HOUSE BILL 180

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2018

INTRODUCED BY

Larry A. Larrañaga and Roberto "Bobby" J. Gonzales and

Monica Youngblood

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; REQUIRING IMPLEMENTATION OF A COST-SAVING, REAL-TIME ADVANCED DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM TO REDUCE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS; ELIMINATING CERTAIN REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; ESTABLISHING MINIMUM CLASSROOM EXPENDITURE GOALS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS; PROVIDING AN INCENTIVE TO MEET GOALS.

 

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] ADVANCED DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM--REAL-TIME USEFULNESS--COST SAVINGS--ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN REPORTS.--

          A. By July 1, 2019, the department shall design and implement an advanced data collection system that provides data to the department, school administrators, teachers and instructional support providers in real time and results in school district and charter school administrative cost savings and supports the instructional mission of the public schools and the financial accountability of every school district and charter school. The data system shall include a data validation process to ensure the accuracy and efficacy of the data.

          B. The advanced data collection system shall:

                (1) be designed to improve the ability of the department, school districts and public schools to account for the students who are enrolled in the public schools;

                (2) have the capacity to provide and report data, including student achievement:

                     (a) in the manner required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act and rules promulgated to implement that act and other federal and state laws and rules pertaining to the education of public school students; and

                     (b) in a separate report for each group of students identified in the statewide system of accountability for public schools;

                (3) include the unique identifier for each student required by Section 22-2C-11 NMSA 1978;

                (4) have the capacity to provide longitudinal comparisons of the academic achievement, rate of attendance and rate of graduation of students and other comparisons over time throughout the state;

                (5) have the capacity to perform a variety of longitudinal analyses of the results of individual students on assessments, including the results of students by classroom and by school;

                (6) have the capacity to identify which teachers are assigned to individual students;

                (7) have the capacity to provide other data concerning public schools and school districts that is not linked to individual students, including the rating of public schools in the statewide system of accountability for public schools; and

                (8) have the capacity to access financial accountability data for each public school, each school district and for the state as a whole.

          C. The data maintained pursuant to Paragraphs (4) through (6) of Subsection B of this section shall be used to improve the achievement of students and to improve classroom instruction.

          D. When the advanced data collection system is completely implemented, the department, rather than school districts or charter schools, shall be responsible for analyzing school data and generating most state- and federally required reports based on validated data submitted to the department. By December 1, 2019, the department shall provide a report to the legislature, the governor, school districts and charter schools on which statutory reports will still be required and any recommendations on changes to the data specified in the statutes to be collected. The report shall include a list of current statutory reports that the department proposes for repeal."

     SECTION 2. A new section of the Public School Finance Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] MINIMUM CLASSROOM EXPENDITURE GOALS-- REPORT.--

          A. As used in this section, "classroom expenditures" means, for school districts and charter schools, expenditures for instruction, student support services, instructional support services and compensation and benefits for school principals designated as the 1000, 2100, 2200 and 2400 functions in the department's chart of accounts for expenditures.

          B. Starting with the 2019-2020 school year, each school district and charter school shall establish as one of its goals the allocation of no less than the minimum percentages of its operating budget provided in this section to classroom expenditures.

          C. The goals for minimum classroom expenditures are as follows for school districts and charter schools:

                (1) at least sixty-eight percent for school districts and charter schools with enrollments up to one hundred students;

                (2) at least seventy-three percent for school districts and charter schools with enrollments between one hundred one and four hundred students;

                (3) at least seventy-eight percent for school districts and charter schools with enrollments between four hundred one and two thousand students;

                 (4) at least eighty-three percent for school districts and charter schools with enrollments between two thousand one and seven thousand five hundred students;

                (5) at least eighty-seven percent for school districts and charter schools with enrollments between seven thousand five hundred one and thirty thousand students; and

                (6) at least eighty-eight percent for school districts and charter schools with enrollments greater than thirty thousand students.

          D. The goal for minimum classroom expenditures for virtual charter schools is at least ninety percent.

          E. If a school district or charter school submits an operating budget that does not meet the minimum classroom expenditure goal provided for in this section, it shall include an explanation with its budget submission detailing why it cannot meet the goal and its plan to improve the following year.

          F. By October 1 of each year, the secretary shall report to the legislative education study committee and the legislative finance committee the percentage of each school district's and each charter school's operating budget that was spent on classroom expenditures during the prior fiscal year and the proposed percentage for the current fiscal year. The report shall be posted on the department's website.

          G. A school district or charter school that meets or exceeds its target minimum percentage for classroom expenditures each year shall not have its state equalization guarantee distribution reduced based on the amount it has in cash balances."

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