Bill Text: AZ HB2075 | 2012 | Fiftieth Legislature 2nd Regular | Engrossed
Bill Title: Schools; consolidation; unification
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-03-20 - Referred to Senate RULES Committee [HB2075 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2012-HB2075-Engrossed.html
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House Engrossed |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fiftieth Legislature Second Regular Session 2012
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HOUSE BILL 2075 |
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AN ACT
making appropriations; relating to unification and consolidation of school districts.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Unification and consolidation of school districts; feasibility study
On or before September 15, 2012, each county school superintendent shall commence a feasibility study on the unification, consolidation or unification and consolidation of the school districts with coterminous boundaries within that county. The county school superintendent may contract with another person or entity to conduct the feasibility study. The feasibility study shall be completed on or before September 15, 2013. The county school superintendent shall provide a copy of the feasibility study on or before September 30, 2013 to the governing board of each school district within that county. The feasibility study shall include the following components:
1. Relevant academic and scientific research regarding school size, school district size, fiscal implications and legal issues that may include the following:
(a) Use by any of the affected districts of section 15-910 or 15‑910.01, Arizona Revised Statutes.
(b) Estimated adjustment of both the primary and secondary tax rates of the affected districts.
(c) Application of a career ladder program if not all of the affected districts currently participate.
(d) Application of overrides authorized under title 15, chapter 4, article 4, Arizona Revised Statutes.
(e) Estimated potential savings and efficiencies to be achieved.
(f) Application of teacher experience indexes and existing salary schedules of affected districts.
(g) A proposed salary schedule for the affected districts based on the average median of existing teacher salaries.
(h) Potential impact on facilities needs.
(i) Curriculum alignment.
(j) Evaluations of materials and textbooks.
(k) Examination of special education programs.
(l) Examination of English language learner programs.
(m) Examination of school year and attendance policies.
(n) Examination of personnel compensation systems.
2. Consideration of geographic boundaries, communities of interest and travel time of pupils. The county school superintendent may recommend enlarging or diminishing the size of affected school districts.
3. The inclusion of unorganized territory where at least one per cent of the population attends a public school within the boundaries of a unified school district.
4. The provision of regional or statewide services for administration, instructional and noninstructional support services to rural or isolated schools and school districts or any other school district that wishes to participate in the service plans.
5. Ensuring a smooth and efficient transition from the current number of school districts in the county to the proposed number of school districts, including an examination of the following:
(a) Mechanisms to allow the elected members of existing school district governing boards to serve out the remainder of their terms.
(b) Assimilation by the proposed unified school districts of the legal liabilities and other financial and contractual obligations of the school districts being combined into a unified school district.
6. Preservation of local control while maximizing an efficient and cost-effective delivery of educational services.
7. Specific mechanisms for the payment of legal liabilities, contractual obligations, capital debt and overrides previously accumulated by school districts before consolidation or unification and the acquisition of legal liabilities, contractual obligations, capital debt and overrides by school districts after consolidation or unification.
8. Identifying costs attributable to consolidation or unification.
Sec. 2. Appropriations; counties; school district unification and consolidation costs
A. The sum of $250,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2012-2013 to each county board of supervisors of a county with a population of five hundred thousand persons or less for costs associated with the implementation of this act.
B. The sum of $750,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2012-2013 to each county board of supervisors of a county with a population of more than five hundred thousand persons for costs associated with the implementation of this act, including feasibility studies.
