BY SHARON SEITZ
Los Alamos
Dear School Board Members, LAPS Staff, and Los Alamos Community,
The current LAPS Calendar (180 Days) MEETS HB130 (read it!!) and I propose NO Calendar Days Added to 23-24 LAPS Calendar (call it Calendar D option). Please reject Calendars A, B, and C. Please allow us this next year to complete a full analysis to determine the best long-term strategy for our community.
See the chart below showing Current 22-2-8.1 NMSA Requirements; HB130 Requirements; and LAPS Current Calendar. Per HB130, 1140 Hours are required for Student Instructional Hours AND 60 of those hours may be used for Professional Time; therefore leaving a requirement of 1080 Hours. Days are NOT Required in HB130!!!
Every LAPS school MEETS HB130 requirements except the Elementary schools that would require an additional 18 Hours spread across the school-Year calendar of 180 Days. Elementary could easily use current Professional Development time to instead instruct students the additional six (6) Minutes a day over 180 Days OR 30 Minutes every Wednesday over 36 Wednesdays.
The Middle School already has 45 more Hours than required and the High School has 90 more Hours than required.
Even if 1140 was used as the final Hours required, the High School would only need to add 15 Hours to the YEAR (5 Minutes a Day over the 180 Days) and the Elementary would need to add 78 Hours to the YEAR (26 Minutes a Day over the 180 Days OR 130 Minutes over the 36 Wednesdays).
| 23-24 LAPS CalendarNO Changes Required | Current Statute22-2-8.1 NMSA Requirement | HB 130 – Requirement Effective 7/1/23 | HB 130 Prof Devl Hours Allowed out of 1140 | HB130 LESS Prof Devl Hours | LAPS Current Calendar | HB130 (LESS Prof Devl) LESS LAPS Hours |
| Days in School Year(NOT Defined in Law) | NONE | NONE | 180 | NONE | ||
| Daily Hours (Exclude Lunch) | ||||||
| Middle | 6 | 6 | 6.5 | NONE | ||
| High School | 6 | 6 | 6.25 | NONE | ||
| Elementary | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.9 (6.5 M,T,Th,F; 3.5 W) | NONE | ||
| Minimum School Year HOURS | ||||||
| Middle | 1080 | 1140 | 60 | 1080 | 1170 | -90 |
| High School | 1080 | 1140 | 60 | 1080 | 1125 | -45 |
| Elementary | 990 | 1140 | 60 | 1080 | 1062 | 18 |
| Professional Time Hours Allowed FROM Min School Year Hours | Hours of Professional Time (Home Visits; P/T Conf; Training; Prof Devl; Coaching/Mentoring) may be included in the Hours | |||||
| Middle | 12 | 60 | 62 | |||
| High School | 12 | 60 | 62 | |||
| Elementary | 22 | 60 | 62 | |||