Governor signs impact aid legislation, boosting financial support for many schools

Layouts BreadCrumbs BreadCrumbs Measure provides certain school districts with access to over $60 million; tribal leaders herald the long-awaited breakthrough SANTA FE — Alongside tribal leaders from all across New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday afternoon signed historic legislation ending credits for impact aid payments in the public school funding formula, providing school districts with federally impacted land access to more than $60 million to better serve their students, including many Native Americans. In addition, a recurring $67 million appropriation from the general fund ensures that no district will be financially harmed from the change. “Money designed to offset the impact of federal property in a district should go in full to that district without adversely affecting its state funding. This measure achieves that, ending a longstanding practice that was fundamentally unfair, disadvantaging too many Native American students and communities,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “This was an equity issue, and I’m grateful to the Legislature for understanding the great need to rectify it, and working with my administration over several years to get it done. It will ensure that every penny provided to offset the cost of federal installations and tribal lands goes to the districts affected.” Impact aid is intended to offset property tax losses from tax-exempt federal and tribal lands within the districts’ boundaries. In New Mexico, property taxes are used to fund school capital projects – new buildings and building improvements. “The governor’s signature today is a historic milestone for New Mexico,” Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said. “This bill removes a systemic inequity in the way we fund New Mexico public schools that has resulted in huge disparities between have and have-not districts.” “Today marks a turning point for Indian education in New Mexico,” Indian Affairs Secretary Lynn Trujillo said. “This historic change will ensure that school districts serving Native American students see an increase in funding by allowing districts to keep the federal Impact Aid funds generated by Native students. This legislation is another landmark investment by this administration to rebuild Indian education in our state.” “When we invest in our students, we invest in the future of tribal communities and the State of New Mexico,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez. “The signing of House Bill 6 signifies another milestone for providing more equitable educational resources for school districts, including many that serve Native American students. The Navajo Nation, along with other tribes in New Mexico, have strongly advocated for this change for years for school districts with high Native American student populations to receive the full benefit of Impact Aid, as the federal law originally intended. We are grateful to everyone who advocated for this measure including Rep. Lundstrom, Speaker Egolf, Rep. D. Wonda Johnson, Rep. Harry Garcia, Rep. Lente, Sen. Stewart, Secretary Stewart, Secretary Trujillo, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.” “We appreciate that Governor Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Legislature supported the Zuni Tribe and others in their efforts to end the state’s practice of taking credit for Impact Aid funds,” said Gov. Val Panteah of the Pueblo of Zuni. “This change will benefit Native American citizens, especially the Zuni people, for generations to come. These additional educational dollars will allow our school district to provide programs and facilities that have only been hopes and dreams in the past. This is an historic day for Native peoples throughout the State of New Mexico.” “The Pueblo of Acoma appreciates Governor Lujan Grisham’s firm commitment to close the achievement gap that disproportionately affects the academic success of New Mexico’s Native student population,” said Gov. Brian Vallo of the Pueblo of Acoma. “This new law will correct the long-standing imbalance created by the way the state has distributed federal Impact Aid. I am hopeful that, with the additional funding, school districts can now fully implement the Indian Education Act and begin addressing the inequities experienced by so many Native students.” “Laguna congratulates Gov. Lujan Grisham for achieving an impact aid solution. After decades, public schools serving Native children in New Mexico will finally begin to get the resources our children deserve,” said Gov. John Antonio of Laguna. “We appreciate the efforts of the Governor, Sen. Mimi Stewart, Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, Speaker Brian Egolf, Rep. Derrick Lente, and Rep. Georgene Louis who helped reach this solution. We look forward to working with our local district to make sure the additional resources truly benefit Native children.” The governor signed the bill alongside tribal leaders and legislative sponsors in a signing ceremony outside the state Capitol on Monday afternoon. She presented a replica of a signed House Bill 6 to each of the tribal representatives in attendance. Generally, states are prohibited from considering impact aid when allocating state aid, but federal law includes an exception for states that maintain a system of school finance designed to equalize educational expenditures. New Mexico has been applying for and receiving that exception year after year since the 1970s. The Senate voted 40-1 on March 19 for House Bill 6, which was one of Gov. Lujan Grisham’s priority bills. The House passed the bill 67-1 on March 1. “For many Native and underserved students across New Mexico, this is the most important piece of legislation passed in the last 25 years,” said Rep. Patty Lundstrom, lead sponsor of the bill. “This bill corrects nearly five decades of inequities, and puts federal education dollars back into the schools and communities for which they were intended. For years, tribal leaders and our state’s educational experts have worked to get these resources to the students who need them…