New Mexico education agency missed deadline, $37M requested

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Public Education Department has missed a deadline to submit school funding data to the federal government by three days, which could cost the state millions of dollars.

The Albuquerque Journal reported that the U.S. Department of Education has now asked the state to transfer more than $37.5 million from a state reserve fund by the end of the month to make distributions to local education agencies.

The shortfall came after the state Public Education Department in March 2020 missed a deadline to submit an application seeking federal approval to take credit for federal aid in the state’s public schools funding.