Education partners urge lawmakers to restore funding, ease insurance burden and expand student supports

Superintendents, teachers unions and education partners told the Legislative Education Study Committee in a morning briefing that lawmakers should sharpen New Mexico’s definition of school funding “sufficiency,” shore up transportation and insurance funding and increase staffing and supports for students.

At the outset a representative of the New Mexico School Superintendents Association said the state has generally tried to fund public schools adequately but that averaging in the state equalization guarantee leaves some districts as “winners” and others as “losers.” The presenter urged policymakers to treat sufficiency as district-specific rather than based on a statewide average.

The superintendents’ representative also flagged transportation funding as a recurring shortfall, saying about 19 districts “receive less money than it cost them to transport students” and asking the legislature to “redouble your efforts to work with us on how we can fill that gap.” He and others warned that delays in reimbursement (RFRs) often leave districts waiting more than 90 days for funds.

Insurance costs were a major concern. Presenters noted districts must pay NMPSIA liabilities each July and described post-session rate adjustments that have strained budgets. The superintendents’ representative urged calculating an “open door” cost to smooth year-to-year swings.

Union leaders pressed for personnel and programmatic investments. Mary Pars Sanchez, president of NEA New Mexico, and Andrew Montoya, director of NEA New Mexico’s Center for Community Schools, emphasized community schools as a growth strategy and cited the House Memorial 44 task force recommendation to restore a $12,500,000 below-the-line appropriation after last year’s $8,000,000 allocation reduced program growth. Montoya also outlined categorical funding recommendations, including $2,850,000 to shore up certification and licensure for community school implementation.

Montoya read educators’ survey comments describing health-care burdens and urged broader adoption of the 80/20 insurance model. “The legislature should cover 100% of health insurance premiums,” a quoted educator said in the packet Montoya presented, reflecting members’ testimony that high premiums push some teachers into second jobs or out of the profession.

NEA asked legislators to double paid planning time for educators, protect that time from interruptions, and revise state funding structures so planning time is valued. The union also proposed a $30,000 minimum salary for educational assistants (tied to 75% of level-1 teacher pay), a 10% increase for all educational personnel and $5,000 tier-minimum increases.

Dr. Ellen Bernstein of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation urged capital investment to modernize school HVAC systems and explore solar to lower operating costs, noting researchers link classroom temperature to student performance. Bernstein and other presenters also urged more time for adult collaborative learning and culturally responsive pedagogy to help implement the Martinez-Yazzie court decision’s equity goals.

Presenters recommended extending the current return-to-work allowance for retired educators from 36 to 72 months to help districts retain experienced personnel, while monitoring impacts on the insurance fund.

The committee engaged presenters with questions about how state money and local control interact, how to measure the return on additional funding, and the logistics of implementing new staffing and programmatic requirements. The chair closed the morning session with a reminder that the committee would reconvene at 12:30 for budget work.

The morning produced no final votes; lawmakers asked staff and partners to continue developing details and financing options for proposals that range from formula changes and targeted capital outlay to personnel pay and benefit changes.