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A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING A STUDY OF THE REGIONAL EDUCATION COOPERATIVES.

WHEREAS, the legislature created the regional education

cooperatives in 1993 to bring education-related services to

rural and other underserved areas of the state; and

WHEREAS, regional education cooperatives now serve over

fifty-nine of the eighty-nine school districts as well as

charter schools and state-supported schools; and

WHEREAS, regional education cooperatives bring direct

services to children, families and communities, including

federal child find activities, which help identify children

who may have special needs at an early age when appropriate

interventions may be most effective in helping them reach

their full potential; and

WHEREAS, regional education cooperatives have a unique

understanding of the strengths and challenges of their

members and provide their members with a variety of services,

including professional development, special education and

other technical assistance, parent training, data collection

and analysis, distance education, grant writing and

administration, school-board training, cooperative school

nurse services and special education-related services, and

other services identified as crucial by their members; and

WHEREAS, regional education cooperatives are a vital and

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necessary component of New Mexico's education system and

should continue to serve as a conduit and delivery system for

New Mexico's school improvement and educational reforms; and

WHEREAS, recent changes in the grant requirements of the

federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other

federal programs and in the federal process for reimbursing

school districts and other local educational agencies for

expenditures have resulted in financial hardships for the

regional education cooperatives and their members;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE

STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative education study

committee, the public education department and the regional

education cooperatives be requested to study the roles,

responsibilities and financial requirements of the regional

education cooperatives; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this study include an

examination of the public education department's financial

reimbursement process and the regional education

cooperatives' financial reporting procedures; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative education

study committee, the public education department and the

regional education cooperatives be requested to report their

findings and recommendations, including recommendations for

statutory changes and funding, if necessary, to the

legislative education study committee by October 2008; and

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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

transmitted to the director of the legislative education

study committee, the secretary of public education and the

directors of the regional education cooperatives for

appropriate distribution.