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

SPONSOR Altamirano

DATE TYPED 2/4/05

HB

SHORT TITLE WNMU School of Education

SB 346

ANALYST Woods

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$641.6

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to the appropriation for Western New Mexico University in the General Appropriations

Act.

Relates to HB302

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Public Education Department (PED)

No Response Received From

New Mexico Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 346 – Making an Appropriation to Western New Mexico University for the School of

Education – appropriates $641,600 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of Western New

Mexico University for expenditure in FYs 05 and 06 to maintain the network for web-based teacher

licensure. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to

the general fund.

Significant Issues

PED indicates the bill would provide Western New Mexico University (WNMU) with the finan-

cial support to maintain its statewide online and distance education teacher preparation courses.

WNMU offers undergraduate and alternative teacher preparation courses leading to licensure in

Senate Bill 346 -- Page 2

elementary, secondary, special education and career and technology teacher education. WNMU

also offers graduate-level education courses. The existing program provides access and avail-

ability to undergraduate and graduate students who are unable to travel to WNMU’s main cam-

pus in Silver City, or to its Graduate Studies Center in Gallup.

PED additionally notes that the WNMU School of Education is particularly committed to ex-

panding online access to students in rural areas, as well as to the Navajo Nation Teacher Educa-

tion Consortium, which continues its efforts to increase the number of Navajo teachers in secon-

dary education.

While this program was approved by the NMSU Board of Regents for consideration by CHE, it

was not included in the CHE’s 2005-2006 Higher Education Funding Recommendation.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

PED suggests that the bill serves to support the Public School Support Quality Performance

Measure to increase the percent of classes taught by highly qualified teachers in all schools

across the state. Further, that it also supports the New Mexico Accountability Plan for the fed-

eral No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, which requires that 100 percent of core academic

subjects are instructed by highly qualified teachers by the end of the 2005-2006 school year.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $641,600 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the gen-

eral fund.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

WNMU would retain oversight of the program.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Relates to the appropriation for Western New Mexico University in the General Appropriations

Act.

Relates to HB302 in that HB302 appropriates $641,000 – as opposed to $641,600 in SB346 –

from the general fund to the Board of Regents of Western New Mexico University to maintain

the network for web-based teacher licensure. Further, HB302 restricts expenditures to FY06, while

this bill authorizes expenditure in FYs 05 and 06.

BFW/yr