Chapter 22 — Chapter 22

A. Annually, the department shall submit a budget for the next fiscal year to the department of finance and administration showing expenditures for school library material to be paid from the fund, including reasonable shipping and handling charges and library material processing…

As used in the School Library Material Act: A. "additional student" means a student in the certified forty-day membership of the current year for a school district or state institution above the number certified in the forty-day membership of the prior year for the school distric…

The "school library material fund" is created in the state treasury. The purpose of the fund is to provide an account from which the department may distribute money to school districts, state institutions and governmentally controlled schools to pay for the cost of purchasing sch…

bureau; duties. Subject to the policies and rules of the department, the bureau shall: A. administer the provisions of the School Library Material Act; B. enforce rules for the handling, safekeeping and distribution of school library material and money from the fund; C. enforce i…

A. A qualified student or person eligible to become a qualified student attending a public school, a state institution or a governmentally controlled school in a grade from the first through the twelfth grade of instruction is entitled to the free use of school library material. …

A. On or before July 1 of each year, the department shall allocate from the fund at least ninety percent of the estimated entitlement for each school district, state institution or governmentally controlled school as determined from the estimated forty-day membership for the next…

A. With the approval of the bureau, school library material acquired by a school district, a state institution or a governmentally controlled school pursuant to the School Library Material Act may be sold at a price determined by officials of the school district, state institutio…

A school district, a state institution or a governmentally controlled school shall keep an accurate record of school library material that includes a cost record. A school district, a state institution or a governmentally controlled school shall comply with record-keeping procedu…

Annually, at a time specified by the department, each local school district, state institution or governmentally controlled school acquiring school library material pursuant to the School Library Material Act shall file a report with the department. History: Laws 2003, ch. 149, §…

Chapter 22, Article 15D NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "Fine Arts Education Act". History: Laws 2003, ch. 152, § 1; 2006, ch. 94, § 50.

A. The purpose of the Fine Arts Education Act is to encourage school districts and state-chartered charter schools to offer opportunities for elementary school students to participate in fine arts activities, including visual arts, music, theater and dance. B. Participation in fi…

As used in the Fine Arts Education Act, "fine arts education programs" includes programs of education through which students participate in activities related to visual arts, music, theater and dance. History: Laws 2003, ch. 152, § 3.

The department shall issue guidelines for the development and implementation of fine arts education programs. The department shall: A. administer and enforce the provisions of the Fine Arts Education Act; and B. assist school districts and charter schools in developing and evalua…

A. A school district or charter school may prepare and submit to the department a fine arts education program plan in accordance with guidelines issued by the department. B. At a minimum, the plan shall include the fine arts education programs being taught, the ways in which the …

financial support. A. To be eligible for state financial support, a fine arts education program shall: (1) provide for the educational needs of students in the areas of visual arts, music, theater or dance; (2) integrate the fine arts into the curriculum; (3) use certified school…

Chapter 22, Article 15E NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "Mathematics and Science Education Act". History: Laws 2007, ch. 44, § 1; 2007, ch. 239, § 1; 2026, ch. 53, § 2.

As used in the Mathematics and Science Education Act: A. "bureau" means the mathematics and science bureau; B. "chief" means the chief of the bureau; C. "council" means the mathematics and science advisory council; D. "mathematics difficulty" means a student's inability to perfor…

A. The "mathematics and science bureau" is created in the department. The secretary shall appoint the chief as provided in the Public Education Department Act [Chapter 9, Article 24 NMSA 1978]. B. The bureau shall: (1) administer the provisions of the Mathematics and Science Educ…

members; terms; vacancies. A. The "mathematics and science advisory council" is created, composed of twelve members. Members of the council shall be appointed by the secretary for staggered terms of four years; provided that for the initial appointments, four members shall be app…

The council shall: A. advise the bureau on implementation of the bureau's duties pursuant to the Mathematics and Science Education Act; B. make recommendations to the bureau and the department regarding the statewide strategic plan for improving mathematics and science education …

purpose; annual reports. A. The "mathematics and science proficiency fund" is created as a nonreverting fund in the state treasury. The fund consists of appropriations, gifts, grants, donations and income from investment of the fund. Disbursements from the fund shall be made by w…

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…

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) …

ANNOTATIONS Repeals. — Laws 1993, ch. 226, § 54 repealed 22-16-4.1 NMSA 1978, as enacted by Laws 1979, ch. 289, § 2 and ch. 305, § 6, concerning vocational education school bus routes, effective July 1, 1993. For provisions of former section, see the 1992 NMSA 1978 on NMOneSource…

History: 1953 Comp., § 77-14-5, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 16, § 223; 1975, ch. 342, § 5; repealed by Laws 1995, ch. 208, § 16.

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…

ANNOTATIONS Repeals. — Laws 1993, ch. 226, § 54 repealed 22-16-7 NMSA 1978, as enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 16, § 225, concerning county school bus transportation expenditures, effective July 1, 1993. For provisions of former section, see the 1992 NMSA 1978 on NMOneSource.com.

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…