Reading and math bills clear Senate. Here's what other education bills lawmakers are considering.

Two bills seeking to augment statewide math and reading instruction for public school students passed unanimously in the Senate on Thursday, and could be debated in the House as soon as next week. 

New Mexico ranked 50th in the country in reading and math in a 2024 report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which showed only 20% of fourth graders were proficient in reading and 23% were proficient in math.

In middle school, progress worsened: 19% of eighth graders showed proficiency in reading and 14% in math.

“We have to get our kids on the right track if we’re going to be successful and get off the bottom of the list, and I think this is a sure step in that direction,” said Sen. Candy Ezzell, R-Roswell, during Thursday's debate on the Senate floor.

A host of other education-related bills passed in their respective committees this week, including several measures that would improve benefits for teachers and retired school employees, change the way universities select regents and establish a state office overseeing special education.

The bills attracted a range of support from students, teachers, policymakers and union leaders. 

Senate Bill 37: Improving literacy instruction

SB37 will bolster literacy instruction for public school students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The bill would set a grade-specific reading assessment system for kindergarten through third grade, and would require teachers to use “high quality instructional materials” from the state Public Education Department’s approved list. SB37 also requires teachers to be trained in literacy instruction, with a special focus on students with reading difficulty and English language learners.

Under the bill, PED is required to assign a literacy coach to elementary schools with low average reading proficiency beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. The coach will work with the school for three consecutive school years, regardless of student improvement. Coaches may be full-time at one elementary school or split between multiple schools.

SB37 does not contain an appropriation, but the bill would cost PED an estimated $14.6 million for literacy coaches. 

On Thursday, the bill passed in the Senate without opposition.

SB37 has seven bipartisan sponsors, though its primary sponsors are Ezzell and Rep. Catherine Cullen, R-Rio Rancho.

The bill had no opposition in the committee, though some senators and education policymakers had concerns the measure would increase teacher workload by requiring too many student assessments.

Senate Bill 29: Math requirements for teachers

SB29 seeks to improve math instruction statewide. New Mexico students score lower in math than reading on many assessments, said Sen. William Soules, D-Las Cruces, one of the bill’s sponsors, who advocated for early intervention to improve student math proficiency.

The bill, sponsored by Soules and Rep. Debra Sariñana, D-Albuquerque, would require prospective teachers to take additional undergraduate coursework on math pedagogy to get a teaching license. SB29 would also mandate the PED to develop statewide standards for math instruction, coaching, professional development and program evaluation in conjunction with the state Mathematics and Science Advisory Council. 

SB29 would require teachers to conduct regular math assessments in kindergarten through third grade, and to notify a student’s parents if the student shows difficulty in math.

The bill does not contain an appropriation, though the Legislative Education Study Committee estimates a “modest indeterminate fiscal impact” on teacher colleges that do not already offer the required math courses.

The bill received no opposition in the Senate Education Committee hearing this week, though some educators, who showed similar concern over SB37, worried it would overburden teachers. The measure passed unanimously in the Senate on Thursday.

Senate Bill 64: Creating the Office of Special Education

SB64, primarily sponsored by Rep. Joy Garratt, D-Albuquerque, and Sen. Cindy Nava, D-Bernalillo, seeks to create a state Office of Special Education, housed within the PED. The office would monitor and prevent discrimination against disabled students, and develop policies to help disabled students succeed in school.

The office would implement a uniform statewide Individualized Education Program, otherwise known as an IEP, for students with disabilities to ensure continuity when students move between schools. 

One in five New Mexico students receive special education services, according to Deputy Secretary of Special Education Jill Vice.

The bill does not include an appropriation. PED has already established an office focused on special education, so funding is expected to be minimal, according to the LESC.

SB64 would remove gifted education and students with 504 plans — which provide accommodations for disabled students, rather than specialized instruction — from under the purview of the special education office, but would leave the programs unchanged.

Some speakers voiced concerns that moving gifted education from special education would weaken protections and support for the program. Lobbyist Marla Shoats, representing the New Mexico Superintendents Association, said the group did not support the measure because it did not include quarterly consultations with superintendents.

SB64 received a unanimous do-pass recommendation from the committee.

House Bill 40: Adding a temporary extra payment to retired school employees’ pensions

HB40, if it passes, will provide temporary supplemental payments to Educational Retirement Board retirees in fiscal years 2027 and 2028 to help retirees with inflation. 

The bill appropriates $65.5 million from the general fund to the ERB. Pensions are typically fixed at the salary an employee earned at the time of retirement and do not fully increase to account for rising prices, lawmakers said. The legislation is a companion to House Bill 41, which would provide a similar payment to other state workers.

HB40 has five bipartisan sponsors. Its primary sponsors are Rep. Cynthia Borrego, D-Albuquerque, and Rep. Nicole Chavez, R-Albuquerque.

No one showed formal opposition to HB40, though Rep. Harlan Vincent, R-Ruidoso Downs, voted against the measure out of concern for the long-term solvency of the school employees’ pension fund and not because he was resistant to helping retirees, he said. 

The bill passed in the House Education Committee 12-1.

House Bill 47: Changing cost-share requirements for health insurance plans for public school employees

HB47 would require employers to pay at least 80% of health care premiums for school employees, bringing them to parity with other state employees. Employees would cover 20% of their premiums under the bill.

The bill’s sponsors said Monday in a House Education Committee meeting that school employees can sometimes pay up to 40% of insurance premiums depending on salary under current rules. Workers whose employers cover more of their insurance are more likely to enroll in higher-option plans, lawmakers said.

HB47 appropriates $73.2 million from the general fund to the state equalization guarantee, which funds New Mexico’s public schools, to pay 80% of health insurance costs for all public school employees.

One educator who spoke at a committee meeting said she paid more than $1,000 in monthly premiums for health insurance and sometimes had to choose whether she could afford to visit the doctor.

The measure has eight sponsors from both parties. Its primary sponsors are Rep. Brian Baca, R-Los Lunas, and Sen. Heather Berghmans, D-Albuquerque.

There was no opposition to the measure at a committee meeting Monday, where members voted unanimously in favor of the bill.

Senate Bill 44 and House Bill 48: Fund seismology at New Mexico Tech

SB44 and HB48 are companion bills that appropriate $2 million from the general fund to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to buy seismology equipment to study earthquakes and the Earth’s interior. 

Michael Timmons of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources said the funding will help researchers detect earthquakes and potentially warn of a large event.

The measures passed unanimously in both committees.

House Joint Resolution 1: Changing the way university regents are selected

HJR1, sponsored by Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, and Sen. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, seeks to amend the state constitution to change how university regents are chosen.

As it stands now, regents are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. The bill hopes to create nominating committees, which will provide a list of recommended names from which the governor can choose.

The New Mexico chapter of the American Federation of Teachers supports the measure, which ultimately received a unanimous do-pass recommendation from the House Education Committee.

 Natalie Robbins covers education for the Journal. You can reach her at nrobbins@abqjournal.com.