITY--CREATION--POWERS AND DUTIES.--
A. The "public school facilities authority" is created under the public school capital outlay council. The authority shall be headed by a director, selected by the council, who shall be versed in construction, architecture or project management. The director may hire no more than two deputies with the approval of the council, and, subject to budgetary constraints, shall employ or contract with such technical and administrative personnel as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. The director and deputies shall be exempt from the provisions of the Personnel Act; after July 1, 2004, all other employees of the authority shall be subject to the provisions of the Personnel Act.
B. The authority shall:
(1) serve as staff to the council;
(2) as directed by the council, provide those assistance and oversight functions required of the council by Section 22-24-5.1 NMSA 1978;
(3) assist school districts with:
(a) the development and implementation of five-year facilities plans and preventive maintenance plans;
(b) architectural and engineering services;
(c) construction management; and
(d) training programs;
(4) conduct ongoing reviews of five-year facilities plans, preventive maintenance plans and performance pursuant to those plans;
(5) ensure that public school capital outlay projects are in compliance with applicable building codes;
(6) conduct on-site inspections as necessary to ensure that the construction specifications are being met and periodically inspect all of the documents related to projects;
(7) where appropriate, require the use of standardized construction documents and the use of a standardized process for change orders;
(8) have access to the premises of a project and any documentation relating to the project;
(9) after consulting with the department of education, develop building standards for public school facilities and ensure compliance with those standards;
(10) maintain a database of the condition of school facilities and maintenance schedules; and
(11) ensure that outstanding deficiencies are corrected pursuant to Section 22-24-4.1 NMSA 1978. In the performance of this duty, the authority:
(a) shall work with school districts to validate the assessment of the outstanding deficiencies and the projected costs to correct the deficiencies;
(b) shall work with school districts to provide direct oversight of the management and construction of the projects that will correct the outstanding deficiencies;
(c) shall oversee all aspects of the contracts entered into by the council to correct the outstanding deficiencies;
(d) may conduct on-site inspections while the deficiencies correction work is being done to ensure that the construction specifications are being met and may periodically inspect all of the documents relating to the projects;
(e) may require the use of standardized construction documents and the use of a standardized process for change orders;
(f) may access the premises of a project and any documentation relating to the project; and
(g) shall maintain, track and account for deficiency correction projects separately from other capital outlay projects funded pursuant to the Public School Capital Outlay Act.
C. All actions taken by the authority shall be consistent with educational programs conducted pursuant to the Public School Code. In the event of any potential or perceived conflict between a proposed action of the authority and an educational program, the authority shall consult with the state superintendent."
Section 2. Section 22-20-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1967, Chapter 16, Section 270, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-20-1. SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION--APPROVAL OF THE [STATE
SUPERINTENDENT] PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES AUTHORITY.--
A. Each local school board shall secure the
approval of the [state superintendent] director of the public
school facilities authority or his designee prior to the
construction or letting of contracts for construction of any
school building or related school structure or before reopening
an existing structure [which] that was formerly used as a
school building but [which] that has not been used for that
purpose during the previous year. [It shall not be required to
obtain approval from the state superintendent for enlarging an
existing attendance center which is now in use, unless the
enlargement is for the purpose of changing the character of the
attendance center from an elementary school to a secondary
school or adding an elementary school to a secondary school or
a secondary school to an elementary school.] A written
application shall be submitted to the [state superintendent]
director requesting approval of the construction, and, upon
receipt, the director shall forward a copy of the application
to the state superintendent. The [state superintendent]
director shall prescribe the form of the application, which
shall include the following:
(1) a statement of need;
(2) the anticipated number of students affected by the construction;
(3) the estimated cost;
(4) a description of the proposed construction
or structure to be built; [and]
(5) a map of the area showing existing school attendance centers within a five-mile radius and any obstructions to attending the attendance centers, such as but not limited to railroad tracks, rivers and limited-access highways; and
(6) such other information as may be required by the director.
