SENATE BILL 105

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2010

INTRODUCED BY

John Arthur Smith

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE; CHANGING THE COST DIFFERENTIAL FACTOR FOR TWELFTH GRADE; LIMITING SMALL SCHOOL AND SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICT SIZE ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM UNITS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     Section 1. Section 22-8-20 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1991, Chapter 85, Section 3, as amended by Laws 1993, Chapter 2, Section 1, Laws 1993, Chapter 226, Sections 21 and 22 and also by Laws 1993, Chapter 228, Sections 2 and 3) is amended to read:

     "22-8-20. BASIC PROGRAM UNITS.--The number of basic program units is determined by multiplying the basic program MEM in each grade by the corresponding cost differential factor as follows:

          Grades Cost Differential Factor

          1                                          1.2

          2 and 3                                    1.18

          4 through 6                                1.045

          7 through [12] 11                          1.25

          12                                         1.045."

     Section 2. Section 22-8-23 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1975, Chapter 119, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:

     "22-8-23. SIZE ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM UNITS.--

          A. An approved public school [with] that is located in a small town, village or rural community with a population of less than three thousand and that is located at least five miles from another public school offering a similar academic program and that has a MEM of less than 400, including early childhood education full-time-equivalent MEM but excluding membership in class C and class D programs and excluding full-time-equivalent membership in three- and four-year-old developmentally disabled programs, is eligible for additional program units. Separate schools established to provide special programs, including but not limited to vocational and alternative education, shall not be classified as public schools for purposes of generating size adjustment program units. The number of additional program units to which a school district is entitled under this subsection is the sum of elementary-junior high units and senior high units computed in the following manner:

                     Elementary-Junior High Units

                     200 - MEM x 1.0 x MEM = Units

                       200

where MEM is equal to the membership of an approved elementary or junior high school, including early childhood education full-time-equivalent membership but excluding membership in class C and class D programs and excluding full-time-equivalent membership in three- and four-year-old developmentally disabled programs;

                     Senior High Units

                     200 - MEM x 2.0 x MEM = Units

                       200

or,

                     Senior High Units

                     400 - MEM x 1.6 x MEM = Units

                       400

whichever calculation for senior high units is higher, where

MEM is equal to the membership of an approved senior high

school excluding membership in class C and class D programs.

          B. A school district with total MEM of less than [4,000] 3,000, including early childhood education full-time-equivalent MEM, the central office of which is located more than fifteen miles from the central office of another school district that also has a total MEM of less than 3,000, is eligible for additional program units. The number of additional program units to which a school district is entitled under this subsection is the number of district units computed in the following manner:

                     District Units

                     [4,000] 3,000 - MEM x 0.15 x MEM = Units

                     [4,000] 3,000

where MEM is equal to the total district membership,

including early childhood education full-time-equivalent membership.

          C. A school district with [over] more than 10,000 MEM with a ratio of MEM to senior high schools less than 4,000:1 is eligible for additional program units based on the number of approved regular senior high schools that are not eligible for senior high units under Subsection A of this section. The number of additional program units to which an eligible school district is entitled under this subsection is the number of units computed in the following manner:

                     4,000 - MEM         x 0.50 = Units

                     Senior High Schools

where MEM is equal to the total district membership, including early childhood education full-time-equivalent membership, and where senior high schools are equal to the number of approved regular senior high schools in the school district."

     Section 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2010.