ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

House: ED DP 10-0-0-0 | 3rd Read 59-0-1-0

Senate: ED DP 7-0-1-0 | 3rd Read 25-0-5-0

HB 2672: common school districts; unification; budget

Sponsor: Representative Osborne, LD 13

Transmitted to the Governor

Overview

Permits a school district meeting outlined criteria to continue calculating its budget and equalization assistance as a common school district not within a high school district until a high school is built.

History

Laws 2007, Chapter 283 allowed a common school district that was not within the boundaries of a high school district and that elected to become a unified school district to continue to include tuition costs in its budget and equalization assistance. This provision expired on July 1, 2011 and a high school was not constructed. Laws 2010, Chapter 332 extended the time provided to these newly unified school districts to July 1, 2016 or until a new high school is constructed. Laws 2016, Chapter 220 extended this provision until June 30, 2020 or until a new high school is constructed.

Laws 2021, Chapter 11 repeals these session laws and allows a common school district that meets the aforementioned criteria to continue calculating its budget and equalization assistance as such for 15 years after the unification election or until a high school is built, whichever is first. This session law also allows the newly formed unified school district to continue calculating its budget and equalization assistance as a common school district not within a high school district for five years after the first year of operation of the new high school in the newly formed unified school district.

Provisions

1. Allows a common school district that is not within the boundaries of a high school district and that was authorized to establish a unified school district to continue calculating its budget and equalization assistance as a common school district not within a high school district until a high school is built, rather than for 15 years after the unification election or until a high school is built. (Sec. 1)

2. Adds that a common school district that is not within the boundaries of a high school district and that was authorized to establish a unified school district or the newly formed unified school district may retroactively adjust its budget for FY 2021 or FY 2022. (Sec. 1)

3. Repeals, on July 1, 2023, statute that:

a) Allows a common school district that is not within the boundaries of a high school district and that was authorized to establish a unified school district to continue calculating its budget and equalization assistance as a common school district not within a high school district until a high school is built;

b) Allows a newly formed unified school district meeting outlined requirements and that phases in instruction for students in the 9th-12th grades to continue calculating its budget and equalization assistance for a maximum of five years after the first year of operation of the new high school in the newly formed unified school district; and

c) Allows a common school district that is not within the boundaries of a high school district and that was authorized to establish a unified school district or the newly formed unified school district to retroactively adjust its budget for FY 2021 or FY 2022. (Sec. 2, 3)

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g) HB 2672

h) Initials CH Page 0 Transmitted

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