Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance

committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports

if they are used for other purposes.

Current FIRs (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) are a vailable on the NM Legislative Website (legis.state.nm.us).

Adobe PDF versions include all attachments, whereas HTML versions may not. Previously issued FIRs and

attachments may be obtained from the LFC in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.

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

SPONSOR Robinson

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/5/06

HB

SHORT TITLE Increase Albuquerque-Area School Faculty

SB 676

ANALYST Aguilar

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

1,000.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 676 appropriates $1 million from the general fund to the public education department

for the purpose of increasing the number of faculty members at schools within the Highland and

Manzano clusters in the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) and to add at least one additional

social worker to each cluster.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The bill provides additional funding to increase the number of faculty members at specific school

within APS. This would alter the distribution of funds to school districts affecting the State

Equalization Guarantee (SEG) distribution. The SEG is in place to assure all public school stu-

dents access to programs and services. Naming specific school clusters and providing funding

outside of the SEG would be in opposition to the tenet of equal funding independent of local cir-

cumstances and may expose the state to lawsuits by other school districts. PED points out that

the potential of disequalizing the funding formula for other districts.

The appropriation of $1 million 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.

Senate Bill 676 – Page 2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

This bill would alter long-established precedent of local school boards making personnel deci-

sions regarding the number of teachers assigned to schools

The idea of providing additional teachers to schools, in general, is accepted as a method of low-

ering classroom size which is shown to improve student achievement.

Additional social worker availability would support resolution of student issues both in and out

of schools.

PA/yr