Senator says grant program is a down payment on the funding stripped from SB11
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) and the Public Education Department (PED) announced this week that schools can now apply for a share of $1 million in grants to help implement the wireless device policies required under Senate Bill 11 (SB11), the school anti-distraction law that took effect last year. The Wireless Communication Device Policy Implementation Grant Program will help the 89 school districts and 100 charter schools that have already adopted a policy to pay for tools like network firewalls, phone lockers, and signal-blocking pouches.
Sen. Crystal Brantley (R-District 35) has pushed for state funding to help districts implement the policy since implementation funding was stripped from SB11 before it reached the Governor's desk. Applications are open now through August 14, 2026, and will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Senator Brantley issued the following statement:
"This is real progress for New Mexico families, and most importantly, for our students. Just last week, WalletHub ranked New Mexico dead last in the nation for our school system. When the news is that bleak, we don't have many bright spots to point to — so a step in the right direction, even a modest one, matters. Kids deserve a classroom that isn't competing with a device engineered to steal their attention. When we passed SB11, my colleagues and I always intended for the state to help districts cover the cost of implementation — that funding got stripped out of the original bill, and I said then we'd come back for it. Once this $1 million is spent, I'll continue fighting for funding until every school has the resources they need. Our schools and our kids deserve nothing less."
— Senator Crystal Brantley
Brantley also thanked OBAE and PED for moving quickly to stand up the grant program, along with legislative budget writers who worked to keep funding for implementation alive after it was stripped from the original bill.
School districts and charter schools that have implemented a wireless communication device policy can apply for funding through OBAE's Device Policy Grant page: www.connect.nm.gov/device-policy-grant.html Districts and charters that have not yet submitted their policy should contact PED at
