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

SPONSOR Altimarano

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/09/2007

HB

SHORT TITLE

WNMU Early Childhood Program

SB 803

ANALYST Moser

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$130,000

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates HB 752

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

NM Department of Higher Education (NMHED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 803 requests $130,000 to be appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of

Regents of Western New Mexico University (WNMU) for expenditure in FY08 and FY09 to

fund Early Childhood Program (ECP) needs.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $130,000 contained in this bill is a multi-year appropriation for expenditure

in FY08 and FY09. However, it is important to note that the nature of this request is for activities

that will go beyond FY09.

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

General Fund.

Senate Bill 803 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

As outlined in the university’s website, the WNMU Early Childhood Programs encompass the:

•

Preschool/Child Development Center for university students with children 6 weeks to 5

years old

•

School Age Program at three elementary schools serving children from ages 5 to 11

•

Growing Tree Infant Program at Silver High School/Opportunity School for teen parents

with children 6 weeks to 36 months old

•

Community Childcare Center for children from ages 3 to 5

•

Family Counseling Center providing specialized child and family services for enrollees

and the community

•

La Familia Resource Center providing training, technical assistance, and family outreach

to parents and childcare providers in five counties

•

WNMU School of Education Associate of Arts Degree Program in Early Care, Education

and Family Support, designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills to fulfill

state and community early childhood program needs (for example, childcare

staff, providers, and classroom assistants)

Also, the website indicates that the programs offer a comprehensive array of services and use a

family-centered approach that is central to a developmentally appropriate early education. The

curricula actively involve enrolled children in the learning process, foster positive self-concept,

develop social skills, encourage thinking and reasoning, and spark creative expression. The

programs strive to support the highest quality of early care and education through community

outreach, teacher education/training, and advocacy.

HED states that according to the Director of Early Childhood Programs, this request for

$130,000 is to support the operations and staffing needs of the Family Counseling Center and La

Familia Resource Center to help parents and children with special needs.

This request was on the list of priority projects submitted by WNMU to the New Mexico Higher

Education Department for review which was not included within the HED recommendation.

GM/csd