0001|                            HOUSE BILL 68
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                               MAX COLL
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|                                   
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO EDUCATION; AMENDING AND ENACTING SECTIONS OF THE
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0012|     PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE ACT TO ESTABLISH A COST-OF-LIVING
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0013|     ADJUSTMENT IN THE SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA; MAKING AN
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0014|     APPROPRIATION.
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0015|     
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0016|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0017|          Section 1.  Effective July 1, 1999, Section 22-8-18 NMSA
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0018|     1978 (being Laws 1974, Chapter 8, Section 8, as amended) is
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0019|     amended to read:
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0020|          "22-8-18.  PROGRAM COST CALCULATION--LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD
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0021|     RESPONSIBILITY.--
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0022|               A.  The total program units for the purpose of
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0023|     computing the program cost shall be calculated by multiplying
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0024|     the sum of the program units itemized as Paragraphs (1)
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0025|     through (4) <s>[in]</s> <u>of</u> this subsection by the <u>cost-of-living
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<u></u>0001| <u>    index, multiplying that product by the</u> instruction staff
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0002|     training and experience index and adding the program units
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0003|     itemized as Paragraphs (5) through (8) <s>[in]</s> <u>of</u> this
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0004|     subsection.  The itemized program units are as follows:
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0005|                    (1)  early childhood education;
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0006|                    (2)  basic education;
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0007|                    (3)  special education, adjusted by
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0008|     subtracting the units derived from membership in class D
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0009|     special education programs in private, nonsectarian, nonprofit
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0010|     training centers;
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0011|                    (4)  bilingual multicultural education;
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0012|                    (5)  size adjustment;
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0013|                    (6)  at-risk program;
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0014|                    (7)  enrollment growth or new district
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0015|     adjustment; and
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0016|                    (8)  special education units derived from 
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0017|     membership in class D special education programs in private,
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0018|     nonsectarian, nonprofit training centers.
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0019|               B.  The total program cost calculated as prescribed
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0020|     in Subsection A of this section includes the cost of early
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0021|     childhood, special, bilingual multicultural and vocational
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0022|     education and other remedial or enrichment programs.  It is
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0023|     the responsibility of the local school board to determine its
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0024|     priorities in terms of the needs of the community served by
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0025|     that board.  Funds generated under the Public School Finance
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0001|     Act are discretionary to local school boards, provided that
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0002|     the special program needs as enumerated in this section are
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0003|     met."
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0004|          Section 2.  Effective July 1, 1999, a new section of the
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0005|     Public School Finance Act, Section 22-8-24.1 NMSA 1978, is
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0006|     enacted to read:
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0007|          "22-8-24.1.  [<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>] COST-OF-LIVING INDEX.--
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0008|               A.  For the purpose of calculating the cost-of-
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0009|     living index, the department shall establish and maintain a
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0010|     database of housing costs in each school district.  The
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0011|     database shall be updated annually at the end of each fiscal
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0012|     year.  After establishing and updating the database, the
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0013|     department shall calculate the average housing cost in each
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0014|     school district and the average housing cost in the state.
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0015|               B.  A school district with an average housing cost
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0016|     that is equal to or less than twenty percent above the
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0017|     statewide average shall have a cost-of-living index of 1.0.  
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0018|               C.  A school district with an average housing cost
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0019|     that is greater than twenty percent but less than thirty
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0020|     percent above the statewide average housing cost shall have a
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0021|     cost-of-living index of 1.02.
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0022|               D.  A school district with an average housing cost
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0023|     that is thirty percent or more above the statewide average
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0024|     housing cost shall have a cost-of-living index of 1.04."
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0025|          Section 3.  APPROPRIATION.--Fifty thousand dollars
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0001|     ($50,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the state
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0002|     department of public education for expenditure in fiscal year
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0003|     1999 for the purpose of performing or contracting for the
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0004|     performance of a study to establish a database measuring
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0005|     housing costs in the state's eighty-nine school districts. 
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0006|     Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of
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0007|     fiscal year 1999 shall revert to the general fund.
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0008|                              
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