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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Salazar
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2/8/06
HB 695
SHORT TITLE Nick Salazar Early Childhood Center
SB
ANALYST Earp
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY06
FY07
$40.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Higher Education Department (HED)
Children, Youth & Families Department (CYFD)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 695 appropriates $40,000 from the general fund to HED for additional staff at the
Nick Salazar Early Childhood Center at Luna Community College (LCC).
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $40,000 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.
Information provided through HED indicates that there has been a waiting list of 8-10 students at
the LCC program since August 2005. The goal for these funds is to expand capacity to serve be-
tween 40-45 students by hiring at least two teachers, one fully certified, and one working to-
wards certification. There are currently two full-time teachers, one vacant part-time position, and
four work study students. Remaining funds are intended to expand the preschool to a third room
and purchase the necessary furniture and supplies
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House Bill 695 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
This proposal was not included among the special program funding requests submitted by LCC
to the Higher Education Department (HED) for review. Consequently, this proposal has not
been included in the HED fiscal year 2007 funding recommendations to the Legislature.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
HED would receive the appropriation and then transfer it to Luna Community College which
would be responsible for hiring the additional early childhood center staff. See Technical Issues
below.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
This appropriation could be made directly to Luna Community College, which would eliminate
the necessity of routing the funds through HED.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
CYFD reports that the Luna Community College Early Childhood Center is currently licensed
through the Child Care Services Bureau (District II Child Care Licensing). Their total capacity is
30 children. Seven children who attend the Early Childhood Center are receiving child care as-
sistance subsidies through CYFD.
DKE/yr