The department may at any time suspend a local school board or governing body of a state-chartered charter school from acting as a board of finance if the department reasonably believes there is mismanagement, improper recording or improper reporting of public school funds under the local school board's or governing body of a state-chartered charter school's control. When a local school board or governing body of a state-chartered charter school is suspended from acting as a board of finance, the department shall:
A. immediately take control of all public school funds under the control of the local school board or governing body of a state-chartered charter school acting as a board of finance;
B. immediately have an audit made of all funds under the control of the local school board or governing body of a state-chartered charter school acting as a board of finance and charge the cost of the audit to the school district or state-chartered charter school;
C. act as a fiscal agent for the school district or state-chartered charter school and take any action necessary to conform the fiscal management of funds of the school district or state-chartered charter school to the requirements of law and good accounting practices;
D. report any violations of the law to the proper law enforcement officers;
E. act as fiscal agent for the school district or state-chartered charter school until the department determines that the local school board or governing body of a state-chartered charter school is capable of acting as a board of finance or until the department determines that the county treasurer should act as fiscal agent for the school district or state-chartered charter school;
F. inform the local school board or governing body of a state-chartered charter school in writing of the department's determination as to who is to act as board of finance or fiscal agent for the school district or state-chartered charter school and also inform the county treasurer in writing if it determines that the county treasurer should act as fiscal agent for the school district or state-chartered charter school; and
G. consider commencing proceedings before the commission to suspend, revoke or refuse to renew the charter of the state-chartered charter school in the case of a state-chartered charter school that has engaged in serious or repeated mismanagement, improper recording or improper reporting of public school funds under its control.
History: 1953 Comp., § 77-6-43, enacted by Laws 1967, ch. 16, § 97; 1988, ch. 64, § 36; 2006, ch. 94, § 24.
Cross references. — For transfer of powers and duties of the former state superintendent to the secretary of public education, see 9-24-15 NMSA 1978.
The 2006 amendment, effective July 1, 2007, changed "state superintendent" to "department" and added the governing body of a state-chartered charter school; and added Subsection G to provide for proceedings to suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a charter of a state-chartered charter school in cases of mismanagement or improper recording or reporting of school funds.
The 1988 amendment, effective May 18, 1988, substituted "state superintendent" for "chief" twice in the introductory paragraph and made a minor stylistic change.
Structure New Mexico Statutes
Article 8 - Public School Finance
Section 22-8-3 - Office of education abolished; functions transferred.
Section 22-8-4 - Department; duties.
Section 22-8-5 - Rules; procedures.
Section 22-8-5.1 - Procurement, travel and gas cards.
Section 22-8-6.1 - Charter school operating budgets; maximum MEM.
Section 22-8-7 - Manner of budget submission.
Section 22-8-7.1 - Certain school district budgets.
Section 22-8-8 - Budgets; minimum student membership.
Section 22-8-9 - Budgets; minimum requirements.
Section 22-8-10 - Budgets; fixing the operating budget.
Section 22-8-11 - Budgets; approval of operating budget.
Section 22-8-12 - Operating budgets; amendments.
Section 22-8-12.1 - Membership projections and budget requests.
Section 22-8-12.3 - Local school board finance subcommittee; audit committee; membership; duties.
Section 22-8-13.2 - Financial reporting.
Section 22-8-13.3 - Reporting system; reporting requirements.
Section 22-8-14 - Public school fund.
Section 22-8-15 - Allocation limitation.
Section 22-8-16 - Payment to school districts.
Section 22-8-17 - Program cost determination; required information.
Section 22-8-18 - Program cost calculation; local responsibility.
Section 22-8-19 - Early childhood education program units.
Section 22-8-19.1 - Preschool programs; selected districts.
Section 22-8-20 - Basic program units.
Section 22-8-21 - Special education program units.
Section 22-8-22 - Bilingual multicultural education program units.
Section 22-8-23 - Size adjustment program units.
Section 22-8-23.1 - Enrollment growth program units.
Section 22-8-23.2 - New district adjustment; additional program units.
Section 22-8-23.3 - At-risk program units.
Section 22-8-23.5 - Fine arts education program units.
Section 22-8-23.6 - Charter school student activities program unit.
Section 22-8-23.7 - Elementary physical education program units.
Section 22-8-23.8 - Home school student activities program unit.
Section 22-8-23.9 - Home school student program units.
Section 22-8-23.10 - Extended learning time program.
Section 22-8-23.11 - K-5 plus program units.
Section 22-8-23.12 - New program funding.
Section 22-8-23.13 - Public education reform fund created.
Section 22-8-25 - State equalization guarantee distribution; determination of amount.
Section 22-8-25.1 - Additional per unit distribution from public school fund.
Section 22-8-26 - Transportation distribution.
Section 22-8-27 - Transportation equipment.
Section 22-8-29 - Transportation distributions; reports; payments.
Section 22-8-29.1 - Calculation of transportation allocation.
Section 22-8-29.4 - Transportation distribution adjustment factor.
Section 22-8-29.6 - Transportation emergency fund.
Section 22-8-30 - Supplemental distributions.
Section 22-8-30.1 - Recompiled.
Section 22-8-30.2 - Recompiled.
Section 22-8-31 - State-support reserve fund.
Section 22-8-32 - Current school fund; receipts; disposition.
Section 22-8-33 - Distribution of certain revenue.
Section 22-8-34 - Federal mineral leasing funds.
Section 22-8-35 - Tax anticipation certificates.
Section 22-8-36 - Certification of allocations; fund accounts.
Section 22-8-37 - Public school funds.
Section 22-8-38 - Boards of finance; designation.
Section 22-8-39 - Boards of finance; suspension.
Section 22-8-40 - Deposit of public school funds; distribution; interest.
Section 22-8-41 - Restriction on operational funds; emergency accounts; cash balances.
Section 22-8-42 - Violation of act; penalties.
Section 22-8-43 - Public school reading proficiency fund; created.
Section 22-8-44 - Educator licensure fund; distribution; appropriation.
Section 22-8-45 - Teacher professional development fund.
Section 22-8-45.1 - Beginning teacher mentorship fund; created.
Section 22-8-47 - New Mexico government education fund.
Section 22-8-48 - New school development fund; distribution.
Section 22-8-49 - Teacher cost index; licensure-experience factor; report.