Special schools outline student services and ask for parity in benefits and modest funding
Summary
Leaders of New Mexico Military Institute, the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the School for the Deaf briefed the committee on enrollment gains, braille and audiology services, early‑childhood needs and requested parity on employer health‑insurance shares.
Representatives from the state’s special schools addressed the committee after the LFC and HED presentations.
NMMI’s president reported a 17% enrollment increase to 825 cadets, improved retention and large academic gains, and asked for continued legislative support to sustain the institution’s recruitment and academic initiatives.
Heather Miller, superintendent of the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, told members the school provided direct services to roughly 1,500 students this year and produced more than 59,000 pages of braille. Miller asked the committee to consider parity with K‑12 for an employer health‑insurance contribution bill (house bill 47) to avoid staff losses and program impacts.
Superintendent Herbold of the New Mexico School for the Deaf described expanded regional audiology resources and a mobile diagnostic unit and urged funding to open infant‑care services; members debated eligibility and whether early‑childhood funding rules would permit the school to participate. Representative Dow said the school should be eligible to apply for universal child‑care funds; Herbold said she had been told otherwise and agreed to follow up with the relevant agency.
Committee members agreed to adopt the LFC recommendations that cover the special schools and asked staff to ensure the schools’ benefit and childcare concerns are tracked in follow‑up materials.
