A judge in New Mexico has put a new mandate on hold that requires school districts to have calendars with at least 180 days. This decision came after school districts, superintendents, teacher unions, and Republican lawmakers challenged the state Public Education Department over the change. The judge granted a preliminary injunction, stating that the rule undermines the Legislature’s intent to increase classroom hours and professional development time for teachers without providing adequate funding. The plaintiffs argued that the requirement would lead to budget shortfalls, especially for districts operating on a four-day week system.
State officials believe that the mandated change will ultimately improve educational outcomes, despite concerns raised by school districts. The chief general counsel for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham argued that the districts would not be harmed if the mandate is implemented while the case is being considered. The school districts were advised to submit budgets with alternative calendars that comply with the 180-day rule, as well as assuming the school does not need to meet the mandate if the districts win their case. The court was told to consider the opinions of the public when balancing harms, despite the substantial opposition to the rule from public comments.
The controversy over the 180-day rule has sparked debate in New Mexico, with school officials, lawmakers, and district attorneys all tuning into the court proceedings. The Public Education Department announced the rule in March, citing it as one of many initiatives being implemented to improve the state’s education rankings. Flexibility was allegedly built into the rule to allow for four-day weeks, as long as districts showed increase in academic performance. However, many districts, like Logan, are finding it financially unfeasible to comply with the mandate. Superintendent Dennis Roch testified that adding 33 days to the calendar would result in astronomical costs for the small district.
In response to the mandate, New Mexico had previously passed legislation in 2023 to increase the number of hours students spend in school from 1,000 to 1,140 per year. This led districts to either lengthen the school day or add more days to meet the new requirement. The legislation also included provisions for professional development for teachers within the school day. Despite the state’s efforts to address education challenges, the pushback from school districts highlights the complexities of implementing changes in the education system. The ongoing legal battle over the 180-day rule signifies the tensions between state mandates and local district autonomy in education policy.