B. The [state superintendent] director or his
designee shall give his approval to an application if he
reasonably determines that:
(1) the construction will not cause an unnecessary proliferation of school construction;
(2) the construction is needed in the school district;
(3) the construction is feasible;
(4) the cost of the construction is
reasonable; [and]
(5) the school district is financially able to pay for the construction; and
(6) the state superintendent has certified that the construction will support the educational program of the school district.
C. Within thirty days after the receipt of an
application filed pursuant to this section, the [state
superintendent] director or his designee shall in writing
notify the local school board making the application and the
department of education of his approval or disapproval of the
application."
Section 3. Section 22-24-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1975, Chapter 235, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-24-4. FUND CREATED--USE.--
A. There is created the "public school capital outlay fund". Balances remaining in the fund at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert.
B. Except as provided in Subsections G and H of this section, money in the fund may be used only for capital expenditures deemed by the council necessary for an adequate educational program.
C. The council may authorize the purchase by the property control division of the general services department of property to be loaned to school districts to meet a temporary requirement. Payment for these purchases shall be made from the fund. Title and custody to the property shall rest in the property control division. The council shall authorize the lending of the property to school districts upon request and upon finding that sufficient need exists. Application for use or return of state-owned portable classroom buildings shall be submitted by school districts to the council. Expenses of maintenance of the property while in the custody of the property control division shall be paid from the fund; expenses of maintenance and insurance of the property while in the custody of a school district shall be the responsibility of the school district. The council may authorize the permanent disposition of the property by the property control division with prior approval of the state board of finance.
D. Applications for assistance from the fund shall be made by school districts to the council in accordance with requirements of the council. The council shall require as a condition of application that a school district have a current five-year facilities plan, which shall include a current preventive maintenance plan to which the school adheres for each public school in the district.
E. The council shall review all requests for assistance from the fund and shall allocate funds only for those capital outlay projects that meet the criteria of the Public School Capital Outlay Act.
F. Money in the fund shall be disbursed by warrant of the department of finance and administration on vouchers signed by the secretary of finance and administration following certification by the council that an application has been approved.
[G. Not more than three percent of the supplemental
severance tax bond proceeds appropriated to the fund pursuant
to Section 7-27-12.2 NMSA 1978, the severance tax bond proceeds
appropriated to the fund pursuant to Laws 2001, Chapter 338,
Section 14 and the general fund appropriation to the fund
pursuant to Subsection D of Section 15 of Chapter 338 of Laws
2001 for the purpose of correcting outstanding deficiencies
pursuant to Sections 22-24-4.1 and 22-24-4.2 NMSA 1978 may be
expended by the council for project management expenses.
H. Of the appropriation made to the fund by
Subsection D of Section 15 of Chapter 338 of Laws 2001 for the
purpose of correcting outstanding deficiencies pursuant to
Sections 22-24-4.1 and 22-24-4.2 NMSA 1978, one million one
hundred thousand dollars ($1,100,000) is appropriated to the
council for expenditure in fiscal year 2003 for the core
administrative functions of the deficiencies corrections unit.
Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of
fiscal year 2003 shall revert to the fund.] At the discretion
of the council, money for a project shall be distributed as
follows:
(1) up to ten percent of the portion of the project cost funded with distributions from the fund or five percent of the total project cost, whichever is greater, may be paid to the school district before work commences with the balance of the grant award made on a cost-reimbursement basis; or
(2) the council may make payments directly to the contractor.
G. An amount up to five percent of the average annual grant assistance authorized from the fund during the three previous fiscal years may annually be expended for on-site project management expenses.
H. Up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the balances of the fund may be expended in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 by the council for the purpose of updating and refining the statewide assessment study required by Section 22-24-5 NMSA 1978 and for the training of state and local officials on the use of the database and other data management related issues identified by the council."
