LESC bill analyses are available on the New Mexico Legislature website ( www.nmlegis.gov). Bill analyses are
prepared by LESC staff for standing education committees of the New Mexico Legislature. LESC does not assume
any responsibility for the accuracy of these reports if they are used for other purposes.
LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE
BILL ANALYSIS
57th Legislature, 1st S ession, 2025
Bill Number SB387 Sponsor Figueroa
Tracking Number .230531.2 Committee Referrals SEC/SFC
Short Title Community School Fund & Framework
Original Date 2/19/2025
Analyst Hicks Last Updated
BILL SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 387 (SB387) would amend Section 22-32- 4 NMSA 1978 to make three changes to
current law governing community schools in New Mexico:
1) Allow annual community school implementation grants administered by the Public Education Department (PED) to be awarded in amounts of up to $150 thousand;
2) Strike language outlining specific pillars of the community school framework and instead direct community schools to provide integrated student supports to broadly address students’ noninstructional school barriers; and
3) Rename the community schools fund as the Dr. Jeannie Oakes memorial community schools fund.
FISCAL IMPACT
SB387 does not contain an appropriation. The proposed language in SB387 to provide flexibility in award amounts for implementation
grants could result in public schools receiving lower implementation grant amounts than previously issued by PED. The LESC recommendation for public school support includes $8 million for community schools
for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 (FY26) .
SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
Community Schools in New Mexico. According to PED, there are currently 91
community
schools throughout New Mexico that have received grant funding from the department. There are
a number of community schools in the state that adopted the model prior to the creation of the community school fund. Accounting for these schools, there are approximately 150 community schools in New Mexico.
SB387 – Page 2
The community school strategy is based on the idea of whole community involvement in the
educational process. In community school models, the school is understood as a central hub of a
community and a place to leverage the various resources of the broader community to provide a
wide range of supports to students and families—this means the school building is not only a place
for learning, but also a place to for students to access, or be connected to, locally identified
resources such as healthcare, meal options, clothing, and laundry, among others. Research has
shown the community school strategy, when implemented effectively, can improve student
attendance, behavior, engagement, and academic achievement.
As required by current statute, PED’s Community Schools Bureau oversees a competitive grant
program to support schools in New Mexico wishing to adopt the community school framework. Grant awards are divided into three categories: planning (up to $50 thousand), implementation ($150 thousand per year for three years), and renewal (up to $75 thousand). Following this period
of grant funding, the expectation would be for schools to establish long- term funding for
community school operations within their own budget. SB387 would amend implementation
awards to allow amounts up to $150 thousand. PED, in partnership with Southwest Institute for Transformational (SWIFT) Community Schools
,
an organization focused on advocating for and supporting community schools in New Mexico, is developing an
accreditation plan to ensure schools receiving grant funding in New Mexico are
effectively implementing the community school strategy. To continuously assess the effectiveness
of community school implementation in the state, PED has also partnered with Apex Evaluation, an Albuquerque-based consulting firm, to create an
evaluation plan for the years ahead.
History of State Funding. State funding for community schools began in FY20 and continued in subsequent fiscal years. (See Figure 1: Community Schools Funding) In FY25, the Legislature
appropriated $8 million sourced from the public education reform fund and the community schools
fund. Due to changes in the funding source and amount, PED adopted a different approach to award-making for the community schools grant program in FY25. Rather than providing awards
to specific schools in the designated amounts above, the department issued block grants to school
districts with multiple applicants. Distribution to specific school sites was left to the discretion of the district. For solo applicants, award amounts varied depending on funding availability. In the 2023 legislative session, the Legislature passed House Memorial 44
, directing PED to establish a
task force to study sustainable funding for community schools, develop criteria for community
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25
millions of dollars
Figure 1: Community Schools Funding
Fiscal Years 2020 through 2025
Source: LESCFiles
SB387 – Page 3
school accreditation, make associated funding recommendations, and develop a community
schools strategic plan. A report from this memorial is expected in 2025.
Pillars of Community School Framework. SB387 would remove language from current law
regarding community schools that outlines four pillars of the community school strategy. In its
place, the bill would amend statute to more broadly define the purpose of the community school
framework as, “helping to guide integrated student supports addressing students’ noninstructional
school barriers,” among other criteria. This change appears to be a recognition of the evolving
evidence base for community schools. At the time of adoption of current law, there were four
evidence-based pillars for the framework: integrated student supports; expanded and enriched
learning time; family and community engagement; and collaborative leadership practices. In the years since adoption, the
key practices for community schools have expanded to include two
additional practices: community-connected classroom instruction and a culture of belonging,
safety, and care. The proposed change of statutory language in SB387 could allow for the state to update its community school approach to align with national research without necessitating further
changes in statute as the evidence base shifts and evolves.
Jeannie Oakes, PhD. SB387 would rename the community schools fund established in statute in honor of the late Dr. Jeannie Oakes, a longtime Santa Fe resident. Dr. Oakes served as a senior
fellow in residence at the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), an independent research organization focused on advancing evidence-based education policies. During her time at LPI, Dr. Oakes
contributed to several national and New Mexico- specific research reports on community schools
and other education policy topics, perhaps most notably a 2021 report
highlighting the state’s
approach to community schools, and testified before LESC numerous times over the past decade.
Dr. Oakes also served as a thought partner on an LESC evaluation of community schools, culminating in a
2019 report on the subject.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
According to PED, the department would need to update administrative rule to reflect the changes to the community school framework and grant award amounts proposed by SB387. RELATED BILLS
Related to Senate Joint Resolution 8, Rights of Children, CA, which proposes a constitutional amendment expressly stating the rights of children, including access to fully resourced community schools. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
• LESC Files
• Public Education Department (PED)
CLH/de/mca/jkh