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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session |
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HB 2379: school district governing boards; training
Sponsor: Representative Gress, LD 4
Committee on Education
Overview
Mandates each school district governing board (governing board) member complete a biennial training program. Makes a governing board member ineligible for nomination, election or appointment to a governing board if they fail to complete the required biennial training.
History
A person is eligible for election to a governing board if they are: 1) registered to vote in Arizona; 2) a resident of the school district for at least one year immediately before election day; and 3) not subject to registration as a sex offender. A county school superintendent is responsible for appointing governing board members to fill vacancies. A person who is subject to registration as a sex offender is ineligible for appointment (A.R.S. §§ 15-302 and 15-421).
Governing boards are tasked with numerous statutory powers, including: 1) prescribing policies to govern schools that are not inconsistent with rules prescribed by the State Board of Education; 2) managing school property; 3) constructing or purchasing school buildings and sites as authorized; and 4) using school monies received from the state and county to pay employee salaries and contingent expenses of the school district (A.R.S. § 15-341).
The Arizona Auditor General (OAG), in conjunction with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), establishes the Uniform System of Financial Records (USFR) that prescribes the minimum internal control policies and procedures to be used by school districts for accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, attendance reporting and other compliance requirements. The OAG is also responsible for maintaining a schoolwide audit team to conduct performance audits of school districts (A.R.S. §§ 15-271 and 41-1279.03) (USFR).
Provisions
1. Requires each governing board member of each school district to complete, at least once in every two-year period, a training program that includes instruction on:
a. school district governance;
b. fiduciary duties of governing board members;
c. how to develop, adopt and implement governing board policies;
d. community engagement and collaboration with stakeholders;
e. student outcome-focused school district governance;
f. the legal and ethical responsibilities of governing board members; and
g. any other professional development topics relevant to service as a governing board member. (Sec. 2)
2. Instructs each governing board member to notify the county school superintendent the date on which they completed the required training. (Sec. 2)
3. Specifies which county school superintendent a governing board member must notify. (Sec. 2)
4. Authorizes a county school superintendent to provide an OAG-approved training program that includes the required topics for governing board members of any school district. (Sec. 2)
5. Requires ADE to provide an OAG-approved training program that includes the required topics for each governing board member who has not completed a training program offered by a county school superintendent during the current two-year period. (Sec. 2)
6. Enables ADE to charge each school district for the cost of providing the training program to the school district's governing board members and requires each school district to pay for any costs incurred by ADE to provide the training. (Sec. 2)
7. Instructs ADE and a county school superintendent who provides a training program to:
a. consult with the OAG when developing the training program; and
b. submit the training program to the OAG for approval before providing the training program. (Sec. 2)
8. Makes a governing board member ineligible to be a candidate for nomination, election or appointment to the governing board of any school district if:
a. the governing board member fails to notify the county school superintendent of the date on which they completed the required training; and
b. the county school superintendent determines the governing board member failed to complete the required training. (Sec. 1, 2, 3)
9. Makes conforming changes. (Sec. 1, 3)
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13. Initials CH HB 2379
14. 2/1/2026 Page 0 Education
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