A. The council shall develop guidelines for a school security system project grant initiative in accordance with this section.

B. A school district seeking a grant for a school security system project shall apply to the council on a form that includes an assessment of a school's security system and a statement of opinion by the school district that the project would improve the security of the school's buildings, property and occupants.

C. The authority shall verify the assessment made by the school district and rank all applications it receives for school security system project grants according to the methodology adopted by the council for that purpose.

D. After a public hearing, and to the extent that money is available in the fund for the purpose, the council shall make school security system project grants to school districts that the council determines are willing and able to pay for the portion of the total project cost not funded with grant assistance from the fund and according to those applicants' ranking.

E. The state share of the cost of an approved school security system project shall be calculated according to the methodology outlined in Subsection B of Section 22-24-5 NMSA 1978.

F. A school district that receives a grant in accordance with this section shall expend the grant money within three years after the grant allocation. Money not spent in that time shall revert to the fund.

History: 1978 Comp., § 22-24-4.7, enacted by Laws 2018, ch. 71, § 1; 2019, ch. 180, § 4.

The 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2019, n Subsection C, deleted "public school facilities" preceding "authority"; and in Subsection E, after "methodology outlined in", deleted "Paragraph (5) of".