Section 4. A new section of the Public School Capital Outlay Act, Section 22-24-5.3 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:
"22-24-5.3. [NEW MATERIAL] PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PLANS--GUIDELINES--APPROVAL.--
A. The council shall adopt guidelines that will assist school districts in the development and implementation of preventive maintenance plans. In developing the guidelines, the council shall ensure that they are not overly complex, that they are user-friendly and that they take into account the geographic and size variations of the districts throughout the state. The guidelines shall include the major requirements for:
(1) establishing and implementing a preventive maintenance plan;
(2) necessary budgets, personnel and staff support;
(3) staff training; and
(4) evaluation and auditing.
B. To the extent resources are available, the council shall provide assistance to districts in developing and implementing a preventive maintenance plan.
C. For project allocation cycles beginning after September 1, 2003, a school district shall not be eligible for funding pursuant to Section 22-24-5 NMSA 1978 unless the district has a preventive maintenance plan that has been approved by the council.
D. As used in this section, "preventive maintenance" means the regularly scheduled repair and maintenance needed to keep a building component operating at peak efficiency and to extend its useful life. "Preventive maintenance" includes scheduled activities intended to prevent breakdowns and premature failures, including periodic inspections, lubrication, calibrations and replacement of expendable components of equipment."
Section 5. Section 22-25-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1975 (S.S.), Chapter 5, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-25-3. AUTHORIZATION FOR LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD TO SUBMIT
QUESTION OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TAX IMPOSITION.--[Any] A local
school board may adopt a resolution to submit to the qualified
electors of the school district the question of whether a
property tax should be imposed upon the net taxable value of
property allocated to the school district under the Property
Tax Code at a rate not to exceed that specified in the
resolution for the purpose of capital improvements in the
school district. The resolution shall:
A. identify the capital improvements for which the revenue proposed to be produced will be used;
B. specify the rate of the proposed tax, which shall not exceed two dollars ($2.00) on each one thousand dollars ($1,000) of net taxable value of property allocated to the school district under the Property Tax Code;
C. specify the date an election will be held to submit the question of imposition of the tax to the qualified electors of the district; and
D. limit the imposition of the proposed tax to no
more than [four] six property tax years."
Section 6. Section 22-25-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1975 (S.S.), Chapter 5, Section 5, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-25-5. CONDUCT OF ELECTION--NOTICE--BALLOT.--
A. An election on the question of imposing a tax under the Public School Capital Improvements Act may be held in conjunction with a regular school district election or may be conducted as or held in conjunction with a special school district election, but the election shall be held prior to July 1 of the property tax year in which the tax is proposed to be imposed. Conduct of the election shall be as prescribed in the School Election Law for regular and special school district elections.
B. The [resolution] proclamation required to be
published as notice of the election under Section 1-22-4 or
1-22-5 NMSA 1978 shall include as the question to be submitted
to the voters whether a property tax at a rate not to exceed
the rate specified in the authorizing resolution should be
imposed for the specified number of property tax years not
exceeding [four] six years upon the net taxable value of all
property allocated to the school district for the capital
improvements specified in the authorizing resolution.
C. The ballot shall include the information specified in Subsection B of this section and shall present the voter the choice of voting "for the public school capital improvements tax" or "against the public school capital improvements tax"."
Section 7. Section 22-25-8 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1975 (S.S.), Chapter 5, Section 8, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-25-8. TAX TO BE IMPOSED FOR A MAXIMUM OF [FOUR] SIX
YEARS.--A tax imposed in a school district as a result of an
election under the Public School Capital Improvements Act shall
be imposed for [one, two, three or four] a specified number of
property tax years not exceeding six years commencing with the
property tax year in which the election was held. The local
school board may discontinue, by resolution, the Public School
Capital Improvements Act tax levy at the end of [the first or
second year of the levy] any property tax year. The local
school board shall direct that the Public School Capital
Improvements Act tax levy be decreased by the amount required
for any year in which the decrease is required by operation of
the rate limitation provisions of Section 7-37-7.1 NMSA 1978."
