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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
school admission; annual parental disclosure
Purpose
Requires each public school to annually provide each enrolled student's parent or guardian with a disclosure document that contains information relating to the school's performance, school choice and Arizona's Parents' Bill of Rights and outlines disclosure document requirements. Requires a public school to assist any enrolled student's parent or guardian who chooses to pursue admittance to a charter school or participate in the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program (ESA Program).
Background
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) must annually recommend to the State Board of Education (SBE) an achievement profile for each public school and local education agency (LEA) using classifications based on an A through F letter grade system. The A through F letter grade system is applied to each performance indicator of the prescribed annual achievement profile and the SBE must assign an overall letter grade for each public school or LEA (A.R.S. § 15-241).
Arizona students may attend the following public schools: 1) any school in a school district through open enrollment policies, subject to available capacity; 2) Arizona Online Instruction; and 3) charter schools. For students attending a private school, qualifying students may receive state monies through empowerment scholarship accounts and scholarship assistance may be available through school tuition organizations, which are funded through individual and corporate contributions for which a taxpayer may receive a tax credit (A.R.S. Title 15).
Arizona's Parents’ Bill of Rights reserves parental rights to a parent of a minor child without interference from the state, a political subdivision or other governmental entity (governmental entity) or any other institution. Outlined rights include: 1) directing the child's education, upbringing and moral or religious training; 2) making health care decisions for the child; and 3) accessing and reviewing all records, including medical records, unless otherwise prohibited. A parent may bring suit against a government entity for any action that interferes with or usurps the fundamental rights of parents. Statute declares that parents have inalienable rights that are more comprehensive than those listed in the Parents' Bill of Rights, unless legally waived or terminated (A.R.S. §§ 1-601 and 1-602).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires a public school to annually provide each enrolled student's parent or guardian with a disclosure document that includes:
a) the school's annual achievement profile letter grade;
b) a list of charter schools located within a reasonable distance from the school;
c) an overview of the ESA Program, including the award amount available and approved expenses; and
d) a written notice that includes Arizona's Parents' Bill of Rights and an explanation of available school choice options in Arizona as outlined.
2. Requires the disclosure document to provide:
a) an area for a parent or guardian to initial after each section of the disclosure document;
b) a statement and an area for the parent or guardian to sign within the written notice as outlined to acknowledge the parent or guardian has received and understood the disclosure document; and
c) a phone number for ADE.
3. Prescribes formatting requirements for the written notice's text, including the capitalization, font size, type face and alignment of the text.
4. Requires ADE to create a form for the disclosure document and make the form available to public schools.
5. Allows a public school to use the form created by ADE to satisfy the disclosure document requirements.
6. Directs a public school to annually file an initialed and signed disclosure document in a student's permanent file and provide a copy to the student's parent or guardian.
7. Requires a public school to assist any parent or guardian who chooses to pursue admittance to a charter school or participate in the ESA Program after receiving the disclosure document.
8. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Modifies the disclosure document's prescribed written notice by:
a) outlining written notice text requirements and prescribing the formatting of the written notice's text; and
b) including a statement as outlined relating to a parent's understanding of Arizona's school choice with the blank fields provided for a parent to sign to acknowledge their understanding and receipt of the disclosure document.
2. Requires ADE to create a form for the disclosure document and make the form available for public schools.
3. Allows a public school to use the form created by ADE to satisfy the disclosure document requirements.
4. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Senate Action
ED 2/7/24 DP 4-3-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 1, 2024
MH/mg/slp