ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

House: GE DPA 7-6-0-0

HB 2435: schools; governing boards; elections; revisions

Sponsor: Representative Kaiser, LD 15

Caucus & COW

Overview

Prescribes specifications for the membership and elections of a school district governing board (board).

History

The governing body of a school district is required to be a governing board. Except as otherwise provided in statute, there are three governing board members. Any person who is a registered voter in this state and has been a resident of the school district for at least one year immediately prior to the day of election is eligible for election to the board (A.R.S. § 15-421).

The regular election for each school district must be held at the time and place and in the same manner as for general elections prescribed in statute. Except as provided in statute, the term of office for a board member is four years from January 1 next following the member's election. Current statute outlines the process for electing the three board members and how to proceed when a district increases its governing board to five members (A.R.S. § 15-424).

Provisions

1. Stipulates that a simple majority of board members must be parents, guardians or grandparents of a child that currently attends a school in the school district. (Sec. 1)

2. Allows the other members of a board to be at-large members with any background. (Sec. 1)

3. Specifies that the membership of the board must be as follows:

a) Of all candidates who are parents, guardians or grandparents of a child in the school district:

i. For a five-member board, the three candidates with the highest number of votes are elected; and

ii. For a three-member board, the two candidates with the highest number of votes are elected.

b) Of all remaining candidates including parents, guardians and grandparents who were not elected above:

i. For a five-member board, the two candidates with the highest number of votes are elected; and

ii. For a three-member board, the candidate with the highest number of votes is elected. (Sec. 1)

4. States that a person is not eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms on a board unless there is an insufficient number of candidates to fill vacancies then the county school superintendent is allowed to appoint a board member to serve until the next election even if they have served two consecutive terms. (Sec. 2)

5. Prohibits a person from serving again on the board until the person has been out of office for at least one full term if the person has served the maximum number of terms including any part of a term served. (Sec. 2)

6. Stipulates that the term of a board member is four years. (Sec. 3, 8)

7. Adds a candidate for school district governing board office to the requirement for the Secretary of State to have a system for qualified electors to sign a nomination petition by way of a secure internet portal. (Sec. 9)

8. Authorizes the online signature collection system to also be used for the recall of a board member as prescribed by statute. (Sec. 9)

9. Specifies the following, notwithstanding specified sections of statute:

a) All people serving as members of a school district governing board on the effective date of this Act will continue to serve until the expiration of their normal terms; and

b) At the first general election held after the effective date of this Act when school district governing board members are elected, new members will be elected to two-year terms and thereafter all members will serve four-year terms. (Sec. 10)

10. Contains an effective date for the formation of unified school district board membership of January 1, 2023. (Sec. 11)

11. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1, 2, 4-8)

Amendments

Committee on Government & Elections

1. Strikes references to the membership requirement of a certain number of parents, guardians or grandparents on the board.

2. Removes the requirement for the Secretary of State to include school board nomination petitions to the secure internet portal for signatures.

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6. HB 2435

7. Initials SJ Page 0 Caucus & COW

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