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

SPONSOR Arnold-Jones

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/25/08

HB 228

SHORT TITLE UNM Law School Mentoring Programs

SB

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$300.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 228 appropriates $300.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the

University of New Mexico to fund college preparatory mentoring programs at the University of

New Mexico School of Law for students in the eighth through twelfth grades in the Albuquerque

public school system.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $300.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any

unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2009 shall revert to the

general fund.

This request was not submitted to the New Mexico Higher Education Department for review and

is not included in the Department’s funding recommendation for FY09.

House Bill 228 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The HED states:

The funding is for Los Companeros, a Latino-focused program. Los Companeros is a

long-term initiative currently in its seventh year, aimed at improving retention and

graduation rates for middle, high school, and college students. Often, students from

diverse economic and cultural backgrounds do not have the opportunity to attain their full

potential. The mission of Los Companeros, through the mentoring program, is to

promote both academic and personal success among Hispanic middle school students

through a culturally relevant mentoring program provided by university students.

Funding from appropriation will be used to pay the salaries of university undergraduate

students who are offering these essential mentoring services to middle and high school

students within the Albuquerque Public School system.

The program works collaboratively with the University of New Mexico and Albuquerque

Public Schools. Los Companeros has been able to secure space at seven local schools for

the program. Three to four mentors work at each site with a cohort of students (15

students in the middle schools and 30 in the high schools) whom they interact with on a

consistent basis. These interactions may occur before, during, or after school.

The students targeted for this program have graduated from Valley, Albuquerque, and

West Mesa high schools. The grant was written specifically for those students. They are

Hispanic students. Traditionally, those high schools have been underrepresented at the

university.

The program offers its undergraduate mentors both leadership and professional

development while working with middle and high school students. The mentors have

opportunities to network professionally during the New Mexico State Legislative Session

and at national conferences and seminars. Additionally they enjoy the benefits of flexible

employment that is highly supportive of their own educational needs.

The PED states that House Bill 228 relates to the public school performance measures related to

academic proficiency and graduation rate.

GH/nt