Signed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that extends number of hours in the school day and number of days in the school year.

Highlights:

• Requires children to be in school for at least 1,140 instructional hours per year (Sec. 1). 

• Requires students enrolled in half-day kindergarten 550 instructional hours per year (Sec. 1). 

• Authorizes teachers using 60 instructional hours per school year for elementary grades and 30 instructional hours for middle and high school for professional work hours (Sec. 1). 

• Authorizes the secretary waiving the minimum length of school days for school districts where they will cause undue hardship if other measures are enacted to ensure those students receive the same total instructional time as other students in the state (Sec. 1). 

• Requires the department to not approve the operating budget for a school district if the educational plan does not provide for the appropriate amount of instructional hours and professional work hours and the appropriate student to teacher ratio (Sec. 2). 

• Requires the department to establish the requirements for an instructional day, the standards for an instructional hour and the standards for a full-time teacher and for the equivalent thereof (Sec. 2). 

• Requires that public schools operating on a 5 day weekly schedule that provides more than 180 of instruction and public schools operating on a 4 day weekly schedule provide more than 155 days of instruction be classified as a K-12 plus school and receive program units for students in that public school (Sec. 3). 

• Specifies that the number of K-12 plus program units is determined by multiplying the MEM in department-approved K-12 plus schools by the cost differential factor of 12,000 and the number of instructional days provided between 181 and 190 school days for a 5-day weekly schedule or between 156 and 165 school days for a 4-day weekly schedule (Sec. 3). 

• Specifies that a school district is eligible for the number of programs calculated this way for every K-22 plus schools in their district (Sec. 1). 

• Requires school districts or charter schools that wish to apply to be a K-12 plus school for the next fiscal year to submit the number of students at these schools and the expected number of students for next school year by October 15 (Sec. 3). 

Full Bill Text