15-1281. Student support and safety fund; exemption; distribution; definitions

(Caution:  1998 Prop. 105 applies)

A. The student support and safety fund is established consisting of monies deposited pursuant to section 43-1013, private donations and interest earned on those monies.  Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated.  Monies in the fund and its accounts may not be transferred to any other fund except as provided in this section, do not revert to the state general fund, and are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. The state treasurer shall administer the fund.

B. All monies in the student support and safety fund must first be spent, and the state treasurer shall transfer monies from the fund, to pay:

1. The actual reasonable costs incurred by the state treasurer to administer the fund.

2. The actual reasonable costs incurred by the auditor general and department of education to implement section 15-1284.

3. The actual reasonable costs incurred by the department of revenue to implement and enforce section 43-1013. 

4. The actual reasonable costs incurred by the state board of education to implement subsection D, paragraph 3 of this section.

5. Any other mandatory expenditure of state revenues required to implement this chapter and the invest in education act.

C. The state treasurer may prescribe forms necessary to make transfers from the student support and safety fund pursuant to subsection B of this section.

D. On or before June 30 and December 31 of each year, the state treasurer shall transfer all monies in the student support and safety fund in excess of the amounts paid pursuant to subsection B of this section as follows:

1. Fifty percent as grants to school districts and charter schools, in proportion to the weighted student count pursuant to section 15-943, paragraph 2, for the school district or charter school for the prior fiscal year, for the purpose of hiring teachers and classroom support personnel and increasing base compensation for teachers and classroom support personnel. For the purposes of this paragraph, the state education system for committed youth and the Arizona state schools for the deaf and the blind shall receive grant funds in the same manner as school districts and charter schools.

2. Twenty-five percent as grants to school districts and charter schools, in proportion to the weighted student count pursuant to section 15-943, paragraph 2, for the school district or charter school for the prior fiscal year, for the purpose of hiring student support services personnel and increasing base compensation for student support services personnel.  For the purposes of this paragraph, the state education system for committed youth and the Arizona state schools for the deaf and the blind shall receive grant funds in the same manner as school districts and charter schools.

3. Ten percent as grants to school districts and charter schools, in proportion to the weighted student count pursuant to section 15-943, paragraph 2, for the school district or charter school for the prior fiscal year, for the purpose of providing mentoring and retention programming for new classroom teachers to increase retention. The state board of education shall prescribe the form and format of mentoring and retention programming supported by monies transferred pursuant to this paragraph, except that the equivalent of one full-time mentor may be assigned to not more than fifteen new classroom teachers employed by the school district or charter school.  If a school district or charter school receives monies pursuant to this paragraph in excess of its needs for mentoring and retention programming, those excess monies may be used for teacher retention. The state board of education shall adopt rules to implement this paragraph not later than six months after the effective date of this section. For the purposes of this paragraph, the state education system for committed youth and the Arizona state schools for the deaf and the blind shall receive grant funds in the same manner as school districts and charter schools.

4. Twelve percent to the career training and workforce fund established by section 15-1282.

5. Three percent to the Arizona teachers academy fund established by section 15-1655.

E. Grants made pursuant to this section are exempt from title 41, chapters 23 and 24.

F. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Classroom support personnel" means any nonadministrative school personnel, including certified personnel, who provide classroom support and instructional support services as prescribed by the school district governing board or charter school governing body, including librarians, nurses, counselors, social workers, speech pathologists, behavioral coaches and psychologists.

2. "Mentoring and retention programming" means regular, job-embedded, in-person, one-on-one feedback that is focused on instruction and ensuring new classroom teacher quality, success and retention.

3. "New classroom teacher" means a classroom teacher who is in the teacher’s first, second or third year of teaching.

4. "Student support services personnel" means any classified, nonadministrative school personnel who provide student support services as defined by the school district governing board or charter school governing body, including classroom aides, media specialists, health assistants, security personnel, student food service personnel, clerical staff, student transportation personnel and school site plant operators.

5. "Teacher" means any nonadministrative personnel, including certified teachers, who instruct students or support student academic achievement as prescribed by the school district governing board or charter school governing body, including classroom teachers, early childhood teachers, mentor teachers, instructional coaches and academic interventionists.