This bill amends Section 22-2-8.1 of the New Mexico Statutes to clarify that local school boards and the governing bodies of charter schools have the authority to determine the total number of instructional days per year and the number of instructional days per week that students are required to attend school programs. The bill establishes a minimum requirement of one thousand one hundred forty instructional hours per year for students, with specific provisions for half-day kindergarten. Additionally, it allows for up to sixty instructional hours for elementary grades and thirty for middle and high school grades to be allocated for professional work hours, which include activities such as parent-teacher conferences and educator training.

The bill also includes provisions that ensure local school boards can set school years or lengths of school days beyond the minimum requirements, and it allows the secretary to waive minimum length requirements in certain circumstances to avoid undue hardships. Furthermore, it designates time spent on breakfast served in accordance with state or federal programs as part of the instructional day. The act is set to apply to the 2025-2026 school year and declares an emergency for its immediate effect.