SB 260/a ZUNI & NAVAJO NATION STUDENTS

Sen George K Munoz

Actions: [4] SCC/SIRC/SFC-SCC [6]germane-SIRC [7] DP/a-SFC

Scheduled: Not Scheduled

 Senate Bill 260 (SB 260) appropriates five million dollars ($5,000,000) to the Public Education Department for students attending public schools in the Pueblo of Zuni and the Navajo Nation in New Mexico.  

 Senate Bill 260 (SB 260) appropriates five million dollars ($5,000,000) from the General Fund (GF) to the Public Education Department for expenditure in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 and subsequent FYs for educational programming for public school students as follows: 
•	One million dollars ($1,000,000) to the Zuni public school district in McKinley county; and
•	Four million dollars ($4,000,000) to the Central Consolidated School District in San Juan County and Gallup-McKinley County School District in McKinley County for students who reside in and attend public schools in New Mexico.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of a FY will not revert to the GF.
 

 In the consolidated Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico court decision and order of July 2018, the court held that the state was violating the constitutional rights of at-risk students including Native American students, English language learners, students with disabilities and low-income students, to a sufficient education.  The order mandated the state to take immediate steps to increase funding, programs and services for New Mexico's educational system and provide adequate support for at-risk students;

 

 The Senate Indian, Rural and Cultural Affairs Committee added Cibola County to SB 260 (SIRC SB 260A) to clarify that the  Gallup-McKinley county school district is in both McKinley and Cibola counties.  

 SB 260 relates to SJR 17.