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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Nava
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2-10-2007
3/09/2007 HB
SHORT TITLE Strengthening Quality in School Initiative
SB 243
ANALYST Dearing
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
$810.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
*Relates to Appropriations in the General Appropriations Act.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Public Education Department (PED)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 243 appropriates $810 thousand from the general fund for expenditure in FY08 to
department of Cultural Affairs for the Strengthening Quality in Schools initiative to continue the
program’s training and operations at two regional quality centers.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $810 thousand contained in Senate Bill 243 is a recurring expense to the
General Fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall
revert to the General Fund.
The LFC remains concerned with funding initiatives outside of the funding formula as it tends to
dis-equalize school funding and diverts funding away from core educational needs.
pg_0002
Senate Bill 243 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
The public Education department states that the funding appropriation would promote the
alignment of resources for Schools in Need of Improvement (SINOI), and would improve
professional development and coaching efforts for teachers and administrators. PED states that
funding would provide intensive, embedded, professional development at the classroom level.
*The program currently receives $600 thousand from the Teacher Professional Development
fund to assist Schools in Need of Improvement efforts and $30 thousand from regional quality
centers. The Teacher Professional Development fund received appropriations totaling $4.4
million through the Public School Support budget in FY06 and FY07. No additional funding
was recommended for the fund for FY08.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
Effective professional development for instructors and administrators could improve Adequate
Yearly Progress efforts, including proficiencies in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Reading.
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP
Relates to Senate Bills 244 and 245. Senate Bill 244 would provide an appropriation of $750
thousand to the ENMU Board of Regents for the Re: Learning and Regional Education
Technology Assistance program (RETA) to support school improvement in all grades of public
schools statewide. Senate Bill 245 would appropriate $600,000 from the General Fund to the
Board of Regents of NMSU for the Regional Educational Technology Assistance (RETA)
Program.
From 1998-2003 RETA was funded as a Technology Innovation Challenge Grant from the US
Department of Education receiving $8.7M. Starting in FY 2003, RETA has received legislative
professional development funding through the NM Public Education Department as follows:
•
2003-2004 - $500K
•
2004-2005 - $535K
•
2005-2006 - $500K
•
2006-2007 - $400K
•
FY2007 RETA funding of $400,000 from the Teacher Professional Development Fund (TPDF)
administered by the Public Education Department.
PD/mt