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

SPONSOR Garcia, M.J.

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/18/08

HB

SHORT TITLE Las Cruces Youth Dance Programs

SB 141

ANALYST Lucero

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

0.0

$15.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to: HB92 “Santa Fe Dance Education Programs", SB238 “Grants & Socorro County

Dance Education", and SB194 “Santa Fe Dance Festival".

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

Public Education Depatment (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 141 appropriates fifteen thousand ($15,000) from the general fund to Children, Youth

and Families Department to support youth dance programs in partnership with local school

districts, in Las Cruces to encourage character-building arts education.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of fifteen thousand ($15,000) contained in this bill is a recurring expense to

the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of 2009 shall

revert to the general fund.

This bill is not part of the CYFD request, the executive or LFC recommendation.

Senate Bill 141 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Evidence indicates that youth who are involved in recreational activities consistently show lower

rates of substance use and gang involvement (The NSDUH Report, 2007; Research Review:

Gang Violence and Prevention). They demonstrate healthier functioning on such indicators as

academic achievement, psychological adjustment, and improved quality and quantity of

interactions with their parents (Social Policy Report, 2006). Activities such as sports, music, and

drama help build a sense of self-worth and self-respect.

This bill offers the opportunity for youth to participate in dance programs, offered by CYFD in

partnership with Las Cruces school districts, encouraging character-building arts education.

CYFD does not currently manage such a program.

The Public Education Department states that movement, choreography, storytelling, valuing

one’s own and others’ cultures can be enhanced though the Performing Arts/Dance. Learning

through the arts for students creates interest, discipline, focus and promotes learning and skill

development.

The NM Content Standards for the Arts make a foundation for this learning along with other

Content Standards through:

•

Demonstration of an understanding of the dynamics of the creative process.

•

Observation, discussion, analysis and making critical judgments about artistic works.

•

Increased awareness of diverse peoples through the performing arts.

•

Connections and parallels among the arts, health and physical education disciplines as

well as Science, Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, Modern, Classical and Native

Languages and Career Technology.

•

Contributions to the local community by sharing learning in movement, and dance.

As the world moves from a logical, linear Information Age into an economy and society built

on the inventive capabilities of a Conceptual Age, creative design, symphony, empathy and

meaning will emerge to be as valued as logical thinking and linear skills are now. (Pink,

2005).

References:

New Mexico Content Standards, Benchmarks, and Performance Standards

Visual and Performing Arts K-12 (2007 revision) Retrieved January 17, 2008

Pink, D. (2005). A whole new mind. New York. Riverhead Books

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

CYFD’s mission focuses on working with local communities to develop prevention and

intervention programs for youth. This program is consistent with CYFD’s mission.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

Administering this bill requires CYFD to use existing resources to develop, implement, and

administer a contract or contracts in partnership with the local school districts to disburse the

funds as intended.

Senate Bill 141 – Page

3

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Relates to: HB92 “Santa Fe Dance Education Programs", SB238 “Grants & Socorro County

Dance Education", and SB194 “Santa Fe Dance Festival".

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

TECHNICAL ISSUES

It is unclear if the sponsor of the bill is wishing to prioritize at risk youth in the dance program

by specifying a partnership with CYFD and PED. To ease administrative burden, if there is not

an intention to prioritize at risk youth, the appropriation could be made directly to PED.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

Involvement with music and the arts has been repeatedly identified as a resiliency factor for

youth that, in concert with other resiliencies, serves to protect them from risk factors to their

health, safety, and development.

New Mexico’s Physical Education Content Standards with benchmarks call for students to:

•

Maintain and improve physical fitness, motor skills and knowledge about physical

activity.

•

Practice and demonstrate physical activity as a vehicle for self-expression.

The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, located at

http://www.dropoutprevention.org/effstrat/after_school_opps/overview.htm, provides the

following information regarding the need for after-school programs: “Many disadvantaged

students in urban and rural environments lack the day-to-day experiences that stimulate their

intellectual development. After-school opportunities have positive effects on academic success,

social behavior and provide opportunities for enrichment for at-risk students. There are a

multitude of youth programs available, but many are inaccessible to inner-city and rural youth.

These youth have fewer programs from which to choose than those in the suburbs. Urban youth

often turn to gangs and the drug trade for protection, friends and job opportunities due to lack of

parental authority. The rural areas tend to lack the level of violence of inner cities, but there are

still problems. A disproportionately large share of the poor is enrolled in rural schools. Rural

areas are characterized by geographic isolation, declining population and inadequate community

facilities which acerbate the problems related to economic hardship and racial and ethnic

tensions (Green & Schneider, 1990)."

There is an association between sedentary lifestyles and obesity, which can result in sleep apnea,

asthma and Type II Diabetes -- all of which impact student learning and can contribute to the

achievement gap.

National data indicate that 15% of youths are overweight. In New Mexico, 17% of elementary,

52% of middle school and 43% of high school students are overweight. The economic burden of

chronic diseases associated with obesity is $324 million in New Mexico and $117 billion

nationally.

Senate Bill 141 – Page

4

According to the 2005 New Mexico Youth Risk and Residency and Survey

•

44% of New Mexico high school students did not participate in physical activity during

the past week of the survey

•

50% of high school students are not enrolled in physical education.

ALTERNATIVES

The appropriation contained in this bill could be shifted from CYFD to PED. It is unclear why

the bill as written appropriates to CYFD unless the intent is prioritize at-risk youth in the dance

programs.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

Status quo.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

None at this time.

DL/mt