The bill introduces a new section to the Public School Finance Act that establishes a method for calculating career technical education program units. Specifically, it states that the number of these units will be determined by multiplying the Membership Enrollment (MEM) in department-approved career technical education programs by a cost differential factor of 0.25. This addition aims to enhance the funding structure for career technical education within public schools.

Additionally, the bill amends Section 22-8-18 NMSA 1978 to include career technical education as a new itemized program unit in the program cost calculation. The previous language that referenced program units (1) through (15) has been updated to include a new item (16) for career technical education, thereby expanding the scope of programs considered in the funding formula. This change reflects a commitment to supporting vocational training and education in public schools, ensuring that local school boards can prioritize resources effectively to meet community needs.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 22-8-18