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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, First Regular Session
damaged school facilities; replacement; grants
Purpose
Allows school districts to utilize grants from the Building Renewal Grant Fund (Fund) to replace school buildings or facilities under certain conditions.
Background
The School Facilities Board (SFB) assesses school facilities and equipment deficiencies to award grants from the Fund to K-12 school districts. The SFB maintains and annually updates a database to administer the Fund.
Currently, according to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, approximately $51.1 million is allocated from the state General Fund in FY 2019 for building renewal grants. The SFB then distributes monies to school districts based on grant requests to support primary building renewal projects. Priority is given to school districts providing routine preventive maintenance on facilities with projects completed within 12 months.
Districts must use Fund monies for renovation and repairs to buildings used for student instruction or other academic purposes, upgrading systems to extend the life of the building and infrastructure costs. Statute prohibits Fund monies from being used for new construction, remodeling interior space for aesthetic reasons, demolition and routine preventive maintenance (A.R.S. § 15-2032).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows the SFB to award Fund monies to a school district for replacing a damaged building or facility, including demolition, if the following conditions are met:
a) the SFB initiates the request for monies after information is submitted by the school district on the damaged school building or facility;
b) the SFB or the school district obtains a cost estimate to replace the school building or facility;
c) the cost to repair the school building or facility exceeds the cost to replace the school building or facility;
d) the SFB submits a project proposal to the Joint Committee on Capital Review (JCCR) to replace the building or facility using Fund monies; and
e) JCCR reviews the project proposal.
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 25, 2019
JO/gs