44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

RELATING TO EDUCATION; ALLOWING ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR SIZE ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM UNITS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

Section 1. 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 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. Alternative schools approved by the department shall be eligible for 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, including early childhood education full-time-equivalent MEM, is eligible for additional program units. The number of additional program units to which a district is entitled under this subsection is the number of district units computed in the following manner:

District Units

4000 - MEM x 0.15 x MEM = Units

4000

where MEM is equal to the total district membership,

including early childhood education full-time-equivalent membership.

C. A school district with over 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:

4000 - 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 district."

Section 2. APPROPRIATION.-Five million three hundred thousand dollars ($5,300,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the state department of public education for expenditure in fiscal year 2000 to fund additional program units generated by alternative schools size adjustment program units. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert to the general fund.