Chapter 22, Chapter 22

mathematics professional learning plans. A. By December 31, 2026, the department and bureau, in consultation with the council, shall develop and publish a mathematics instructional leadership framework that includes the following: (1) defined roles and responsibilities of instruc…

and evaluations; interventions; support. A. Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, each school district and charter school shall administer a mathematics screening assessment to every student in kindergarten through third grade. B. If a school determines that a student in kinder…

A. By December 31, 2026, the department, in consultation with the council, shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of the Mathematics and Science Education Act. Rules shall include criteria for approved mathematics screening assessments, standards for the mathematics i…

Chapter 22, Article 15F NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "New Mexico School for the Arts Act". History: Laws 2008, ch. 15, § 1; 2013, ch. 108, § 1.

The purpose of the New Mexico School for the Arts Act is to provide for the establishment of the "New Mexico school for the arts" as a statewide residential state- chartered charter high school that provides New Mexico students who have demonstrated artistic abilities and potenti…

As used in the New Mexico School for the Arts Act: A. "board" means the governing body of the school; and B. "school" means the New Mexico school for the arts. History: Laws 2008, ch. 15, § 3.

provisions of the Charter Schools Act. A. The commission may charter a "New Mexico school for the arts" as a statewide residential state-chartered charter school for grades nine through twelve to offer intensive preprofessional instruction in the performing and visual arts combin…

grants and donations. The school shall be governed by a board of at least five members constituted as provided in the school's application for charter. No member of the board shall serve as a member of another charter school. The board shall have such powers and perform such duti…

A. The admissions criteria shall be designed to admit students who show exceptional promise or aptitude in the arts and a strong desire to pursue a career in the arts. The admissions process shall be conducted in a way that provides equal opportunity for admission to each prospec…

A. The school shall charge residential students a fee to cover the costs of room and board. The board shall establish a sliding-fee scale based on the student's ability to pay. The commission shall approve room and board charges and the sliding-fee scale during the planning year …

equalization guarantee distributions prohibited. The school, either through a foundation or other private or public funding sources, shall obtain funding to ensure that the school has adequate revenue to pay for all expenses associated with outreach activities provided for in Sec…

Chapter 22, Article 15G NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "High-Quality Literacy Instruction Act". History: 1978 Comp., § 22-15G-1, enacted by Laws 2026, ch. 54, § 2.

As used in the High-Quality Literacy Instruction Act: A. "certified academic language therapist" means a person recognized by the department as having the requisite skills and credentials to provide diagnostic and prescriptive interventions to students with language-based learnin…

Instructional materials used in public schools for literacy or reading instruction for kindergarten through third grade shall be high-quality instructional materials. Materials used for intervention, supplemental instruction, initiatives, services or programs for literacy or read…

A. The department shall adopt grade-specific literacy assessments for kindergarten through third grade that: (1) have screening, diagnostic and monitoring capabilities; (2) measure, at minimum, phonological awareness, the alphabetic principle, decoding, encoding, accuracy, vocabu…

instructional coaches. A. School districts and charter schools shall train teachers who teach reading and site administrators on how to administer the provisions of the High-Quality Literacy Instruction Act. The training shall also cover how to provide differentiated core instruc…

A. The "state transportation division" is created within the department of education [public education department]. B. The state superintendent [secretary] shall appoint a director of the state transportation division to be known as the "state transportation director". C. The sta…

The state or any county may, in order to provide for the public health, safety and welfare, use its road equipment for snow removal on any school bus route. History: 1953 Comp., § 77-14-10, enacted by Laws 1975, ch. 79, § 1.

A. The state transportation director, appointed as provided in Section 22-16-1 NMSA 1978, shall adopt and enforce regulations adopted by the state board [department] not inconsistent with the Motor Vehicle Code [Articles 1 to 8 of Chapter 66 [except 66-7-102.1] NMSA 1978] to gove…

The "school transportation training fund" is created in the state treasury. The fund consists of payments from school districts and charter schools for school transportation training workshops and other types of school transportation training described in rule provided by the pub…

Subject to the policies of the state board [department], the state transportation division of the department of education [public education department] shall: A. establish standards for school bus transportation; B. establish standards for school bus design and operation pursuant…

A. A school district may provide transportation services to students through the use of school bus service contracts. School districts may enter into school bus service contracts with individual school bus owner-operators or with school bus fleet owners or with both. A school dis…

requirements. A. Bus routes shall be established by the local school district. B. Except as provided in Subsections C and E of this section, no school bus route shall be maintained for distances less than: (1) one mile one way for students in grades kindergarten through six; (2) …

A local school board may, subject to regulations adopted by the state board [department], provide per capita or per mile reimbursement to a parent or guardian in cases where regular school bus transportation is impractical because of distance, road conditions or sparseness of pop…

The board of county commissioners of each county shall construct cattle guards where privately owned fences intersect school bus routes on county roads when consent is obtained from each owner of real property upon which the cattle guards are to be constructed. The cost of constr…

A. When a school bus is being operated for purposes other than to actually transport students to and from school or on school activity trips, all markings indicating "school bus" shall be covered or removed. B. When a school bus is sold to be used exclusively for purposes other t…

Chapter 22, Article 17 NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "Emergency Transportation Act". History: 1953 Comp., § 77-14A-1, enacted by Laws 1974, ch. 38, § 1; 2023, ch. 100, § 8.

