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Superintendent briefs board on state budget and proposed paid-family-leave bill; calendar planning continues
Summary
Superintendent Strickland updated the board Feb. 25 on the state budget (House Bill 2), a proposed paid-family-leave bill (House Bill 11) and district calendar planning for 2025–26.
Superintendent Strickland briefed the Hobbs Municipal Schools Board on Feb. 25 about ongoing state legislative activity and the district’s calendar planning for 2025–26.
On the 2025 legislative session, staff said House Bill 2 — the state budget bill that contains public-school support funding — passed the House and moved to the Senate for consideration. The draft in the House includes a 4% pay increase for state employees and the House’s budget proposal would extend a 4% raise to public school staff, the superintendent said.
District officials also flagged House Bill 11, a proposed statewide paid family medical leave program. The bill as presented would require employers with five or more employees to contribute 4% of payroll to a state fund and require employees to contribute 1% of salary. The superintendent said the district supports paid leave in principle but objected to the bill’s mandatory funding mechanism, which would prevent the district from offering alternative short-term disability coverage that local employers can choose to provide. Board members and staff expressed concerns about the potential cost to all employees and employers and the loss of local benefits flexibility.
Separately, staff reported work on the 2025–26 calendar. The district coalition and campus representatives worked through draft calendar options and staff said they expect to present a recommended calendar to the board for adoption at the March 25 board meeting. District planning preserves 183 instructional days and 191 staff contract days; staff described eight additional professional-development/contract days outside classroom instruction to support ongoing professional learning.
No formal board action was taken on legislation or on the calendar at the Feb. 25 meeting. The superintendent encouraged community members to contact legislators about bills under consideration and said district staff will continue legislative monitoring.
