FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 5, 2019
Contact: Chris Nordstrum chris.nordstrum@nmlegis.gov, 415-601-1992
Landmark Education Bill Passes on Senate Floor
SB 1 invests in public schools, salaries, at-risk students & extended education
(Santa Fe) Today, SB1, the bipartisan education bill sponsored by Senators Mimi Stewart, Gay Kernan, and Bill Soules to increase teacher salaries, support at-risk students and expand extended learning opportunities, passed on a vote of 41-0 on the Senate floor.
“SB 1 is the culmination of the hard work of the Legislative Education Study Committee and the Legislative Finance Committee–along with input from educators, community members and policy experts,” Stewart said. “This landmark bill is the largest new investment in New Mexico’s public education in more than 15 years.”
The bill more than doubles the at-risk funding generated through the at-risk index (the third increase to the at-risk index in the last five years). Under this measure, districts will have significant control over how the funds are spent but are also required to report on these decisions so that their efficacy and impact can be reviewed and improved upon on an ongoing basis.
Among other significant improvements included in SB 1 is an increase in salaries for teachers, establishing new base salaries for Tier One teachers of $40,000, Tier Two $50,000 and Tier Three $60,000. House Bill 2, the General Appropriation Act, currently includes an additional 6% teacher salary increase, and teachers who work in extended-learning programs will see further pay increases.
The bill also extends the successful K-3 Plus program to a K-5 Plus program. With the associated budget from House Bill 2 this program will provide 91,000 students the benefits of an extended school year in an effort to help close the achievement gap.
“Our students, especially at-risk students, benefit from additional time in the classroom,” Stewart said. “It’s that simple. SB 1 provides even more New Mexico students with the opportunity for extended learning, which will lead to academic success.”
“From increasing educator salaries to making extended education opportunities available to more students, this bill goes a long way to addressing education inequities in New Mexico,” Stewart said. “However, SB 1 is one bill among many that we will be considering and supporting to move our schools, our students and our educators forward.”
“This is one of the most important pieces of legislation in this session,” said Senator Carlos Cisneros, Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
Coupled with House Bill 5 and other education-related bills in the House and Senate, SB 1 is a major component of the “Education Moonshot,” the high-priority effort of the Legislature and Governor Lujan Grisham to turn around public education in New Mexico.
The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
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