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SANTA FE, N.M. – Just before the 5:00pm signing deadline, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 130 which will extend learning time for New Mexico students.
House Bill 130, sponsored by Representatives Andres Romero and Joy Garratt and Senator Mimi Stewart, increases the number of hours elementary students will spend in school each year to a minimum of 1,140 from 990, and boosts middle and high school hours to that same level from the current 1,080.
“Providing New Mexico students more instructional time is an important step to help New Mexico improve its educational outcomes and ensure our students recover from Covid-19 learning loss,” said Amanda Aragon, Executive Director of NewMexicoKidsCAN. “We are grateful to the sponsors and the Governor for prioritizing student learning and working hard to find a solution supported by many education stakeholders.”
The signed legislation allows elementary schools to count 60 hours of professional development as instructional time, and secondary schools to count 30 hours of professional development as instructional time.
The passage of House Bill 130 comes at a critical and urgent time for public education in New Mexico. New Mexico students continue to rank last in every educational measure, and student achievement is at its lowest point in decades.