As used in the Community College Act:

A. "community college" means a public educational institution that provides not to exceed two years of training in the arts, sciences and humanities beyond the twelfth grade of the public high school curriculum or, in lieu of that training or in addition to it, not to exceed two years of a vocational and technical curriculum and appropriate courses of study for persons who may or may not have completed the twelfth grade of public high school;

B. "community college district" means a district in which a community college is located, which district is composed of the territory of one or more school districts of the state. For the purposes of relating community college districts to existing law, community college districts and the community colleges thereof shall not:

(1) be considered a part of the uniform system of free public schools pursuant to Article 12, Section 1 and Article 21, Section 4 of the constitution of New Mexico;

(2) benefit from the permanent school fund and from the current school fund under Article 12, Sections 2 and 4 of the constitution of New Mexico;

(3) be subject, except as it relates to technical and vocational education, to the control, management and direction of the state board of education under Article 12, Section 6 of the constitution of New Mexico; and

(4) be considered school districts insofar as the restrictions of Article 9, Section 11 of the constitution of New Mexico are concerned; and

C. "qualified elector" means a person otherwise eligible to vote within the community college district.

History: 1953 Comp., § 73-33-2, enacted by Laws 1963, ch. 17, § 2; 1964 (1st S.S.), ch. 16, § 1; 1980, ch. 53, § 1; 1985, ch. 238, § 2; 1998, ch. 61, § 3.

Cross references. — For public school fund, see 22-8-14 NMSA 1978.

For current school fund, see 22-8-32 NMSA 1978.

The 1998 amendment, effective March 9, 1998, in Subsection A, substituted "that" for "which" near the beginning and in the first sentence in Subsection B, deleted "or proposed to be created" following "located" and substituted "is" for "shall be".

Applicability of constitution. — Junior college legislation is outside the constitutional provisions relating to schools and junior colleges are solely creations of the legislature. Daniels v. Watson, 1966-NMSC-011, 75 N.M. 661, 410 P.2d 193.

Legislative intent. — The legislature did not intend junior college districts to come within the general school system. Daniels v. Watson, 1966-NMSC-011, 75 N.M. 661, 410 P.2d 193.

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 15A Am. Jur. 2d Colleges and Universities § 1.

14A C.J.S. Colleges and Universities § 5.