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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Martinez
DATE TYPED 02/07/05 HB
SHORT TITLE Northern New Mexico Teacher Program
SB 321
ANALYST Williams
APPROPRIATION
Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY05
FY06
FY05
FY06
$565.0
potential dou-
ble-funding in
out-years
Recurring General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Similar to House Bill 328. SB 321 adds the language “for instruction and student services for the
teacher education program” to the language of HB 321.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
New Mexico Public Education Department (PED)
Commission on Higher Education (CHE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 321 appropriates $565 thousand from the general fund to fund instruction and student
services for the teacher education program at Northern New Mexico State School, commonly
known as Northern New Mexico Community College.
Significant Issues
Northern New Mexico Community College received $175,000 in non-recurring funds in FY06
for teacher education. Further, Chapter 84 (Senate Bill 163) authorized the board of regents to
develop, implement and seek accreditation for a baccalaureate degree in teacher education for the
Espanola campus.
pg_0002
Senate Bill 321 -- Page 2
The program would be authorized when the board certifies the program:
(1)
has been developed and is ready for implementation and
(2)
is ready to receive the accreditation review team….
The 2003 legislation directed that in developing the program, northern New Mexico state school
shall engage in a partnership with New Mexico Highlands University…….”
The Commission on Higher Education notes “Activities to be funded in this proposal will be
funded through the Instruction and General (I&G) higher education funding formula
within the General Appropriation Act in FY06. Funding of a specific program without
consideration of similar needs at all institutions could weaken the equitability and thus
the integrity of the I&G formula.”
PED notes “there are currently nine undergraduate teacher preparation programs and 10 alterna-
tive teacher preparation programs in operation in New Mexico that train approximately
1,500 new teachers each year, although not all become teachers and some are recruited to
other states. New Mexico will need approximately 1,850 new teachers each year for the
next 10 years. The establishment of a baccalaureate degree program would expand op-
portunities for teacher education in the region and would be responsive to helping the
high-need districts in Northern’s service area to fill hard-to-staff positions in special edu-
cation, bilingual and reading.”
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
According to PED, “expanding the licensure programs available to prepare teachers could help
address the Public Education Department’s (PED) on-going work to increase the pool of
potential teachers and thereby increase the percent of classes being taught by “highly
qualified” teachers in high-need schools. These efforts could help PED meet the re-
quirements set forth in the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, namely that all
teachers teaching in core academic subjects must be “highly qualified” by the end of the
2005-2006.”
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $565 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general
fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2006 shall revert to
the general fund.
Instruction and general components of new degree programs offered by the state’s public post-
secondary institutions are typically funded through the higher education funding formula. This
bill proposes to potentially bypass the formula resulting in double-funding when student credit
hours are generated.
ALTERNATIVES
In 2003, the legislature established the program development enhancement fund, administered by
the commission on higher education, to “enhance the contribution of post-secondary educational
institution to the resolution of critical state issues and the advancement of the welfare of the
state”. This fund was established pursuant to the recommendations of the blue ribbon task force
pg_0003
Senate Bill 321 -- Page 3
on the higher education funding formula. Senate Bill 370 (Chapter 389) identified critical issues
which might be addressed utilizing funding from the program development enhancement fund:
•
Expanding instructional programs to meet critical statewide work force and professional
training needs
•
Enhancing instructional programs that provide employment opportunity for New Mexico
students in a global economy and
•
Developing mission-specific instructional programs that build on existing institutional
academic strengths.
To date, monies have not been appropriated to the fund. The legislature may wish to consider
the program development enhancement fund as a mechanism to plan and prioritize needs such as
those as identified in this bill.
The CHE notes the availability of indirect cost revenues received from federal contracts and
grants as an available source of seed money and matching funds for projects such as those pro-
posed in this bill.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
1.
What has been accomplished with funds appropriated by the 2004 legislature.
2.
Does NNMCC currently have staff qualified to provide all or part of the curriculum.
3.
What is the status of the program establishment and accreditation effort.
4.
What is the status of the partnership with New Mexico Highlands University.
5.
How will this funding be utilized.
AW/njw