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

SPONSOR Lopez

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/13/07

HB

SHORT TITLE South Valley 21

st

Century Learning Center

SB 974

ANALYST Baca

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$125.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to SB 694, SB 972, SB 974, HB 870 & HB 1057

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 974 appropriates $125,000 from the general fund to the Public Education Department

for expenditure in fiscal year 2008 for after-school enrichment programs at Twenty-first Century

Community Learning Centers in the city of Albuquerque's south valley.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $125,000 contained in this bill is a (recurring expense to the general fun.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2008 shall revert

to the general fund.

The PED reports that 21

st

Century grants 21

st

Century grants are awarded for five years. Projects

receive a 20% reduction in funding in year four and a 40% reduction in year five. At the

conclusion of the fifth year of funding, grantees must find or identify new sources of funding to

continue their program. The appropriation, if passed, would supplement federal 21

st

Century

Senate Bill 974 – Page

2

funding in the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) in FY 08.

The LFC remains concerned with funding initiatives outside the funding formula as it tends to

disequalize school funding and diverts funding away from core educational needs.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The PED reports the federal 21

st

Century Community Learning Centers program supports the

creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities for

children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The

programs are designed to help students develop math and literacy skills to improve their chances

of meeting state standards in core academic areas. In addition, the program offers students a

broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and

offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The PED reports this bill addresses no specific performance measures, but it does relate to the

department’s performance goal of closing the achievement gap in all subgroups

RELATIONSHIP

SB 974 relates to SB 694, SB 972, SB 974, HB 870 & HB 1057. Each of these bills carries an

appropriation for 21

st

Century programs in a New Mexico community or school district.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The need for after school programs is supported by following data submitted by PED:

Of the 377,946 school-age children in New Mexico:

•

19%, or 71,810, are unsupervised after school

•

19%, or 71,810, are able to participate in after-school programs

•

42% of all children not in after-school programs would be likely to participate.

After-school programs are designed to develop skills and attitudes that will enable youth to

develop positive behaviors and deter antisocial behavior patterns that may lead to illegal

activities.

LRB/csd