Senator Benny Shendo, D-Jemez Pueblo, is sponsoring SB 482, which authorizes state-tribal education compacts.  Such compacts – formal agreements between the NM Public Education Department and a New Mexico Tribe, Nation or Pueblo – would allow a Tribe to operate a state-funded school using the Tribe’s own education standards, independent of state curriculum and evaluation requirements.

A state-tribal compact school would be based on language and culture, controlled and evaluated by a Tribe. This would advance tribal education sovereignty and ensure that Tribes themselves can determine how to best meet the needs of Native children.

SB 482 unanimously passed the Senate Education Committee. An amended version of the bill is awaiting a full hearing in Senate Judiciary Committee. To help advance this bill, please email your statement of support to: [email protected]