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

SPONSOR Campos

DATE TYPED 02-18-05 HB

SHORT TITLE NM Highlands MESA Program

SB 568

ANALYST Woods

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$25.0

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

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

Act.

Relates to HB 316, SB 487

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

New Mexico Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 568 – Making an Appropriation for the MESA Program at New Mexico Highlands

University – appropriates $25,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico

Highlands University for expenditure in FY06 to support the MESA program. Any unexpended

or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the general fund.

Significant Issues

PED indicates that the New Mexico Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement

Senate Bill 568 -- Page 2

(MESA) program promotes educational enrichment in math and science for middle and high

school students from historically under-represented ethnic groups. MESA works in partnership

with schools and universities to prepare pre-college students for college and careers in math, sci-

ence and related fields. The program is national in scope, originating in 1970 at the University

of California at Berkley. New Mexico MESA, based on this model, was founded in 1982. The

program has provided thousands of middle and high school students with academic support and

guidance. In the 2003-04 school year, New Mexico MESA served approximately 4,900 students

in 101 schools and 31 school districts. New Mexico MESA educational activities include: tutor-

ing and study skills, college and career counseling, field trips, academic competitions, leadership

development, summer programs, scholarship incentives, elementary school outreach, teacher

professional development, parental support and business collaboration.

PED adds that New Mexico MESA participants are required to maintain a minimum 2.0 grade

point average, enroll in college-prep courses in math, science and English and participate in

regular meetings, tutoring sessions and at least one field trip. They are also required to take the

Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) as high school juniors, and either the SAT or ACT

as juniors or seniors. General demographics for 2004 show that 1.9 percent of participants are

African-American, 18.8 percent Anglo, 1.6 percent Asian, 63.5 percent Hispanic, 9.7 percent Na-

tive American and 4.5 percent other. 44.7 percent of the participants are male and 55.3 percent

are female.

The New Mexico MESA service area is divided into six regions with offices at the UNM, High-

lands University, NMSU and Eastern New Mexico University. The MESA program at High-

lands University has traditionally been funded in part through Highlands.

CHE notes that this request was not in the list of priority projects submitted by New Mexico

Highlands University to CHE for review. Accordingly, the request was not included in the

commission’s funding recommendation for FY06.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS:

PED suggests that while there is no direct impact on the department’s core performance meas-

ures and benchmarks, the legislation does support the core performance measures and bench-

marks for mathematics and for parent involvement. The legislation additionally supports im-

proved achievement on standards-based measures in science.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $25,000 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

New Mexico Highlands University will retain oversight of this appropriation.

Senate Bill 568 -- Page 3

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

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

Act.

Relates to HB316 in that HB316 seeks to appropriate $100,000 from the general fund to the

Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico for expenditure in FY06 to enhance pre-

college science and mathematics skills and conduct a summer mathematics and science camp for

minority students.

Relates to SB487 in that SB487 seeks to appropriate appropriates $250,000 to the Commission

on Higher Education for expenditure in FY06 to provide programs at various New Mexico col-

leges and universities for high school students to develop expertise in the fields of mathematics,

science and engineering.

BFW/lg