Education

This memorial requests the Legislative Education Study Committee to examine compensation for non-teaching school staff (like bus drivers, custodians, and food service workers), statewide cost of living, and housing availability. It directs the committee to study potential solutions, including salary adjustments based on experience or staffing needs, and gather input from school districts, unions, and state agencies. The study must report findings to the legislature by October 31, 2026. This is a procedural request for analysis, not a policy change, and does not directly alter current wages or laws.

This House Memorial (HM 28) is a non-binding request to New Mexico's governor, asking them to formally opt the state into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program. It does not create new state law but urges the governor to submit an "advance election" to the IRS, allowing New Mexico residents to claim federal tax credits for donations to scholarship organizations supporting K-12 students. The program, enacted by federal law, enables dollar-for-dollar tax credits for charitable contributions to scholarship-granting groups, with no cost to New Mexico’s state budget. The memorial emphasizes that delaying this decision could redirect private donations to other states, potentially reducing educational funding opportunities for New Mexico families.

This House Memorial (HM 58) requests the Legislative Education Study Committee and Legislative Finance Committee to study transportation barriers affecting New Mexico public school students. The study will examine whether these barriers contribute to chronic absenteeism - especially for rural students, charter school students, and those living near schools - and identify innovative solutions used in other states. It will also review the effectiveness and equity of current state transportation funding. The committees must report findings and recommendations by December 31, 2026. This is a procedural request for research, not a policy change.

House Memorial 10, introduced by Representative Yanira Gurrola, requests the Legislative Education Study Committee to review how New Mexico school districts implement human sexuality education standards. The committee must evaluate current practices across districts and identify improvements to ensure students receive medically accurate, comprehensive education on sexual health, contraception, and relationships. The review will culminate in a report with recommendations for legislative action by December 1, 2026. This procedural request does not change existing standards but aims to address inconsistent access to evidence-based education for students.

HM 33 is a House Memorial requesting the New Mexico Higher Education Department to form a task force to study data collection for parenting students (defined as students with primary caregiving responsibilities for dependent children). The task force, including representatives from colleges, tribal institutions, parenting students, and advocacy groups, must develop a statewide data collection standard and report recommendations by November 2026. This would establish consistent methods for institutions to identify parenting students and assess their needs, though the memorial itself does not enact new policies. The effort responds to data showing one in three New Mexico college students are parents, yet no standardized system exists to support them.