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

SPONSOR Asbill

DATE TYPED 02/24/05 HB

SHORT TITLE NM Regional Education Applicant Program

SB 869

ANALYST Segura

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$200.0

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 869 appropriates $200 thousand from the general fund to PED for the purpose of de-

veloping and improving a regional education applicant program to connect education staff with

vacancies.

Significant Issues

PED reports a regional applicant program is a web-based program where qualified applicants can

apply for vacant positions with New Mexico school districts. Participating districts can also

search the database for candidates. The system streamlines the application process by using one

application for vacancies in multiple districts. The system also expands the potential number of

candidates for the vacancies.

PED used federal funds to fund a pilot program from March 2003-December 2004. At the end of

the pilot, 64 public school districts and 16 charter schools were using the system. There were

1,354 teacher applications and 184 administrator applications in the system. Currently, 29 dis-

tricts are subscribing to regional application systems through Cooperative Education Services.

PED assess a web-recruitment system could help school districts align hiring practices, expand

Senate Bill 869 -- Page 2

the applicant pool and streamline the application process for potential teachers and administra-

tors.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

This appropriation could result in highly qualified teachers being hired which would positively

impact performance measures in public school support. PED states 85.7 percent of core classes

at the elementary level, 58 percent at middle school, and 82.7 percent at high school are taught

by “highly qualified teachers” as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) of 2001.

NCLB requires all students will be taught by highly qualified teachers by the 2005-2006 school

year (FY06).

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $200 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general

fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007 shall

revert to the general fund.

If the program is successful, this would become a recurring appropriation.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

PED estimates its costs at administering contracts for the system would be $5.7 thousand and

recommends it receives three percent of the contract costs for administration. This would come

from the appropriation.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL.

Public school districts will continue to use current recruitment practices.

RS/yr