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REFERENCE TITLE: special education; cost studies |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-fifth Legislature First Regular Session 2021
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SB 1625 |
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Introduced by Senator Quezada
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AN ACT
amending section 15-236, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the department of education.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 15-236, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
15-236. Special education programs; program and fiscal audits; cost studies
A. The department of education shall conduct program and fiscal audits of selected district special education programs. The audits shall be designed to determine the degree of compliance with existing statutes and regulations and the appropriate placement of students in special education programs. A report of the findings of such audits shall be completed on or before February 3 of each year. If the department of education determines that a child has been inappropriately placed in a special education program of a school district, the district's weighted student count for educational support services for students in group B as provided in section 15-943 shall be recomputed and the district's entitlement to state aid adjusted accordingly.
B. For each fiscal year the department of education shall request a separate line item appropriation for program and fiscal audits of special education programs in the budget estimate submitted pursuant to section 35-113.
C. On or before December 1, 2021 and every two years thereafter, the department of education shall complete a cost study of special education programs. This study shall include the cost of providing special education programs to pupils pursuant to chapter 7, article 4 of this title.