Senator Vernon Asbill

NM Senate Takes up bill to Give Schools Flexibility to address possible Budget Adjustments

SB 97- School District Budget Flexibility- Senator Verson Asbill

The New Mexico State Senate is taking up a bill today to make budget cuts to school districts more palatable. The sponsor of SB 97 says if his bill becomes law school districts over the next three years of budget constraints would be able to take the cuts to their budgets and make adjustments to class loads, school day lengths and other operating expenses in exception to the school code.

“The school districts will not have a free for all, they would not be able to affect adversely classroom instruction,” Senator Vernon Asbill said. “They would be given the flexibility that our charter schools now have.”

Schools would apply to the Secretary of Education to temporarily waive rules pertaining some items covered in the school code.

Senator Asbill said his SB 97 would help address the state’s budget crisis and how it could impact New Mexico school districts. The bill will give school superintendents and school principals more flexibility in operating their schools as they face possibly having to adjust their budgets to live within the reality and means of fewer tax dollars going into the state coffers.

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