A. Subject to the Emergency Transportation Act, the department of transportation may approve a permit application of a school district operating its own school buses or of an independent school bus operator who operates school buses under contract with a school district for the o…

A. Upon the receipt of approval of the permit application from the department of transportation, the state transportation director may grant a permit to operate school buses for general public transportation to a school district that operates its own school buses or to the indepe…

A permit issued pursuant to the Emergency Transportation Act shall be terminated by the state transportation director upon thirty days' written notice to the holder of the permit if the state transportation director receives written notice from: A. the department of transportatio…

A. After consideration of the priorities for the school district's capital needs as shown by the facility assessment database maintained by the public school facilities authority and subject to the provisions of Article 9, Section 11 of the constitution of New Mexico and Sections…

No action concerning any question placed on the ballot at a bond election shall be maintained in the district court unless the action is filed within ten days after the publication of the certificate of results of the bond election by the superintendent of schools. History: 1953 …

A. General obligation bonds of a school district shall be issued and sold pursuant to the provisions of Sections 6-15-3 through 6-15-10 NMSA 1978. B. Except as is otherwise provided by law, general obligation bonds issued by a school district shall be of the denomination or denom…

A. A local school board shall establish adequate budgetary provisions, approved by the public school finance division [secretary], to promptly pay, as it becomes due, all principal and interest on general obligation bonds issued by the school district. B. The full faith and credi…

A. Whenever a paying agent has not received payment of principal or interest on school district general obligation bonds on the business day immediately prior to the date on which the payment is due, the paying agent shall so notify the department of finance and administration, t…

elections. A. Before any general obligation bonds are issued, a local school board of a school district shall submit to a vote of the qualified electors of the school district the question of creating a debt by issuing the bonds, and a majority of those persons voting on the ques…

A. A person is required to be a qualified elector to vote in a bond election in a school district. B. Bond elections in a school district shall be conducted pursuant to the Local Election Act [Chapter 1, Article 22 NMSA 1978]. History: 1953 Comp., § 77-15-4, enacted by Laws 1967,…

A. The question on the ballot of creating a debt by issuing general obligation bonds shall state the purpose or purposes for which the bonds are to be issued and the amount of the bond issue. Two or more separate questions may be submitted to the voters at a bond election, in whi…

If a majority of those persons voting on a question submitted to the voters in a bond election vote for creating a debt by issuing general obligation bonds, the local school board may, subject to the approval of the attorney general, proceed to issue the bonds. History: 1953 Comp…

In the event a majority of those persons voting on a question submitted to the voters in a bond election votes against creating a debt by issuing general obligation bonds, no bond election shall be held on the same question for a period of two years from the date of the bond elec…

No issue of bonds shall be valid or binding on any school district unless prior to the issuance of the bonds the attorney general approves the bond issue as to form and legality. The written approval of the attorney general shall be made a part of the transcript of the proceeding…

Sections 1 through 4 [22-18A-1 to 22-18A-4 NMSA 1978] of this act may be cited as the "School District Loan Act". History: Laws 1989, ch. 134, § 1.

The purpose of the School District Loan Act is to provide school districts with financial assistance to make payment of principal and interest due on outstanding school district general obligation indebtedness. History: Laws 1989, ch. 134, § 2.

A. There is created in the state treasury a revolving loan fund to be known as the "public school district general obligation bonds loan fund". The fund is established as an additional source for payments of principal and interest due on public school district general obligation …

education. A. The state department of public education [public education department] shall adopt regulations to govern the application procedure and requirements for making loans under the School District Loan Act. B. The state department of public education [public education dep…

If it is determined by the state department of public education [public education department] and the department of finance and administration that there are insufficient ad valorem taxes or other public school district revenues to meet a payment of principal or interest due on p…

Sections 1 through 5 [22-18B-1 to 22-18B-5 NMSA 1978] of this act may be cited as the "Qualified School Bonds Act". History: Laws 1999, ch. 225, § 1.

A. The legislature finds that: (1) the condition of public school facilities has a direct effect on the safety of teachers and students and on the ability of students to learn; (2) public schools in rapidly growing urban areas of New Mexico and public schools in sparsely populate…

As used in the Qualified School Bonds Act: A. "allocation" means New Mexico's allocation of the national zone academy bond limitation pursuant to Section 1397E(e)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; B. "council" means the public school capital outlay council; C. "eligible ta…

A. The state or a political subdivision of the state that has been authorized to issue bonds may designate all or any part of the bonds as qualified school bonds if: (1) at least ninety-five percent of the proceeds from the sale of the proposed qualified school bonds are to be us…