Bill addresses money for home-schoolers

Freshman state Sen. Craig Brandt has kept good on his promise to address issues he saw as a member of the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board.

Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, is sponsoring a bill in the Legislature that would open the doors for home-school students to take courses at public schools.

RRPS spokesman Kim Vesely said on Friday that the bill would create a funding mechanism, allowing students to take one or two courses.

“We would like to be as inclusive as we can,” she said. “But funding is an issue.”

School districts do not receive funding for a student unless the student is enrolled at least part-time, which is four or more courses. This bill would fund districts for each course a student takes.

In 2011, the RRPS school board was approached by a home-school student wanting to take JROTC, an elective course, at Rio Rancho High School.

The request prompted the board to review the larger issue and to eventually pass a policy that prohibited home-school students from taking courses at their local schools unless they were enrolled at least part-time. Brandt was the lone dissenting vote.

When the board was considering the policy, the district’s lawyer expressed the opinion that it is not legal to allow any student enrolled in another district or private school to take classes with Rio Rancho Public Schools. Various board members also expressed concern at the time that the district would be enrolling students for which they would receive no funding.

“This addresses that concern,” Brandt said. “This would open things up for home-school students.”

The bill has gone before the Senate Education Committee, which has recommended approval.

The Legislative Education Study Committee has also reviewed the bill and has addressed the legal issue of whether home-school students can be enrolled in local public schools. It said that public education must be “available to any school-age person who is a resident of this state and has not received a high school diploma or its equivalent,” saying therefore public school districts must provide “educational services” for home-school students. The report also mentions that the New Mexico Public Education Department has requested that if the bill is passed it does not become effective until July 2014 because it would require changes to the formula used to fund public schools.

Brandt said he expects the bill to hit the Senate floor sometime next week.
— This article appeared on page 23 of the Albuquerque Journal