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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

2/16/2007

2/20/2007 HB 931/aHEC

SHORT TITLE New Taos High School Mission

SB

ANALYST Schuss

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$150.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates SB 898

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Amendment

The House Education Committee has proposed an amendment that would change the

appropriation to $150,000 and any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of

FY08 shall revert to the general fund.

Synopsis of Original Bill

House Bill 931 appropriates $300,000 from the general fund to the Public Education Department

to implement the newly defined mission for the Taos High School.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $300,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY09 shall revert to the

general fund.

House Bill 931/aHEC – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

PED reports the following in their analysis:

This bill appropriates funding to implement the Taos High School Initiative. More

specifically, it seeks to implement programmatic and systemic changes to Taos High School

beginning with its new mission, “To prepare students, in partnership with Home and

Community, to become Socially Responsible Citizens as well as productive and competent

Lifelong Learners."

In 2006, with 45% of high school students and 57% of middle school students scoring

below proficiency in reading, the Taos School Board adopted five district goals in an effort to

turn things around. One of these goals was a call for a revisioning of the Taos High School. A

broad-based committee comprising students, teachers, parents, business and members of the

Town Council, County Commission and the Pueblo of Taos arrived at the newly defined mission

of Taos High School for the “Next Generation" of high school students.

It is envisioned that implementation will take 3-5 years. The goals and strategies derived

from the new mission statement are as follows:

•

Increase involvement of parents and community members

•

Integrate cultural and community traditions and customs

•

Make the school a safe environment

•

Increase access to technology

•

Increase technological literacy

•

Implement programmatic and systemic changes that include curricular and structural

changes.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

There is alignment to PED’s strategic plan for 2005-2010 in most of the following priority areas:

•

student achievement

•

academic standards and assessments

•

teacher quality

•

parent partnerships

•

student funding formula

•

access to technology

•

closing the opportunity gap.

DUPLICATION

Duplicates SB 898

BS/nt