Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House committee advances substitute tightening oversight of full‑time distance learning; Gallup faces large funding cut
Summary
The House Education Committee approved a committee substitute for House Bill 253 (8–4) that expands state oversight and reporting for full‑time distance‑learning programs, allows PED to certify compliance and withhold funds for noncompliance, and includes temporary finance provisions that staff said would reduce Gallup School District funding by about $49 million while redistributing roughly $40 million statewide.
The House Education Committee on Tuesday advanced a committee substitute for House Bill 253 aimed at strengthening oversight of full‑time distance‑learning programs and addressing unexpected growth in online enrollment. The committee voted 8 to 4 to recommend the substitute to the full House.
The substitute keeps virtual options for students but replaces a requirement that providers seek prior program approval with a system in which the Public Education Department (PED) evaluates programs and certifies whether they comply with the public school code and related rules. Director John Cena told the committee the department "may withhold up to 100% of funds for those particular students" when a full‑time distance program is out of compliance.
Lawmakers and PED staff said the bill removes several earlier restrictions —…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
