N.M. Stat. § 22-5-4
Local school boards; powers; duties.
A local school board shall have the following powers or duties:
A. subject to the rules of the department, develop educational policies for the school
district;
B. employ a local superintendent for the school district and fix the superintendent's
salary;
C. review and approve the annual school district budget;
D. acquire, lease and dispose of property;
E. have the capacity to sue and be sued;
F. acquire property by eminent domain pursuant to the procedures provided in the
Eminent Domain Code [42A-1-1 to 42A-1-33 NMSA 1978];
G. issue general obligation bonds of the school district;
H. provide for the repair of and maintain all property belonging to the school district;
I. for good cause and upon order of the district court, subpoena witnesses and
documents in connection with a hearing concerning any powers or duties of the local
school board;
J. except for expenditures for salaries, contract for the expenditure of money
according to the provisions of the Procurement Code [13-1-28 to 13-1-199 NMSA 1978];
K. adopt rules pertaining to the administration of all powers or duties of the local
school board;
L. accept or reject any charitable gift, grant, devise or bequest. The particular gift,
grant, devise or bequest accepted shall be considered an asset of the school district or
the public school to which it is given;
M. offer and, upon compliance with the conditions of such offer, pay rewards for
information leading to the arrest and conviction or other appropriate disciplinary
disposition by the courts or juvenile authorities of offenders in case of theft, defacement
or destruction of school district property. All such rewards shall be paid from school
district funds in accordance with rules promulgated by the department; and
N. give prior approval for any educational program in a public school in the school
district that is to be conducted, sponsored, carried on or caused to be carried on by a
private organization or agency.