Breaking News: Judge Overturns Controversial 180-Day Rule by Public Education Department – What It Means for Artesia Students

El Rito, New Mexico News

A New Mexico judge has ruled against the state’s controversial “180-day rule.” This decision means public schools no longer have to follow the requirement to hold 180 instructional days each year.

Judge Dustin Hunter of the Fifth Judicial District stated that the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) does not have the authority to enforce this rule. He found that the rule does not match what the Legislature intended.

This ruling comes from a lawsuit filed in April 2024 by the New Mexico School Superintendents Association and over 50 school districts, including Santa Fe Public Schools. Although this is a final ruling, the PED has 30 days to appeal if they choose.

The 180-day rule has sparked more than a year of debate, with teachers and school leaders expressing strong opposition. Public Education Secretary Mariana Padilla said the agency is unhappy with the ruling and is considering its next steps.

Stan Rounds, the executive director of the New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders, is hopeful this decision will allow schools to focus on other pressing education issues. “We need to think about how to use the 1,140 hours that students are in school more effectively,” he said, referring to a law passed in 2023 that set a minimum of 1,140 instructional hours per year without specifying the number of days.

The conflict over school days began back in 2009, when the PED first tried to set a 180-day requirement. However, lawmakers repealed it before it took effect due to the high costs. Lawmakers revisited the topic in 2023 and passed House Bill 130, focusing on required instructional hours rather than days.

In late 2023, many teachers and school officials attended a public hearing to voice their concerns about the proposed rule, believing it overstepped the PED’s authority. Rural districts, often on four-day school weeks, were particularly worried about how this would affect them.

Legislators from both parties joined the opposition, with some calling the rule an attack on local control. One lawmaker invited the governor to experience the long school bus rides faced by rural students.

Despite the pushback, the PED announced in March 2024 that it would still implement the rule, leading to the lawsuit that prompted Judge Hunter’s recent decision. He emphasized that the Legislature intended to focus on instructional hours, providing schools with more flexibility in how they set their calendars.

The judge declared that the 180-day rule is invalid and conflicts with existing laws, confirming that the set minimum is hourly, not based on days.

Rounds believes the ruling clarifies that districts have the discretion they need to organize their calendars. He hopes the education community can now shift focus to essential questions about how to best support students and engage parents in the learning process.