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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 18

48

TH LEGISLATURE

- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -

FIRST SESSION

, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Gerald P. Ortiz y Pino

A JOINT RESOLUTION

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF NEW MEXICO TO

ALLOW VOTERS IN THE ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT TO

CHOOSE TO HAVE A LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD COMPOSED OF FOUR MEMBERS

ELECTED FROM SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS AND THREE MEMBERS

APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR OF ALBUQUERQUE AND CONFIRMED BY THE CITY

COUNCIL; REPEALING A SECTION OF THE CONSTITUTION THAT WOULD

ALLOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND

RESIDENTS TO HAVE A SEVEN-MEMBER BOARD ELECTED FROM SINGLE-

MEMBER DISTRICTS.

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

Section 1. It is proposed to amend Article 12 of the

constitution of New Mexico by enacting a new section to read:

"A. In the Albuquerque public school district, the

qualified electors of the district may choose to have a local

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school board composed of seven members, four of whom shall be

residents of and elected from single-member districts and three

of whom shall be residents of the school district and appointed

by the mayor of Albuquerque, and confirmed by the city council.

B. In the first general election following the

adoption of this provision by the people, the question shall be

put to the qualified electors of the Albuquerque public school

district of whether to have a seven-member local school board

with four members elected from single-member districts and

three members appointed by the mayor of Albuquerque, and

confirmed by the city council. If, at the election, the

question is not adopted, then, in the next succeeding general

election, the question shall again be put to the qualified

electors of the school district. If the question is not

adopted at the general election, the proposal shall not again

be presented to the qualified electors of the school district.

C. If, in an election held pursuant to Subsection B

of this section, the voters of the Albuquerque public school

district approve of a local school board with four elected

members and three appointed members, the four elected members

shall be elected in the first regular school district election

held after the July 1 following the approval by the voters. On

the March 1 following the regular school election, the terms of

the seven current board members shall expire and the terms of

the four elected and three appointed members shall commence.

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.165414.2

D. The legislature shall enact such laws as are

necessary to implement the provisions of this section if the

voters of the Albuquerque public school district approve of a

local school board with four elected members and three

appointed members, including:

(1) procedures for determining the boundaries

of the single-member districts;

(2) procedures for determining the terms of

members elected to the local school board; and

(3) qualifications for the members appointed

by the mayor and confirmed by the city council."

Section 2. It is proposed to amend Article 12 of the

constitution of New Mexico by repealing Section 15.

Section 3. The amendment proposed by this resolution

shall be submitted to the people for their approval or

rejection at the next general election or at any special

election prior to that date that may be called for that

purpose.

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