0001|                           SENATE BILL 146
    |
0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
    |
0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
    |
0004|                          RICHARD M. ROMERO
    |
0005|     
    |
0006|                                   
    |
0007|     
    |
0008|                                   
    |
0009|     
    |
0010|                                AN ACT
    |
0011|     RELATING TO EDUCATION; CREATING ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS FOR
    |
0012|     STUDENTS AT RISK OF DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL; MAKING AN
    |
0013|     APPROPRIATION.
    |
0014|     
    |
0015|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
    |
0016|          Section 1.  A new section of the Public School Code is
    |
0017|     enacted to read: 
    |
0018|          "[|NEW MATERIAL|] EDUCATIONAL SERVICES--DROPOUT 
    |
0019|     STUDENTS--PILOT PROJECT.--
    |
0020|               A.  The department of education shall operate a
    |
0021|     pilot program in the Albuquerque public schools, Santa Fe
    |
0022|     public schools and Las Cruces public schools to provide
    |
0023|     educational services to dropout students.  The pilot program
    |
0024|     shall run until December 31, 2001.  The department of
    |
0025|     education shall enter into joint powers agreements with
    |
                                        - 1 -

0001|     governmental entities including the New Mexico youth
    |
0002|     conservation corps created pursuant to the New Mexico Youth
    |
0003|     Conservation Corps Act, a school district or a charter school
    |
0004|     authorized pursuant to the Charter Schools Act to provide
    |
0005|     educational services for students at risk of dropping out of
    |
0006|     school.  The governmental entities shall recruit students at
    |
0007|     risk of dropping out of school and provide to them the basic
    |
0008|     educational services defined pursuant to Section 22-2-8.3 NMSA
    |
0009|     1978.  The governmental entities may hire employees who are
    |
0010|     not certified by the state board of education to work with
    |
0011|     students at risk of dropping out of school.
    |
0012|               B.  Students at risk of dropping out of school
    |
0013|     shall be held to the graduation requirements set out in
    |
0014|     section 22-2-8.4 of the NMSA 1978.
    |
0015|               C.  Governmental entities shall be evaluated by
    |
0016|     criteria that include academic achievement, retention, student
    |
0017|     attendance and the number of students who pass the New Mexico
    |
0018|     high school competency exam.
    |
0019|               D.  Governmental entities may contract for services
    |
0020|     including transportation, emergency medical services, food
    |
0021|     services and security necessary to provide educational
    |
0022|     services to students at risk of dropping out of school.
    |
0023|               E.  Charter schools founded to address the needs of
    |
0024|     at-risk students shall not operate on the same site with
    |
0025|     another public school."
    |
                                        - 2 -

0001|          Section 2.  APPROPRIATION.--Two million dollars
    |
0002|     ($2,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the
    |
0003|     state department of public education for expenditure in fiscal
    |
0004|     year 1999 for the purpose of funding the educational services
    |
0005|     for dropout students pilot program.  Any unexpended or
    |
0006|     unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 1999
    |
0007|     shall revert to the general fund.
    |
0008|                              
    |