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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session |
House: ED DPA 7-5-0-0 |
HB 2379: school district governing boards; training
Sponsor: Representative Gress, LD 4
House Engrossed
Overview
Mandates each school district governing board (governing board) member complete a biennial school finance training program. Prohibits specified governing board members who fail to complete the required training program from being a candidate for nomination, election or appointment to the governing board of any school district.
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).
The School District Financial Risk Analysis analyzes the most current data available for 10 financial risk measures that relate to a school district's overall financial risk of not being able to operate within its available cash resources and budget constraints. The OAG categorizes school districts according to current high-risk districts and districts approaching highest risks (School District Financial Risk Analysis – January 2026).
Provisions
1. Requires each governing board member to complete, at least once in every two-year period, a training program that includes at least eight hours of instruction on school finance, including how the following topics relate to school finance:
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. Requires the county school superintendent of the county in which a school district is located or, if a school district is in more than one county, the county school superintendent of the county in which a governing board member resides to provide an OAG-approved training program for the governing board members. (Sec. 2)
3. Authorizes a county school superintendent to enter into an intergovernmental agreement or contract with another county school superintendent to provide the training program through the other county school superintendent's office. (Sec. 2)
4. 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 provided by a county school superintendent during the current two-year period. (Sec. 2)
5. 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)
6. Instructs ADE and each county school superintendent who provides a training program to submit the training program to the OAG, in a form and manner prescribed the OAG, for approval before providing the training program. (Sec. 2)
7. Allows ADE, if the OAG disapproves a training program submitted by ADE, to submit the training program to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) for review and approval. (Sec. 2)
8. Requires JLAC to hear and approve or disapprove the training program at the first regular meeting after the training program is submitted. (Sec. 2)
9. Stipulates that if JLAC approves the training program by a majority vote, ADE may provide the training program to any governing board member without OAG approval. (Sec. 2)
10. Instructs each governing board member, by October 1, 2027 and every second year thereafter, to notify the county school superintendent of the date on which the governing board member completed the required training. (Sec. 2)
11. Specifies which county school superintendent a governing board member must notify. (Sec. 2)
12. Directs each county school superintendent, by November 1, 2027 and every second year thereafter, to compile the notifications received from governing board members and submit a report to the State Board of Education (SBE) that indicates whether each governing board member completed the training. (Sec. 2)
13. Requires SBE, by December 1, 2027 and every second year thereafter, to compile the reports from the county school superintendents and submit a report to specified individuals that indicates whether each governing board member completed the training. (Sec. 2)
14. Makes a governing board member ineligible to be a candidate for nomination, election or appointment to the governing board of any school district if the governing board member:
a. fails to complete the required training;
b. was not appointed as governing board during the current term; and
c. is a member of a governing board of a school district that is identified by the OAG as one of the highest risk school districts in Arizona. (Sec. 1, 2, 3)
15. Makes conforming changes. (Sec. 1, 3)
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Initials CH HB 2379
3/11/2026 Page 0 House Engrossed
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