Section 8. Section 22-25-9 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1975 (S.S.), Chapter 5, Section 9, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-25-9. STATE DISTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL DISTRICT IMPOSING TAX UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.--
A. Except as provided in Subsection C of this section, the state superintendent shall distribute to any school district that has imposed a tax under the Public School Capital Improvements Act an amount from the public school capital improvements fund that is equal to the amount by which the revenue estimated to be received from the imposed tax, at the rate certified by the department of finance and administration in accordance with Section 22-25-7 NMSA 1978, assuming a one hundred percent collection rate, is less than an amount calculated by multiplying the school district's first forty days' total program units by the dollar amount specified in Subsection B of this section and further multiplying the product obtained by the tax rate approved by the qualified electors in the most recent election on the question of imposing a tax under the Public School Capital Improvements Act. The distribution shall be made each year that the tax is imposed in accordance with Section 22-25-7 NMSA 1978; provided that no state distribution from the public school capital improvements fund may be used for capital improvements to any administration building of a school district. In the event that sufficient funds are not available in the public school capital improvements fund to make the state distribution provided for in this section, the dollar per program unit figure shall be reduced as necessary.
B. In calculating the state distribution pursuant to Subsection A of this section, the following amounts shall be used:
(1) fifty dollars ($50.00) per program unit; and
(2) for fiscal year 2005 and thereafter, an additional amount certified to the state superintendent by the public school capital outlay council. No later than June 1, 2004 and each June 1 thereafter, the council shall determine the amount needed in the next fiscal year for public school capital outlay projects pursuant to the Public School Capital Outlay Act and the amount of revenue, from all sources, available for the projects. If, in the sole discretion of the council, the amount available exceeds the amount needed, the council may certify an additional amount pursuant to this paragraph; provided that the sum of the amount calculated pursuant to this paragraph plus the amount in Paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not result in a total statewide distribution that, in the opinion of the council, exceeds one half of the total revenue estimated to be received from taxes imposed pursuant to the Public School Capital Improvements Act.
C. For fiscal year 2004 and thereafter, notwithstanding the amount calculated to be distributed pursuant to Subsections A and B of this section, a school district, the voters of which have approved a tax pursuant to Section 22-25-3 NMSA 1978, shall not receive a distribution less than an amount equal to five dollars ($5.00) multiplied by the school district's first forty days' total program units and further multiplying the product obtained by the approved tax rate.
D. In making distributions pursuant to this section, the state superintendent shall include such reporting requirements and conditions as are required by rule of the public school capital outlay council. The council shall adopt such requirements and conditions as are necessary to ensure that the distributions are expended in the most prudent manner possible and are consistent with the original purpose as specified in the authorizing resolution. Copies of reports or other information received by the state superintendent in response to the requirements and conditions shall be forwarded to the council."
Section 9. Section 22-24-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1975, Chapter 235, Section 5, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-24-5. PUBLIC SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY PROJECTS--APPLICATION--GRANT ASSISTANCE.--
A. For project allocation cycles occurring before September 1, 2003, the council shall approve an application for grant assistance from the fund for a public school capital outlay project not wholly funded pursuant to Section 22-24-4.1 NMSA 1978, when the council determines that:
(1) a need exists requiring action;
(2) the residents of the school district have provided available resources to the school district to meet its capital outlay requirements;
(3) the school district has used its capital resources in a prudent manner;
(4) the school district has provided insurance for buildings of the school district in accordance with the provisions of Section 13-5-3 NMSA 1978;
(5) the school district:
(a) is indebted at not less than
sixty-five percent of the total general obligation debt authorized by law; or
(b) within the last three years, was indebted at the level required in Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph and received a grant pursuant to this section for the initial stages of a project and currently has a critical need for an additional grant to complete the same project;
(6) the application includes:
(a) the capital needs of any charter schools located in the school district or the school district has shown that the capital needs of the charter schools are not as great as the capital needs requested in the application; and
(b) the facilities needed in the school district to implement a full-day kindergarten program or that the school district has shown that the need for facilities to implement the program is not as great as the capital needs requested in the application; provided that the total amount of assistance grants made in a fiscal year for the purpose of implementing full-day kindergarten programs shall not exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000); and
(7) the school district has submitted a five-year facilities plan that includes:
(a) enrollment projections;
(b) a current preventive maintenance plan to which the school adheres for each public school in the district; and
(c) projections for the facilities needed in order to maintain a full-day kindergarten program.
