ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-fifth Legislature First Regular Session
	House: ED DP 8-2-0-0 | APPROP DP 11-2-0-0

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HB 2022: schools; resources; services; consolidation grants

Sponsor: Representative Udall, LD 25

Caucus & COW

Overview

Directs the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to conduct a five-year resource and service consolidation grant program (Grant Program). Appropriates $10,000,000 from the state General Fund (GF) in FY 2022 for the Grant Program.

History

The Arizona Constitution establishes the position of county school superintendent for each county (Ariz. Const. art. 12, sec. 3). Statute designates the office of county school superintendent as a local education agency that is eligible to receive and spend local, state and federal monies to provide programs and services to school districts, charter schools, county free library districts, municipal libraries, nonprofit and public libraries, tribal libraries, private schools and tribal schools within a county (A.R.S. § 15-301).

Among a county school superintendent's responsibilities is the requirement that the county school superintendent report, by October 1 annually, to the Superintendent of Public Instruction the amount of monies received from state school funds, special school district taxes, the total expenditures for school purposes and the balance on hand to the credit of each school district at the close of the school year. Additionally, statute authorizes a county school superintendent to provide services in their respective county or jointly with two or more counties (A.R.S. § 15-302).

Provisions

1. Establishes the five-year Grant Program conducted by ADE. (Sec. 1)

2. Allows a county school superintendent or a group of county school superintendents to apply for a grant. (Sec. 1)

3. Requires a county school superintendent or a group of county school superintendents to:

a) Submit a proposal that explains how grant monies will be made available to consolidate resources and develop new services;

b) Demonstrate the need for resource and service consolidation;

c) Demonstrate that local education agencies have requested resource and service consolidation and how the proposal will address those requests;

d) Demonstrate the cost savings or efficiencies that will result from the proposal; and

e) Demonstrate that the proposal will be self-sufficient within five years. (Sec. 1)

4. Specifies that multiple county school superintendents may jointly apply for a single grant to consolidate resources across county lines. (Sec. 1)

5. Requires ADE to award grants by February 1, 2022. (Sec. 1)

6. Instructs ADE to disburse grant monies each year for five consecutive years or until ADE determines that the proposal is self-sufficient. (Sec. 1)

7. Allows ADE to adopt policies and procedures to carry out the Grant Program. (Sec. 1)

8. Repeals the Grant Program on July 1, 2027. (Sec. 1)

9. Appropriates $10,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2022 to ADE for the Grant Program. (Sec. 2)

10. Exempts the appropriation from lapsing. (Sec. 2)

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14.                   HB 2022

15. Initials CH Page 0 Caucus & COW

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