Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
New Mexico Public Education Commission
| New Mexico Public Education Commission | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $95 per diem |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $64,788,600 |
| Total Seats: | 10 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | New Mexico Constitution, Article XII, Section 6 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
| Timothy Beck, Alan Brauer Jr., Rebekka Burt, Steven Carrillo, Sharon E. Clahchischilliage, Patricia Gipson, Stewart Ingham, K.T. Manis, Sam S. Obenshain, Michael Taylor | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | 2026 |
| Last election: | 2024 |
| Other New Mexico Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Public Lands • Secretary of Education • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Superintendent • Secretary of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources • Secretary of Workforce Solutions • Public Regulation Commission • Public Education Commission | |
The New Mexico Public Education Commission is an elected 10-member board in the New Mexico state government, responsible for advising the New Mexico Secretary of Education, who heads the New Mexico Public Education Department.[1]
Commissioners must be residents of the public education commission district from which they are elected. They serve staggered, four-year terms.[2][3]
Current officeholders
Authority
The Public Education Commission is established in Article XII, Section 6 of the New Mexico Constitution.
Article XII, Section 6:
| There is hereby created a “public education department” and a “public education commission” that shall have such powers and duties as provided by law.[3] |
Qualifications
Article XII, Section 6 of the New Mexico Constitution establishes the qualifications of the office:
| Commission members shall be residents of the public education commission district from which they are elected. Change of residence of a commission member to a place outside the district from which he was elected shall automatically terminate the term of that member.[3] |
Elections
Ten commissioners are elected to serve staggered four-year terms on behalf of the state districts in which they live.[3]
2024
District 1
General election candidates
- Sam S. Obenshain (Democratic Party) ✔
- Michael Schuetze (Republican Party)
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Republican primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
District 4
General election candidates
- Rebekka Burt (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔
Democratic primary candidates
- Rebekka Burt (Incumbent) ✔
Republican primary candidates
The Republican Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
District 8
General election candidates
- Michael Taylor (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
Democratic primary candidates
The Democratic Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
Republican primary candidates
- Michael Taylor (Incumbent) ✔
District 9
General election candidates
- K.T. Manis (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
Democratic primary candidates
The Democratic Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
Republican primary candidates
- K.T. Manis (Incumbent) ✔
District 10
General election candidates
- Steven Carrillo (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔
Democratic primary candidates
- Steven Carrillo (Incumbent) ✔
Republican primary candidates
The Republican Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
2022
District 2
General election candidates
- Timothy Beck (Republican Party) ✔
Democratic primary candidates
The Democratic Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
Republican primary candidates
District 3
General election candidates
- Alan Brauer Jr. (Democratic Party) ✔
Democratic primary candidates
Republican primary candidates
The Republican Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
District 5
General election candidates
- Sharon E. Clahchischilliage (Republican Party) ✔
Democratic primary candidates
The Democratic Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
Republican primary candidates
District 6
General election candidates
- Stewart Ingham (Republican Party) ✔
Democratic primary candidates
The Democratic Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
Republican primary candidates
- Stewart Ingham (Write-in) ✔
District 7
General election candidates
- Patricia Gipson (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔
Democratic primary candidates
- Patricia Gipson (Incumbent) ✔
Republican primary candidates
The Republican Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
2020
District 1
General election candidates
- Melissa Armijo (Democratic Party) ✔
Democratic primary candidates
- Ricardo Caballero (Incumbent)
- Melissa Armijo ✔
Republican primary candidates
The Republican Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
District 4
General election candidates
- Rebekka Burt (Democratic Party) ✔
- Laura Burrows (Libertarian Party)
Democratic primary candidates
Republican primary candidates
The Republican Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
Minor Party primary candidates
Libertarian Party
District 8
General election candidates
- Michael Taylor (Republican Party) ✔
Democratic primary candidates
The Democratic Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
Republican primary candidates
District 9
General election candidates
- Trish Ruiz (Incumbent) (Democratic Party)
- K.T. Manis (Republican Party) ✔
- Krik Myers (Libertarian Party)
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Democratic primary candidates
- Trish Ruiz (Incumbent) ✔
Republican primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Minor Party primary candidates
Libertarian Party
District 10
General election candidates
- Steven Carrillo (Democratic Party) ✔
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Democratic primary candidates
- Steven Carrillo (Write-in) ✔
- William Luther Humbert (Write-in)
- Leanne Christine Salazar Montoya (Write-in)
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Republican primary candidates
The Republican Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
Past elections
Vacancies
Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article XII, Section 6.