B. The council shall consider all applications for assistance from the fund and, after a public hearing, shall either approve or deny the application. Applications for grant assistance shall only be accepted by the council after a school district has complied with the provisions of this section. The council shall list all applications in order of priority, and all allocations shall be made on a priority basis, except:
(1) twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) of the proceeds from supplemental severance tax bonds available for the funding cycle in each of fiscal years 2002 and 2003 shall be set aside for allocation solely for projects in school districts that are eligible for funding from the fund and that receive grants from the federal government as assistance to areas affected by federal activity authorized in accordance with Title 20 of the United States Code, commonly known as "PL 874 funds" or "impact aid"; and
(2) in the case of an emergency, the order of priority shall first reflect those projects that have been previously funded but are not as yet completed, excluding expansion of those projects and contingent upon maintenance of the required local support.
C. For allocation cycles beginning after
September 1, 2003, the following provisions apply:
(1) all school districts are eligible to apply for funding from the fund, regardless of percentage of indebtedness;
(2) priorities for funding shall be determined
by using the statewide adequacy standards developed pursuant to
Subsection D of this section; provided that the council shall
apply the standards to charter schools to the same extent that
they are applied to other public schools;
(3) after consulting with the staff architect of the property control division of the general services department, the council shall establish criteria to be used in public school capital outlay projects that receive grant assistance pursuant to the Public School Capital Outlay Act. In establishing the criteria, the council shall consider:
(a) the feasibility of using design, build and finance arrangements for public school capital outlay projects;
(b) the potential use of more durable construction materials that may reduce long-term operating costs; and
(c) any other financing or construction concept that may maximize the dollar effect of the state grant assistance;
(4) no more than ten percent of the combined total of grants in a funding cycle shall be used for retrofitting existing facilities for technology infrastructure;
(5) except as provided in Paragraph (6) or (8)
of this subsection, the state share of a project approved and
ranked by the council shall be funded within available
resources in accordance with the following [formula] procedure:
[(school district final prior year
assessed valuation per MEM ÷ the state
average final prior year assessed
valuation per MEM) x 0.5. The product is
subtracted from 1.0 and the difference is
then multiplied by seventy-five percent.
The product of that calculation added to
(the percent of bonding capacity used x
0.25) equals the percentage of the cost
of the approved project to be funded from
the fund. "MEM" means the total
enrollment of students attending public
school in a school district in the final
funded prior school year, with
kindergarten being counted as 0.5. In
those instances in which the formula
provides less than 0.1, 0.1 shall be used
as the state's share]
(a) the final prior year net taxable value for a school district divided by the MEM for that district is calculated for each school district;
(b) the final prior year net taxable value for the whole state divided by the MEM for the state is calculated;
(c) excluding any school district for which the result calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph is more than twice the result calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (b) of this paragraph, the results calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph are listed from highest to lowest;
(d) the lowest value listed pursuant to Subparagraph (c) of this paragraph is subtracted from the highest value listed pursuant to that subparagraph;
(e) the value calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph for the subject school district is subtracted from the highest value listed in Subparagraph (c) of this paragraph;
(f) the result calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (e) of this paragraph is divided by the result calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (d) of this paragraph;
(g) the sum of the property tax mill levies for the prior tax year imposed by each school district on residential property pursuant to Chapter 22, Article 18 NMSA 1978, the Public School Capital Improvements Act, the Public School Buildings Act, the Education Technology Equipment Act and Paragraph (2) of Subsection B of Section 7-37-7 NMSA 1978 is calculated for each school district;
(h) the lowest value calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (g) of this paragraph is subtracted from the highest value calculated pursuant to that subparagraph;
(i) the lowest value calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (g) of this paragraph is subtracted from the value calculated pursuant to that subparagraph for the subject school district;
