44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2000

REQUESTING THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER INCORPORATING COST-OF-LIVING VARIABLES INTO THE STATE'S PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA FOR EQUALIZATION PURPOSES.

WHEREAS, New Mexico is widely recognized as being a leader in attempting to equalize educational opportunities for all public education students through an equitable distribution of available funds sufficient to recruit and retain quality teachers; and

WHEREAS, the state continues to serve as a model for the nation with its regular maintenance and improvements to the equalization principle that is central to the funding formula; and

WHEREAS, some local school districts are experiencing serious difficulties recruiting and retaining high quality teachers due to a combination of lower salary schedules and higher living costs than those found in many in-state and out-of-state school districts with whom they must compete to hire teachers;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the state department of public education and the legislative education study committee consider modification of the state's public school funding formula to incorporate cost-of-living variables to enable all school districts to hire the quality of teachers their students deserve; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state department of public education and the legislative education study committee study this situation and report their findings to the legislative finance committee and the governor no later than December 15, 2000; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the superintendent of public instruction, legislative education study committee members, the director of the legislative finance committee and the governor.