New Mexico's 2024 legislative session ended at noon on February 15 with two education bills signed into law and three others awaiting the governor's signature or veto.
Along with the two new bills, one of which is the state budget, three other bills affecting education have passed both chambers and are currently awaiting the governor's signature. A total of 777 bills were proposed in this legislative session, of which 54 were education-related. During the 30-day legislative session, only bills related to the state budget or bills sent by the governor are eligible for debate. Of the 54 bills, only 21 were budget-related, and three bills were approved for discussion by the governor. Of those 24, only these five were approved by both houses of the Legislature.
The lack of an education plan this legislative session comes after the state celebrated a 4% increase in student reading proficiency. The celebration is based on data from the 2022-2023 school year showing that only one-third, or 34%, of New Mexico students can read at grade level. Literacy data has not been reported consistently with prior year data and should not be compared. . While state data shows that students' literacy skills have increased, the state has glossed over the fact that students' math skills have fallen by 1 percent. Over the past year, the Legislative Education Study Committee has been exploring ways to address these proficiency levels, especially in light of the landmark 2018 Yazzie/Martinez decision that found the state failed to provide students with an “adequate” education. This is a requirement under Article 12, Section 1 of the New Mexico Constitution.
As soon as the 2024 legislative session began, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in her State of the State address that this time would be used to address crime in the state.
In her speech, the governor requested $30 million in capital funding to establish statewide literacy institutes to help students improve their reading skills, which she received in her budget. She also told legislators she would like to see a statewide effort to increase instructional time for all school districts to at least 180 days. In rebuking this request, lawmakers placed a restriction in their budget amendment ordering the executive branch not to use funds to implement rules related to NMPED requiring 180 days of training. The governor could veto this language when approving the budget.
Education bill signed into law
General Budget Act of 2024, House Bill 2 establishes a general budget and authorizes spending by state agencies. For education, the budget allocates $4.7 billion for public education. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Nathan Small (D – Las Cruces).
School Graduation Requirements, House Bill 171 changes graduation requirements for students entering ninth grade in the 2025-2028 school years. The bill eliminates requirements for Algebra II, Advanced Placement, honors and dual credit courses that were previously required for graduation. Instead, the bill emphasizes flexibility by allowing students to choose from a broader range of courses, including career technical education, internships, or project-based learning. The bill was signed by the Governor on February 9 and sponsored by Representative G. Andres Romero (D – Bernalillo), Representative Ryan Lane (R – San Juan), and Senator Mimi Stewart (D – Bernalillo).
Education Bill Awaiting Signature
Public School Capital Expenditure GrantsHouse Bill 207 requires the Public School Capital Outlays Commission to provide grants from the Public School Capital Outlays Fund for rental assistance to public charter schools so that funds can be used for construction of buildings and school grounds. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joy Garratt (D – Bernalillo), passed the House with a unanimous vote of 64-1 in the Senate.
School District Share Adjustment Exemption, Senate Bill 76, relates to public school capital expenditures by amending local equity adjustment exemption requirements for school districts. The bill passed the Senate 38-0 and was supported by Senator Mimi Stewart (D – Bernalillo).
school district education, Senate Bill 137, increases mandatory training for local school boards and charter school governing bodies and requires training in specific areas, including the board's role in budgeting and improving student achievement. New school board and steering committee members must complete 10 hours of training. Returning members are required to complete five hours of training per year. . The bill limits a school board from firing a superintendent between 60 days after a school board election and the new school board takes office. The bill also amends the campaign reporting law by applying to local school board candidates to require all school board candidates to publicly report their campaign contributions. Additionally, local school board or governing body meetings must be webcast and archived. The bill, sponsored by Senators Mimi Stewart and William Soules (D – Dona Ana), passed 30 to 9 in the Senate and 42 to 17 in the House.
These five bills were approved by both houses of Congress, but 30 education bills were not processed and 18 bills died midway.