(j) the value calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (i) of this paragraph is divided by the value calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (h) of this paragraph;
(k) if the value calculated for a subject school district pursuant to Subparagraph (j) of this paragraph is less than five-tenths, then, except as provided in Subparagraph (n) or (o) of this paragraph, the value calculated for that district pursuant to Subparagraph (f) of this paragraph equals the portion of the approved project to be funded from the fund;
(l) if the value calculated for a subject school district pursuant to Subparagraph (j) of this paragraph is five-tenths or greater, then that value is multiplied by five-hundredths;
(m) if the value calculated for a subject school district pursuant to Subparagraph (j) of this paragraph is five-tenths or greater, then the value calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (l) of this paragraph is added to the value calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (f) of this paragraph. Except as provided in Subparagraph (n) or (o) of this paragraph, the sum equals the portion of the approved project to be funded from the fund;
(n) in those instances in which the calculation pursuant to Subparagraph (k) or (m) of this paragraph yields a value less than one-tenth, one-tenth shall be used as the portion of the approved project to be funded from the fund;
(o) in those instances in which the calculation pursuant to Subparagraph (k) or (m) of this paragraph yields a value greater than one, one shall be used as the portion of the approved project to be funded from the fund;
(p) except as reduced pursuant to Paragraph (6) of this subsection, the amount to be distributed from the fund for an approved project shall equal the value for the subject school district derived from Subparagraph (k), (m), (n) or (o) of this paragraph multiplied by the total project cost; and
(q) as used in this paragraph, "MEM" means the total enrollment of students attending public school in a school district in the final funded prior school year, with kindergarten being counted as five-tenths;
(6) the amount calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (p) of Paragraph (5) of this subsection shall be reduced by the following procedure:
(a) the total of all legislative appropriations made after January 1, 2003 directly to, and not rejected by, the subject school district for non-operating purposes, excluding educational technology, is calculated;
(b) the applicable amount for the subject school district calculated from Subparagraph (k), (m), (n) or (o) of Paragraph (5) of this subsection is subtracted from one;
(c) the value calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph for the subject school district is multiplied by the amount calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (b) of this paragraph for that school district;
(d) the total amount of reductions for the subject school district previously made pursuant to Subparagraph (e) of this paragraph for other approved public school capital outlay projects is subtracted from the amount calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (c) of this paragraph; and
(e) the amount calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (p) of Paragraph (5) of this subsection shall be reduced by the amount calculated pursuant to Subparagraph (d) of this paragraph;
(7) as used in Paragraphs (5) and (6) of this subsection, "subject school district" means the school district that has submitted the application for funding and in which the approved public school capital outlay project will be located;
[(6)] (8) in those instances in which a school
district has used all of its local resources, the council may
fund up to the total amount of a project; and
[(7)] (9) no application for grant assistance
from the fund shall be approved unless the council determines
that:
(a) the public school capital outlay project is needed and included in the school district's five-year facilities plan among its top priorities;
(b) the school district has used its capital resources in a prudent manner;
(c) the school district has provided insurance for buildings of the school district in accordance with the provisions of Section 13-5-3 NMSA 1978;
(d) the school district has submitted a
five-year facilities plan that includes: 1) enrollment
projections; 2) a current preventive maintenance plan [to which
the school adheres for] that has been approved by the council
pursuant to Section 22-24-5.3 NMSA 1978 and that is followed by
each public school in the district; and 3) projections for the facilities needed in order to maintain a full-day kindergarten program;
(e) the school district is willing and
able to pay any portion of the total cost of the public school
capital outlay project that, according to Paragraph (5), (6) or
(8) of this subsection [established by law], is not funded with
grant assistance from the fund;
(f) the application includes the capital needs of any charter schools located in the school district or the school district has shown that the facilities of the charter schools in the district meet the statewide adequacy standards; and
(g) the school district has agreed, in writing, to comply with any reporting requirements or conditions imposed by the council pursuant to Section 22-24-5.1 NMSA 1978.
