Bill > HB388

This bill establishes the Low-Income Education Opportunity Account Program in New Mexico, which creates a mechanism for low-income families to access alternative education options. Specifically, the program allows eligible students from households earning less than 200% of the federal poverty level to receive state-funded accounts that can be used to pay for private school tuition, tutoring, educational materials, assessments, summer programs, transportation, and other approved educational expenses. The department of education will manage these accounts, depositing an amount equivalent to the average per-student spending in public schools, and will create a review commission to oversee fund usage. Parents must apply for the accounts and agree to provide education in core subjects like math, science, and reading, and cannot enroll their child full-time in a public school while participating. The program includes robust oversight provisions, such as annual audits, fraud prevention mechanisms, and a requirement for annual reporting to the legislature, with an initial appropriation of $100.58 million to fund the program. The bill aims to provide educational alternatives for low-income students by giving families more flexibility in choosing educational services that best meet their children's needs.

Education

https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=H&legtype=B&legno=388&year=25