Staff outline categorical and nonrecurring priorities: CTE, school safety, behavioral health and microcredentials

Legislative staff and the Public Education Department presented a long list of categorical and nonrecurring priorities that the three budgets treat slightly differently, including career and technical education (CTE) and work‑based learning, school safety, microcredentials and behavioral health supports.

Staff said there is broad agreement on many line items but differences on where funds should be placed and whether appropriations should be recurring. LESC staff flagged $6,000,000 recurring for STEAM initiatives and $2,300,000 for New Mexico Grown that LFC does not include in the same recurring lines. LESC recommended $3,000,000 for behavioral health supports (restorative practices, wellness rooms and social‑emotional learning), an item not included in other recommendations at the time of the briefing.

On school safety, both LFC and LESC included a $50,000,000 appropriation from the public school capital outlay fund for safety infrastructure, while the executive included $5,000,000 specifically; presenters noted capital investments alone may not address interoperability, response times and other non‑capital safety needs.

CTE and work‑based learning funding appears in multiple lines and totals approximately $45,000,000 across several recommendations, though the placement and recurring treatment differ among the proposals. Microcredentials and a statewide learning management system (Canvas) were discussed; PED staff said recurring funding is required to sustain microcredential platforms.

Committee members pressed for clarity on recurring vs nonrecurring treatment, implementation details and how categorical funds will be targeted to priority student groups. Presenters said staff will return with more detailed line‑item reconciliation and implementation language.