If a position on the Public Education Commission becomes vacant, the governor must fill the vacancy by appointing a resident from the education commission district where the vacancy occurred. The appointed member serves until the next regular election for membership on the commission.[3]
Duties
- See also: School choice in New Mexico
The New Mexico Public Education Commission advises the education secretary on education issues affecting the ten districts it represents across the state. Duties include developing a five-year strategic plan for public schools in the state updated at least biennially. The commission must gather input from people with an interest in public school policy such as parent-teacher associations, local school boards, and homeschooling associations, among others. The commission must also gather input from school boards, school districts, and the public regarding policy issues and report those findings to the secretary of education and the legislature.[6] The commission also authorizes all state charter schools, those that do not seek authorization through local school boards.[2]
According to the Public Education Commission Rules of Order, "commissioners are expected to educate themselves regarding issues and requirements concerning education in New Mexico. Commissioners are further expected to avail themselves of educational opportunities to keep abreast of such issues, including training conducted by the Public Education Department (the “Department” or “PED”) and trainings for local school board members."[7]
Divisions
The Executive Committee:
The executive committee is composed of the commission chair, vice-chair, and secretary. The committee performs "governmental relation functions on behalf of the Commission," including:
- Assisting the commission in making policy recommendations to the education secretary regarding legislative initiatives in support of public education.
- Meeting with the commission’s assigned legal counsel to request and receive legal advice on behalf of the commission.
- Any other function delegated to it by the commission or chairperson.[7]
State budget
- See also: New Mexico state budget and finances
The budget for the Public Education Department in Fiscal Year 2025 was $64,788,600.[8]
Compensation
Chapter 9, Article 24 of the New Mexico Statutes says, "Members shall be entitled to receive per diem and mileage as provided in the Per Diem and Mileage Act [10-8-1 to 10-8-8 NMSA 1978], but shall receive no other perquisite, compensation or allowance."[9]
2023
In 2023, the commissioners were paid a per diem of $95 and a mileage payment of $0.88 per mile driven in a privately owned vehicle in accordance with Chapter 10, Article 8 of the New Mexico Statutes.[10]
2021
In 2021, the commissioners were paid a per diem of $95 and a mileage payment of $0.88 per mile driven in a privately owned vehicle in accordance with Chapter 10, Article 8 of the New Mexico Statutes.[11]
2020
In 2020, the commissioners were paid a per diem of $95 and a mileage payment of $0.56 per mile driven in a privately owned vehicle in accordance with Chapter 10, Article 8 of the New Mexico Statutes.[12]
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the New Mexico Public Education Commission has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New Mexico Public Education Commission. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
New Mexico Public Education Department
Jerry Apodaca Education Building
300 Don Gaspar
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: 505-827-5800
Email: PED.HelpDesk@state.nm.us
See also
| New Mexico | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ New Mexico Public Education Department, "Home," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 New Mexico Public Education Department, "Public Education Commission," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State, "NM Constitution," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Official Results General Election - November 4, 2014," accessed December 11, 2014
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "General Election Results," accessed November 7, 2012
- ↑ Justia, "NM Stat § 22-2-2.2 (2019)," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 New Mexico Public Education Department, "Rules of Procedure," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico State Legislature, "New Mexico General Appropriation Act of 2024," accessed January 22, 2025
- ↑ Justia, "NM Stat § 9-24-9 (2019)," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "NM Stat § 10-8-4 (2021)," accessed January 22, 2025
- ↑ Justia, "NM Stat § 10-8-4 (2021)," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ Justia, "NM Stat § 10-8-4 (2019)," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
