REPORTING ON SCHOOL BUS DATA

HB0175

HOUSE BILL 175

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Kristina Ortez
and
Joy Garratt

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE; REQUIRING SCHOOL DISTRICTS
AND STATE-CHARTERED CHARTER SCHOOLS TO REPORT THE NUMBER OF
CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS TRANSPORTED ON ROUTES OPERATED BY THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT OR STATE-CHARTERED CHARTER SCHOOL AND DATA THAT
MAY SHOW EXPANSION OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES; PROVIDING THAT A
SCHOOL DISTRICT OR STATE-CHARTERED CHARTER SCHOOL THAT REPORTS
DATA SHOWING EXPANDED TRANSPORTATION SERVICES IN THE CURRENT
SCHOOL YEAR SHALL RECEIVE AN ALLOCATION IN THE CURRENT SCHOOL
YEAR FOR THAT EXPANSION; PROVIDING THAT THE ALLOCATION IS
SUBJECT TO RECONCILIATION OR ADJUSTMENT IN THE SUBSEQUENT
SCHOOL YEAR AS PROVIDED BY PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT RULE;
MAKING CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

SECTION 1.
Section 22-8-29 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1967,
Chapter 16, Section 78, as amended) is amended to read:

"22-8-29. TRANSPORTATION DISTRIBUTIONS--REPORTS--PAYMENTS.--

A. On the second reporting date and the third
reporting date of each year, each local school board of a
school district and governing body of a state-chartered charter
school shall report to the state transportation director, upon
forms furnished by the state transportation director, the
following information concerning the school district's or
state-chartered charter school's operation on each respective
reporting date of the current year:

(1) the number and designation of school bus
routes [
in operation in the school district
]
operated by the
school district or state-chartered charter school
;

(2) the number of miles traveled by each
school bus on each school bus route, showing the route mileage
in accordance with the type of road surface traveled;

(3) the number of students
transported on each
bus route operated by the school district or state-chartered
charter school
, including:

(a)
special education students,
transported on each reporting date of the current year and
adjusted for special education students on December 1;
and

(b) students enrolled at a locally
chartered or state-chartered charter school transported on each
reporting date of the current year by the students' charter
school, a school district or another charter school pursuant to
an agreement;

(4) the projected number of students to be
transported in the next school year;

(5) the seating capacity, age and mileage of
each bus used in the school district for student
transportation; [
and
]

(6) the number of total miles traveled for
each school district's or state-chartered charter school's per
capita feeder routes;

(7) the number of students transported on
public transit or through other department-approved fare-based
transportation at the expense of the school district or locally
chartered or state-chartered charter school and the associated
costs; and

(8) if applicable, the number of new routes,
the increase in miles traveled or the number of new riders
compared to the data reported by the school district or state-chartered charter school in the prior school year
.

B. Each local school board of a school district and
governing body of a state-chartered charter school maintaining
a school bus route shall make further reports to the state
transportation director at other times specified by the state
transportation director.

C. The state transportation director shall certify
to the secretary that the allocations from the transportation
distributions to each school district and state-chartered
charter school are based upon the transportation distribution
formula established in the Public School Code, calculated and
distributed for the entire school year using an average of the
amounts reported pursuant to Subsection A of this section on
the second reporting date and third reporting date of the prior
school year, and are subject to audit and verification;
provided that [
for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the state
transportation director shall use an average of the amounts
reported pursuant to Subsection A of this section on the second
and third reporting dates of fiscal year 2020
]
a school
district or state-chartered charter school that reports data
showing expanded transportation services in the current school
year pursuant to Paragraph (8) of Subsection A of this section
shall receive an allocation in the current school year
calculated using that reported data, which shall be subject to
reconciliation or adjustment in the subsequent school year as
provided by department rule
.

D. The department shall make periodic installment
payments to school districts and state-chartered charter
schools during the school year from the transportation
distributions, based upon the allocations certified by the
state transportation director."