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

SPONSOR Altamirano

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/22/2007

HB

SHORT TITLE WNMU TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM SB 118

ANALYST McOlash

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$388.6

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 118 appropriates $388,600 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of

Western New Mexico University (WNMU) for expenditure in FY08 to maintain the web-based

teacher preparation program

.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $388,600 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the General Fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2008 shall revert to the

General Fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The WNMU web-based teacher licensure program has been in existence since 2004. The goal of

the web-based teacher licensure is to provide alternative educational opportunities for teacher

licensure and endorsement through the Network for Web-based Teacher Licensure (NeTL).

NeTL provides a vital distance learning option for prospective teachers to access online classes

Senate Bill 118 – Page

2

to complete course requirements for licensure, continuing licensure, and endorsement. NeTL

offers educators in rural areas an alternative access to college-level courses via distance

education.

This request was submitted by WNMU to the New Mexico Higher Education Department for

review, but is not included in the Department’s recommendation for FY08 as additional funding.

The HED reports that WNMU is already receiving a recurring General Fund appropriation of

$388,600 in FY07 for its web-based teacher preparation program.

BM/nt:mt