REFERENCE TITLE: declining school enrollment study committee

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

2021

HB 2888

Introduced by

Representative Schwiebert

AN ACT

establishing the declining school enrollment study committee.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Declining school enrollment study committee; membership; duties; report; delayed repeal

A. The declining school enrollment study committee is established consisting of:

1. The following members who are each appointed by a statewide organization representing their respective membership:

(a) A school district superintendent who represents a school district that experienced a drop in enrollment of ten percent or more from the 2019-2020 school year to the 2020-2021 school year.

(b) A school district superintendent who represents a school district that experienced a drop in enrollment of less than ten percent from the 2019-2020 school year to the 2020-2021 school year.

(c) Two school counselors or school social workers who worked with distance learning students during the 2020-2121 school year.

(d) A parent of a child who was enrolled in a public school that engaged in distance learning during the 2020-2021 school year.

(e) A parent of a child who was enrolled in a public school in the 2019-2020 school year but did not enroll in or attend a public school in the 2020-2021 school year.

(f) A teacher who is employed by a school district that experienced a drop in enrollment of ten percent or more from the 2019-2020 school year to the 2020-2021 school year and who has been teaching through distance learning in the 2020-2021 school year.

(g) A teacher who is employed by a charter school that experienced a drop in enrollment of ten percent or more from the 2019-2020 school year to the 2020-2021 school year and who has been teaching through distance learning in the 2020-2021 school year.

(h) A school district governing board member of a school district that experienced a drop in enrollment of ten percent or more from the 2019-2020 school year to the 2020-2021 school year.

(i) A school district governing board member of a school district that experienced a drop in enrollment of less than ten percent from the 2019-2020 school year to the 2020-2021 school year.

2. A representative from the department of child safety who is appointed by the director of the department of child safety.

B. The declining school enrollment study committee shall do all of the following:

1. Examine the causes of decreased enrollment in the public school system.

2. Identify other educational options parents and children used, if any, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. Identify the number of children who are no longer enrolled in school as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures.

C. On or before March 1, 2022, the declining school enrollment study committee shall submit a report regarding its findings and recommendations to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.

D. This section is repealed from and after June 30, 2022.