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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, First Regular Session
experienced teacher retention pilot program
Purpose
Requires the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to conduct a five-year Experienced Teacher Retention Pilot Program (Pilot Program). Appropriates outlined amounts from the state General Fund (GF) to ADE.
Background
The ADE is a state agency that oversees Arizona's K-12 public education system. It supports 15 county-level education agencies, over 200 public school districts, 400 charter holders and 13 Joint Technological Education districts. ADE currently conducts the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and Career Technical Education High Quality Teacher Professional Development Pilot Program to financially support certified Arizona teachers in adding credentials and certifications in math, science, technology, engineering or career and technical education (ADE).
H.B. 2525 appropriates $2 million from the state GF in FY 2020 to ADE. The fiscal impact of H.B. 2525 in FYs 2021 and 2022 ranges between $4 million and $7.5 million depending on the amount ADE distributes to Pilot Program participants in each fiscal year.
Provisions
Pilot Program
1. Requires ADE to conduct a five-year Pilot Program and select participants who are eligible to receive a 75 percent discount on tuition at Arizona public universities for the duration of the Pilot Program.
2. Requires ADE to:
a) establish Pilot Program application procedures;
b) limit the number of participants in the Pilot Program in collaboration with the Arizona Board of Regents to ensure the cost does not exceed the appropriated amount; and
c) prioritize eligible participants teaching in rural schools and select participants on a first-come, first-served basis.
3. Deems a person eligible to participate in the Pilot Program if the person is:
a) a certificated teacher employed by at least one Arizona school district or charter school for a total of at least 10 years, or their spouse or dependent; or
b) a certificated teacher who has been employed by at least one school district or charter school for between 3 and 10 years who:
i. uses the Pilot Program tuition discount to obtain a graduate degree in the same or similar subject matter in which the participant teaches; and
ii. signs a contract with ADE to continue teaching in an Arizona public school for at least four years after obtaining the graduate degree.
4. Requires an awarded scholarship to be reduced by the amount of any federal aid scholarships, public grants and other public aid received by the participant from or through the university in which they are enrolled.
5. Directs a Pilot Program participant to repay the amount of the discounted tuition to ADE if:
a) the participant receives discounted tuition and fails to fulfill the four-year service requirement, if applicable; or
b) the State Board of Education revokes the participant's teacher certificate.
6. Requires each university that enrolls a Pilot Program participant to submit an invoice to ADE for reimbursement in the amount of the participant's discounted tuition.
7. Directs ADE, after verifying the invoice amount and the person's participation in the Pilot Program, to distribute an amount to reimburse the university for the participant's discounted tuition.
8. Allows ADE to adopt policies and procedures to carry out the Pilot Program.
9. Repeals the Pilot Program on February 16, 2026.
Appropriations
10. Appropriates, in FY 2020, $2 million from the state GF to ADE for the Pilot Program.
11. Appropriates from the state GF in FY 2021 to ADE for the Pilot Program either:
a) $2 million, if ADE awarded less than that amount in FY 2020 to Pilot Program participants; or
b) $2.5 million, if ADE awarded at least $2 million in FY 2020 to Pilot Program participants.
12. Appropriates from the state GF in FY 2022 to ADE for the Pilot Program either:
a) the amount appropriated in FY 2021, if ADE awarded less than that amount to program participants; or
b) $5 million, if ADE awarded at least the amount appropriated in FY 2021 to Pilot Program participants.
13. Appropriates $100,000 from the state GF in FY 2023 to ADE for distribution to the persons or entities selected to study the impact of the Pilot Program.
14. Allows ADE to retain up to two percent of the monies appropriated each fiscal year to administer the Pilot Program.
15. Exempts the appropriations from lapsing, except that all monies remaining unencumbered or unexpended on July 1, 2024, revert to the state GF.
Miscellaneous
16. Requires ADE, by January 1, 2022, to issue a request for proposals to contract with at least one qualified person or entity to study the effectiveness of the Pilot Program and its impact on the teacher shortage in Arizona in FY 2023 through FY 2025.
17. Requires selected persons or entities, by January 1, 2026, to submit a report summarizing the study findings and conclusions to the Governor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide a copy to the Secretary of the State.
18. Defines rural school as a school located in a county that either:
a) has a population that is less than or equal to 10 percent of Arizona's population; or
b) has a population that exceeds 10 percent of Arizona's population but is located more than 10 miles from a municipality with a population greater than 50,000 people.
19. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
ED 2/18/19 DPA 12-1-0-0
APPROP 2/25/19 DPA 8-3-0-0
3rd Read 3/6/19 42-18-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 14, 2019
JO/CP/gs