This bill amends existing laws related to public education in New Mexico by transferring the Charter Schools Division from the Public Education Department to the Public Education Commission. It establishes a new entity called the "state charter schools office," which will provide staff support to the commission in its role as the state chartering authority. The bill outlines the duties of the commission, including overseeing the state charter schools office, making recommendations to the department, and ensuring compliance with the Public School Code. Additionally, it specifies that the commission will consist of ten elected members and will meet quarterly.

Key changes in the bill include the deletion of the Charter Schools Division from the Public Education Department and the creation of the state charter schools office, which will be responsible for providing technical support to state-chartered charter schools and reviewing their budget matters. The bill also mandates that the state charter schools office will issue an annual report on the performance of charter schools compared to noncharter public schools. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 9-24-4, 9-24-9, 22-2-2.2, 22-8B-2, 22-8B-13, 22-8B-17, 22-8B-17.1