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

SPONSOR Cisneros

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/21/08

HB

SHORT TITLE Truchas Pre-Kindergarten Resources

SB 252

ANALYST Lucero

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$50.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act: The executive recommendation for

CYFD included an increase of $4.6 million to expand pre-kindergarten statewide.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 252 appropriates fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) from the general fund to Children,

Youth and Families Department for FY09 to contract with a preschool provider in Truchas to

provide a pre-kindergarten program that is combined with a preschool program for two-, three-,

and five year old children.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) contained in this bill is a recurring expense

to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of 2009

shall revert to the general fund.

The executive recommendation for CYFD included an increase of $4.6 million to expand pre-

kindergarten statewide.

Senate Bill 252 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Pre-kindergarten programs receiving funding through either the CYFD or PED must meet

requirements established by the New Mexico Pre-Kindergarten Act. The New Mexico Pre-

Kindergarten Act requires the departments to issue a Request for Proposal for pre-kindergarten

services to serve eligible children who turn four years old before September 1. An eligible entity

must submit a successful proposal that has been reviewed by a review team of early childhood

professionals. Contracts are offered to an entity after the funding request is approved by the

Secretary of CYFD or Secretary of PED. The PED accepts and evaluates proposals from school

districts, including charter schools and Regional Education Centers, for funding pre-kindergarten

programs and the CYFD accepts and evaluates programs from an eligible provider (private child

care and preschool providers, Head Start programs, BIA/BIE schools, tribal entities, etc.) for the

same purpose. Eligible provider means a person licensed by CYFD that provides early

childhood developmental readiness services or preschool special education, or is a public school,

tribal program or Head Start program.

Pre-kindergarten services are provided by public schools or eligible providers on a per-child

reimbursement rate in communities with the highest percentage of elementary schools that are

designated as Title I schools and that serve the highest percentage of elementary students who

are not meeting the proficiency component required for calculating adequate yearly progress.

SB 252 is requesting funding to provide a pre-kindergarten program that is combined with a

preschool program for two, three, and five-year-olds. State pre-kindergarten funding is

specifically for eligible children who turn four years old before September 1. State funded pre-

kindergarten programs must meet PreK program standards, implement the required child

assessment system based on child outcomes/indicators, participate in statewide professional

development and trainings, use developmentally appropriate curriculum and learning materials,

implement a parent engagement program and attend required coordinator meetings.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

This program ties directly to the Governor’s Policy Initiative, Healthy New Mexico Task 2.6 –

Improve Access and Quality of Child Care. CYFD has performance measures on improving

access to quality pre-kindergarten programs. This appropriation is consistent with those

performance measures.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

This initiative would have to be managed with existing resources.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act: The executive recommendation for

CYFD included an increase of $4.6 million to expand pre-kindergarten statewide.

If SB 252 is enacted, it will conflict with the Pre-Kindergarten Act, which established specific

rules and regulations for providing funding for pre-kindergarten programs in New Mexico.

The language in the bill identifies only two-, three-, and five-year old children. The current pre-

Senate Bill 252 – Page

3

kindergarten program administered by CYFD and PED is for four year old children and this bill

does not mention four year olds.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

Quality pre-kindergarten and preschool programs can have a significant positive effect on

children's ultimate academic success. The rural community of Truchas is geographically isolated,

resulting in a scarcity of early childhood programs from which parents may choose. Currently,

Head Start services are an option for those families in Truchas who meet the Head Start income

guidelines. If enacted, this bill would provide a local/community-based preschool program for

Truchas children.

ALTERNATIVES

Unless there is specific reason to exclude four year olds, the sponsor of the bill might want to

add them.

DL/bb