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

SPONSOR Gonzales

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/4/06

HB 612

SHORT TITLE Taos Schools Reading Program

SB

ANALYST Hoffmann

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$147.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to Senate Bill 647 and House Bill 225.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 612 appropriates $147,000 from the general fund to the Public Education Department

for a reading program in Taos Middle School in the Taos Municipal Schools.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $147,000 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.

According to the Public Education Department, Reading First, which provides reading programs

in eligible schools throughout the state, demonstrates the following necessary costs associated

with creation and implementation of a reading program: reading specialist @ $71.5 (salary and

benefits), $150.0 core reading, intervention and supplemental materials, $100.0 professional de-

velopment, $5.0 office set up and equipment, totaling $227.5 per school. Funding provided

through HB 612 for a middle school reading program does not correlate with the needed funding

House Bill 612 – Page

2

for a Reading First program. The PED could absorb the cost of making this appropriation into

the work of the early childhood bureau

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

This specific line-item proposal was not included in the Executive budget recommendation or the

LFC’s budget recommendation.

According to the Public Education Department, Taos Middle School (grades 6-8) did not make

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in reading for all students in 2004-2005. The Taos Middle

School 2004-2005 AYP report shows 75% of Anglo students proficient in reading, 42% of His-

panic, 34% of Native American, 27% of English Language Learners, 12% of Special Education

and 48% of Economically Disadvantaged students’ proficient.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

According to the Public Education Department, implementation of a middle school reading pro-

gram at Taos Middle School could impact increased reading achievement for all students and

help to close the existing achievement gap.

RELATIONSHIP

Senate Bill 647 appropriates $146,000 for a reading program at Taos middle schools.

House Bill 225 appropriates $5,000,000 for reading programs in public schools.

CH/nt