D. After consulting with the public school capital
outlay task force and other experts, [no later than September
1, 2002] the council shall develop and regularly review and
update statewide adequacy standards applicable to all school
districts. The standards shall establish the minimum
acceptable level for the physical condition and capacity of
buildings, the educational suitability of facilities and the
need for technological infrastructure. The amount of
outstanding deviation from the standards shall be used by the
council after September 1, 2003 in evaluating and prioritizing
public school capital outlay projects.
E. It is the intent of the legislature that grant assistance made pursuant to this section allow every school district to meet the standards developed pursuant to Subsection D of this section; provided, however, that nothing in the Public School Capital Outlay Act or the development of standards pursuant to that act prohibits a school district from using local funds to exceed the statewide adequacy standards.
F. Upon request, the council shall work with, and provide assistance and information to, the public school capital outlay task force.
G. The council may establish committees or task forces, not necessarily consisting of council members, and may use the committees or task forces, as well as existing agencies or organizations, to conduct studies, conduct surveys, submit recommendations or otherwise contribute expertise from the public schools, programs, interest groups and segments of society most concerned with a particular aspect of the council's work.
H. The council shall promulgate such rules as are necessary to carry out the provisions of the Public School Capital Outlay Act.
I. No later than December 1 of each year, the council shall prepare a report summarizing its activities during the previous fiscal year. The report shall describe in detail all projects funded, the progress of projects previously funded but not completed, the criteria used to prioritize and fund projects and all other council actions. The report shall be submitted to the state board, the governor, the legislative finance committee, the legislative education study committee and each member of the legislature."
Section 10. Section 22-15A-9 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1994, Chapter 96, Section 9, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-15A-9. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY FUND--DISTRIBUTION.--
A. Upon annual review and approval of a school district's educational technology plan, the bureau shall determine a separate distribution from the educational technology fund for each school district.
B. On or before July 31 of each year, the bureau shall distribute money in the educational technology fund directly to each school district in an amount equal to ninety percent of the district's estimated adjusted entitlement calculated pursuant to Subsection C of this section. A school district's unadjusted entitlement is that portion of the total amount of the annual appropriation that the projected membership bears to the projected membership of the state. Kindergarten membership shall be calculated on a one-half full-time equivalent basis.
[C. After calculation of a school district's
unadjusted entitlement as provided in Subsection B of this
section, the bureau shall calculate a base allocation for each
school district by multiplying the total annual appropriation
by a base equity factor of seventy-five thousandths of one
percent. The adjusted entitlement amount for each school
district whose entitlement falls at or below the base
allocation amount shall be an amount equal to the base
allocation. The bureau shall then subtract from the total
annual appropriation amount the total of the adjusted
entitlement amounts calculated for distribution to those school
districts that will receive the base allocation amounts and
subtract from the total projected state membership the
membership of those school districts that will receive the base
allocation amount. The adjusted entitlement amount for each of
the remaining school districts shall be the amount of the
adjusted annual appropriation that the projected membership of
each remaining district bears to the projected membership of
all remaining districts.]
