Schooling bill sent to governor

A bill that would open up classroom doors for home-school kids is another step closer to becoming law.

The homeschool bill, Senate Bill 302, passed the House unanimously on Monday and is now awaiting the governor’s signature.

Greg Blair, press secretary for the governor, said in an email to the Journal that the “governor is generally supportive of what SB 302 aims to accomplish, but she will have to give the bill a full review before deciding how to act on it.”

The bill was introduced by Sen. Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, a former Rio Rancho Public Schools Board member. It would fund students for each course a student takes. Currently, the state only provides funding for students who are enrolled at least part-time, which is four classes.

“This law will ensure that public schools get paid for providing educational opportunities for all of the students in New Mexico, including students that are primarily home schooled,” Brandt said in an email Friday. “It will also help home school parents to meet the educational needs of their children …”

The bill is the result of an issue the Rio Rancho Schools Board faced in 2011 when Brandt was serving on it. A home-schooled student approached the board and asked that he be allowed to take JROTC, an elective course, at Rio Rancho High School.

The request prompted the board to review and eventually adopt a policy that prohibited students from taking courses at their local schools unless they were enrolled at least part-time. This essentially shut out home-schooled students wanting to take just one or two courses.

A main concern voiced by the board at the time was that school districts do not receive funding for a student until he or she is enrolled at least part-time.

Rio Rancho Schools Board president Carl Harper said he would be willing to discuss the issue if the bill becomes law. The board would have to vote to change its current policy.

“I would be very welcoming of these kids,” he said. “They are usually good kids with great parental support.”
— This article appeared on page 16 of the Albuquerque Journal