House Engrossed

schools; resources; services; consolidation grants

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

2021

HOUSE BILL 2022

AN ACT

establishing the resource and service consolidation grant program; appropriating monies.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Resource and service consolidation grant program; requirements; delayed repeal

A. The department of education shall conduct a five-year resource and service consolidation grant program.  A county school superintendent, or a group of county school superintendents as prescribed in subsection B of this section, is eligible to apply for a grant pursuant to this section if the county school superintendent or group of county school superintendents meets all of the following requirements:

1. Submits a proposal that explains how the grant monies will be made available to consolidate resources and develop new services for all school districts, charter schools, county free library districts, municipal libraries, nonprofit and public libraries, tribal libraries, private schools, tribal schools, juvenile detention centers and jails within the jurisdiction of the county school superintendent or superintendents. This paragraph does not prevent the county school superintendent or group of superintendents from providing services to school districts outside of the superintendent's or superintendents' jurisdiction.

2. Demonstrates all of the following in a manner prescribed by the department:

(a) The need for resource and service consolidation within the county or counties.

(b) That local education agencies within the county or counties have requested resource and service consolidation within the county or counties and how the resource and service consolidation proposal submitted pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection will address those requests.

(c) The cost savings or efficiencies that will result from the resource and service consolidation proposal submitted pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection.

(d) That the resource and service consolidation proposal submitted pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection will be self-sufficient within five years.

B. Multiple county school superintendents may jointly apply for a single grant pursuant to this section for the purpose of consolidating resources across county lines.

C. On or before February 1, 2022, the department of education shall award grants in an amount prescribed by the department pursuant to the criteria prescribed in subsection A of this section. 

D. The department of education shall disburse the grant monies to a county school superintendent or a group of county school superintendents that receives a grant pursuant to this section each year for five consecutive years or until the department determines that the resource and service consolidation proposal submitted pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section is self-sufficient, whichever is sooner.

E. The department of education, in conjunction with county school superintendents, shall develop criteria to evaluate the use of grant monies disbursed pursuant to subsection D of this section and whether the resource and service consolidation proposal submitted pursuant to subsection A of this section is progressing towards self-sufficiency.  If the department determines that the proposal will not be self-sufficient within five years or that the grant monies are not being used in accordance with the terms of the proposal, the department may not continue to provide funding to the county school superintendent or group of county school superintendents for the submitted proposal.

F. The department of education may adopt policies and procedures to carry out the purposes of this program.

G. This section is repealed from and after June 30, 2027.

Sec. 2. Appropriation; department of education; resource and service consolidation grant program; exemption

A. The sum of $10,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2021-2022 to the department of education to distribute to county school superintendents who are selected to participate in the resource and service consolidation grant program as prescribed in this act.

B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.