46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; PROVIDING TIME FOR HOME VISITS AND PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE FIVE.

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

Section 1. Section 22-2-8.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986, Chapter 33, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:

"22-2-8.1. LENGTH OF SCHOOL DAY--MINIMUM.--

A. Except as otherwise provided in this section, regular students shall be in school-directed programs, exclusive of lunch, for a minimum of the following:

(1) kindergarten, for half-day programs, two and one-half hours per day or four hundred fifty hours per year or, for full-day programs, five and one-half hours per day or nine hundred ninety hours per year;

(2) grades one through six, five and one-half hours per day or nine hundred ninety hours per year; and

(3) grades seven through twelve, six hours per day or one thousand eighty hours per year.

B. Thirty-three hours of the full-day kindergarten program may be used for home visits by the teacher or for parent-teacher conferences. Twenty-two hours of grades one through five programs may be used for home visits by the teacher or for parent-teacher conferences.

[B.] C. Nothing in this section precludes a local school board from setting length of school days in excess of the minimum requirements established by Subsection A of this section.

[C.] D. The state superintendent may waive the minimum length of school days in those districts where such minimums would create undue hardships as defined by the state board."