C. A school district's estimated adjusted entitlement shall be calculated by the bureau using the following procedure:
(1) a base allocation is calculated by multiplying the total annual appropriation by seventy-five thousandths of one percent;
(2) the estimated adjusted entitlement amount for a school district whose unadjusted entitlement is at or below the base allocation shall be equal to the base allocation. For a school district whose unadjusted entitlement is higher than the base allocation, the estimated adjusted entitlement shall be calculated pursuant to Paragraphs (3) through (13) of this subsection;
(3) the total projected membership in those school districts that will receive the base allocation pursuant to Paragraph (2) of this subsection is subtracted from the total projected state membership;
(4) the total of the estimated adjusted entitlement amounts that will be distributed to those school districts receiving the base allocation pursuant to Paragraph (2) of this subsection is subtracted from the total appropriation;
(5) the projected membership for the district is divided by the result calculated pursuant to Paragraph (3) of this subsection;
(6) the number calculated pursuant to Paragraph (5) of this subsection is multiplied by the value calculated pursuant to Paragraph (4) of this subsection;
(7) the total of all legislative appropriations made after January 1, 2003 for educational technology directly to, and not rejected by, the school district is calculated. No later than June 30 of each year, the legislative council service shall certify to the bureau the amount of direct appropriations made to each school district during the preceding twelve months;
(8) the applicable amount for the school district calculated from Subparagraph (k), (m), (n) or (o) of Paragraph (5) of Subsection C of Section 22-24-5 NMSA 1978 is subtracted from one;
(9) the value calculated pursuant to Paragraph (7) of this subsection for the school district is multiplied by the amount calculated pursuant to Paragraph (8) of this subsection for that school district;
(10) the total amount of reductions for the school district made in prior fiscal years pursuant to Paragraph (11) of this subsection is subtracted from the amount calculated pursuant to Paragraph (9) of this subsection for that school district;
(11) the amount calculated for the school district pursuant to Paragraph (10) of this subsection is subtracted from the amount calculated pursuant to Paragraph (6) of this subsection for that school district;
(12) if the amount calculated for the school district pursuant to Paragraph (11) of this subsection is equal to or less than the base allocation amount, the estimated adjusted entitlement amount for that school district is equal to the base allocation amount; and
(13) if the amount calculated for the school district pursuant to Paragraph (11) of this subsection is more than the base allocation amount, the estimated adjusted entitlement amount for that school district is equal to the amount calculated pursuant to that paragraph.
D. On or before January 30 of each year, the bureau shall recompute each adjusted entitlement using the final funded membership for that year and, without making any additional reductions, shall allocate the balance of the annual appropriation adjusting for any over- or under-projection of membership.
E. Any school district receiving funding pursuant to the Technology for Education Act is responsible for the purchase, distribution, use and maintenance of educational technology.
F. As used in this section, "membership" means the total enrollment of qualified students, as defined in the Public School Finance Act, on the current roll of class or school on a specified day. The current roll is established by the addition of original entries and re-entries minus withdrawals. Withdrawal of students, in addition to students formally withdrawn from the public school, includes students absent from the public school for as many as ten consecutive school days."
Section 11. Section 22-15A-10 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1994, Chapter 96, Section 10) is amended to read:
"22-15A-10. ANNUAL REPORT.--Annually, at a time specified
by the department of education, each [local] school district
receiving distributions from the educational technology fund
shall file a report with the department of education regarding
distributions received, direct legislative appropriations for
educational technology made and not rejected, expenditures made
and educational technology obtained by the district and such
other related information as may be required by the department
of education."
Section 12. TEMPORARY PROVISION--TRANSFER.--On July 1, 2003:
A. all personnel of the deficiencies correction unit of the public school capital outlay council and up to four full-time employees of the capital outlay unit of the state department of public education are transferred to the public school facilities authority. The superintendent of public instruction and the public school capital outlay council shall jointly determine the employees of the capital outlay unit to be transferred pursuant to this subsection; provided that employees subject to the provisions of the Personnel Act prior to the transfer shall remain subject to the provisions of that act subsequent to the transfer;
B. all appropriations, money, records, property, equipment and supplies of the public school capital outlay council and the state department of public education that are primarily associated with the personnel described in Subsection A of this section are transferred to the public school facilities authority;
C. all contracts and agreements of the public school capital outlay council and the state department of public education relating to the activities of the personnel described in Subsection A of this section are transferred to the public school facilities authority; and
D. the superintendent of public instruction and the public school capital outlay council shall jointly identify the property to be transferred pursuant to Subsections B and C of this section.
Section 13. REPEAL.--Sections 22-20-3 and 22-24-4.2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1967, Chapter 16, Section 272 and Laws 2001, Chapter 338, Section 7, as amended) are repealed.
Section 14. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of Sections 1, 2, 12 and 13 of this act is July 1, 2003.
Section 15. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.