SENATE BILL 256

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

Michael Padilla

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; REQUIRING A QUALIFIED SPECIAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR FOR EACH TWO HUNDRED FIFTY STUDENTS IN ALL NEW MEXICO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Public School Code is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] QUALIFIED SPECIAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR FOR EACH TWO HUNDRED FIFTY STUDENTS IN EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT--DEFINITION--DUTIES--IMPLEMENTATION.--

          A. As used in this section, "qualified special education coordinator" means a level-three licensed special education teacher with six years of teaching experience, including three years in a special education classroom.

          B. A qualified special education coordinator shall oversee the day-to-day operations of the special education program or programs in a school or schools and, among other duties determined by rule, oversee and arrange individual education plan meetings within three months of referral. A qualified special education coordinator shall not be required to manage a special education caseload.

          C. The department shall verify that each public school district employs a qualified special education coordinator for each two hundred fifty students in the school district. Employing qualified special education coordinators in school districts shall be phased in by department rule as follows:

                (1) effective with the 2013-2014 school year, one-third of New Mexico‛s school districts shall employ a qualified special education coordinator for each two hundred fifty students;

                (2) effective with the 2014-2015 school year, two-thirds of New Mexico‛s school districts shall employ a qualified special education coordinator for each two hundred fifty students; and

                (3) effective with the 2015-2016 school year, each New Mexico school district shall employ a qualified special education coordinator for each two hundred fifty students."

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Three million dollars ($3,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the public education department for expenditure in fiscal year 2014 for the purpose of implementing the requirement that one-third of the public school districts in New Mexico employ a qualified special education coordinator for each two hundred fifty students. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2014 shall revert to the general fund.

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