SENATE MEMORIAL 30

55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2022

INTRODUCED BY

Roberto "Bobby" J. Gonzales and Bill Tallman and Harold Pope

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO RESEARCH THE GROWTH OF ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURES BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS AND DEVELOP PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO LIMIT THAT GROWTH.

     WHEREAS, in 2020, the legislative finance committee informed the legislature that between 2007 and 2019, central and general administration spending by school districts and charter schools grew by fifty-five percent, while spending on instruction and student support grew by twenty percent; and

     WHEREAS, research conducted by think New Mexico found that sixty-one of the eighty-nine school districts in New Mexico increased central and general administrative spending nearly three times faster than classroom spending between 2007 and 2017; and

     WHEREAS, the public education department reported that between 2020 and 2021, total educational program costs increased by seven and one-half percent, while school districts budgeted, on average, a twenty-six percent increase in administrative expenditures; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico ranks third highest in the nation for the percentage of education budget that comes from the state, rather than local taxes, yet school districts and charter schools are currently not accountable to the state for how they allocate those state taxpayer dollars between administrative and classroom expenditures; and

     WHEREAS, the findings in the consolidated Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico decision noted that the public education department did not sufficiently monitor or audit the use of state equalization guarantee funds to determine whether school districts were using the funds as required for at-risk students; and

     WHEREAS, the state has made historic investments in public education over the past several years; and

     WHEREAS, every dollar spent on administrative overhead in central offices is a dollar that is not available to be spent on classroom instruction and direct student services; and

     WHEREAS, limiting the growth of administrative budgets would make additional resources available to students and teachers, including instructional materials, professional development, ancillary services and personnel, supplies and increased salaries for positions that are difficult to fill; and

     WHEREAS, maximizing the amount of the state's education budget that is spent on classroom needs would help New Mexico meet its constitutional obligation to provide a sufficient education for all students;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative finance committee be requested to research the recent trends in the growth of general and central administrative expenditures, investigate potential reasons why general and central administrative expenditures have exceeded the growth of other categories of education spending in recent years and develop proposed legislation to limit the growth of administrative expenditures, to be presented to the legislative finance committee by November 1, 2022, to address the inequities and deficiencies identified by the court in the consolidated Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico lawsuit and to increase funding to classrooms and direct services; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative finance committee be requested to consult with the public education department, the legislative education study committee, the Indian education advisory council, the Hispanic education advisory council, the bilingual multicultural education advisory council, the Black education advisory council and community-based organizations to address the significant statewide growth in general and central administrative budgets and to develop proposed legislation to redirect more funding to classrooms and direct services; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the legislative finance committee, the public education department, the legislative education study committee, the Indian education advisory council, the Hispanic education advisory council, the bilingual multicultural education advisory council and the Black education advisory council.

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