Bill > SB288

This bill amends existing law to increase the minimum required instructional hours and days for students in New Mexico schools, requiring at least 1,127.5 instructional hours or 5.5 instructional hours per day for 205 days for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and at least 1,080 instructional hours or 6 instructional hours per day for 180 days for students in sixth through twelfth grade, while also allowing certain activities like parent-teacher conferences and home visits to count towards these hours and clarifying that time spent eating breakfast or lunch, recess, weather-related cancellations, or teacher planning does not count towards instructional time. The bill also adjusts the "cost differential factor" used to calculate funding for early childhood education and basic program units, and its provisions will apply to the 2018-2019 school year and subsequent years, contingent on a constitutional amendment related to permanent fund distributions for education.