HED selects UNM institute to host one tribal technical assistance center; timeline for second center unclear

Evan Chavis briefed the Legislative Education Study Committee on the status of Tribal Education Technical Assistance Centers established by House Bill 280 (2023). Chavis said the Higher Education Department selected the University of New Mexico's Native American Budget and Policy Institute (NAPI) to operate one center and that contract finalization with HED is in progress.

"The Higher Education Department selected UNM's Native American Budget and Policy Institute to offer technical assistance to tribal education departments and tribal communities," Chavis said, summarizing the HED announcement included in the committee packet.

The presentation placed New Mexico's plan in a national context, noting a prior U.S. Department of Education investment of roughly $350 million in comprehensive technical assistance centers and a 2019 Institute of Education Sciences evaluation that identified core domains for capacity building. Chavis and staff emphasized that technical assistance centers aim to build human, organizational and policy capacity and that effective implementation often requires several years of focused work.

Committee members asked about the status of the second center and requested HED officials to appear. Representative Gary said HED will be present at the committee the following day and Assistant Secretary Patricia Trujillo offered to answer outstanding questions; committee staff said there is not yet a public timeline for selecting or contracting the second center.

LES staff said they will follow up with HED and UNM to confirm contract details, to ensure the centers are community‑driven and culturally responsive, and to report progress back to the committee.