HM 58

                                1  HOUSE MEMORIAL 58
                                2      57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 2026
                                3  INTRODUCED BY
                                4  Raymundo Lara
                                5
                                6
                                7
                                8
                                9
                                10  A MEMORIAL
                                11   REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE AND THE
                                12   LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF PUBLIC
                                13   SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS, WHETHER THE BARRIERS CONTRIBUTE
                                14   TO CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM AND INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTED BY
                                15   OTHER STATES TO ADDRESS CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.
                                16
[bracketed material] = delete
                                17        WHEREAS, addressing chronic absenteeism is a significant
underscored material = new
                                18   challenge for public schools; and
                                19        WHEREAS, since the public health emergency declared in
                                20   2020, the percentage of students who are chronically absent has
                                21   remained high, and during the 2023-2024 school year, more than
                                22   one hundred twenty-four thousand students missed at least
                                23   eighteen school days; and
                                24        WHEREAS, research indicates that transportation barriers,
                                25   including limited bus routes, insufficient transportation
                                     .233854.1
                                1    funding, distance thresholds in public school transportation
                                2    policy and family scheduling challenges, substantially
                                3    contribute to student absenteeism, particularly in rural areas
                                4    and charter schools; and
                                5  WHEREAS, students deemed to live within a close distance
                                6    from the students' public schools also face transportation
                                7    barriers because state law only requires bus services for
                                8    students living beyond a certain distance from a public school,
                                9    leaving many families without reliable transportation options;
                                10   and
                                11  WHEREAS, administrators and teachers report that a lack of
                                12   training in state attendance policies and limited resources to
                                13   address transportation barriers affect the ability of public
                                14   schools to address chronic absenteeism; and
                                15  WHEREAS, other states have improved student attendance
                                16   rates by implementing innovative strategies, including school
[bracketed material] = delete
                                17   bus route optimization, partnerships to provide student
underscored material = new
                                18   transportation and technology-assisted transportation planning;
                                19   and
                                20  WHEREAS, the legislative education study committee and the
                                21   legislative finance committee are able to act on behalf of the
                                22   legislature to evaluate evidence-based innovative strategies
                                23   implemented by other states to determine if those strategies
                                24   can reduce or eliminate transportation barriers for New Mexico
                                25   students and address chronic absenteeism;
                                     .233854.1
                                                                  - 2 -
                                1  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF
                                2    REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative
                                3    education study committee and the legislative finance committee
                                4    be requested to conduct a study during the 2026 legislative
                                5    interim to:
                                6  A.   examine whether transportation barriers for New
                                7    Mexico students contribute to chronic absenteeism and whether
                                8    transportation barriers particularly contribute to chronic
                                9    absenteeism of students in rural areas, students attending
                                10   charter schools and students deemed to live within a close
                                11   distance from a public school;
                                12  B.   identify innovative strategies implemented by
                                13   other states that have reduced or eliminated transportation
                                14   barriers and addressed chronic absenteeism; and
                                15  C.   review the effectiveness of existing state
                                16   funding for transportation and review whether that funding is
[bracketed material] = delete
                                17   administered equitably; and
underscored material = new
                                18        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative education
                                19   study committee and the legislative finance committee report
                                20   the findings of the study and recommendations for legislative
                                21   or executive action on or before December 31, 2026; and
                                22        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
                                23   transmitted to the governor, the secretary of public education,
                                24   the chair of the legislative education study committee and the
                                25   chair of the legislative finance committee.
                                     .233854.1
                                                                    - 3 -