NOTE:  As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended only for use by the standing finance committees of the legislature.  The Legislative Finance Committee does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report when used for other purposes.

 

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F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

 

 

 

SPONSOR:

Romero

 

DATE TYPED:

1/31/03

 

HB

 

 

SHORT TITLE:

Cabinet-level Education department

 

SB

SJR 12

 

 

ANALYST:

L. Baca

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

Duplicates SJR 12 and HJR 7

Relates to SJR 5

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

Responses Received From

 

State Department of Education

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

Senate Joint Resolution 12 proposes an amendment to article XII, Section 6 of the Constitution of New Mexico to create a cabinet-level state education department in the Executive Branch to be directed by an administrator appointed by the Governor and abolishes the State Board of Education

 

     Significant Issues

 

If adopted by the voters, SJR 12 will abolish the current state board of education (SBE), transfer all financial and programmatic functions to the state education department, authorizes the governor to appoint a qualified, experienced educational administrator to direct the operation of the department and stipulates that all of the state education department’s functions are to be performed as provided by law.

 

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

Costs or savings associated with this change, if adopted by the voters, are unknown.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

 

If this amendment is adopted, the SDE analysis foresees a restructuring of public education’s governance system that could potentially require a reassessment and re-writing of the Public School Code.  In addition, the SDE analysis cites the potential for instability in management and philosophies associated with changes in governors.

 

CONFLICT

 

In its analysis, the SDE cites two conflicts between the proposed amendment and existing provision of the state Constitution cited below:

 

Article V, Section 3 provides that “No person shall be eligible to the office of supeintendent of public instruction unless he be a trained and experienced educator.”

 

Article V, Section 12 addresses the compensation of executive officers and includes the  superintendent of public instruction.

 

Article XII, section 15 provides that the SBE shall by resolution establish the terms of the first board elected after the creation of a seven-member local school board.

 

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

 

SDE concerns cited in its analysis of SJR 2 state that SJR 2 does not:

 

provide for the advise and consent of the state senate as is required for all cabinet-level secretary positions,

 

address authority for determining school policy, and

 

specifically designate the administrator of the education department as the secretary of education or otherwise indicate that the administrator serves as the chief state school

officer.

 

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

 

1.                  Has the State Board taken a position on this resolution ?

2.                  How would we improve public schools if this amendment is approved by the voters ?

 

LRB/prr