Sarah Hetimi, the state director of Americans for Prosperity New Mexico, expressed on The Chile Wire podcast that education tax credits and broader school choice could expand opportunities and improve outcomes across public schools.
"The tax credit in the One Big Beautiful Bill is not a voucher," said Sarah Hetemi. "What we're doing is ending discrimination in education. We fall dead last in education for the ninth year in a row in both math and reading. In rural states like New Mexico, I think it's almost a crime that we haven't embraced educational choice."
New Mexico continues to rank low on national educational benchmarks. According to a memo from the state education department regarding the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the "Nation’s Report Card," there is low proficiency in 4th-grade reading and 8th-grade math. The results place New Mexico at or near 50th nationally, highlighting persistent achievement gaps and prompting calls for new strategies, including expanding learning options.
In 2025, Congress introduced the first-ever federal education scholarship tax credit through the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." This allows individuals to claim a dollar-for-dollar credit up to $1,700 for contributions funding K-12 scholarships and tutoring. Unlike vouchers, these credits reduce a taxpayer’s liability while supporting scholarship organizations, thus broadening access for families seeking alternatives or supplemental services.
New Mexico currently offers charter, magnet, and open-enrollment options but lacks private K–12 choice programs. No education savings accounts, vouchers, or tax-credit scholarships are authorized under state law. EdChoice's 2025 state profile indicates that unlike nearby states, New Mexico families seeking private tuition or specialized services do not have access to a statewide mechanism for portable funding or scholarship tax credits.
Hetemi serves as the New Mexico state director for Americans for Prosperity (AFP), which operates an expanding grassroots model at the state level. In 2025, AFP announced Idaho as its 37th brick-and-mortar state chapter, reflecting continued growth in on-the-ground operations. The network mobilizes volunteers and partners on policy campaigns such as education choice while coordinating national messaging with local field efforts across numerous states.
