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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
school districts; employment contracts; publication
Purpose
Requires each school district governing board (governing board) to submit to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) a copy of the employment contract for each superintendent, assistant superintendent, associate superintendent (district superintendent) or chief financial officer (CFO) employed by the school district as outlined. Directs ADE to create a searchable online database that contains specified information from each submitted employment contract. Outlines posting and reporting requirements on ADE and each governing board.
Background
A governing board employs and fixes the salaries and benefits of school district employees. A governing board may employ a superintendent after determining the superintendent's qualifications by action taken in a public meeting. A superintendent's employment term may not exceed three years and the school district may not offer to extend or renegotiate a multi-year employment contract earlier than 15 months before the contract's expiration. A governing board may also employ a business manager who has expertise in finance, which includes an individual who has: 1) a baccalaureate or graduate degree in accounting, finance, school finance or public finance; or 2) other finance training or finance experience that the governing board determines is sufficient to administer the school district's business operation (A.R.S. §§ 15-502 and 15-503).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires each governing board to submit to ADE:
a) a copy of the employment contract for each individual who has been employed as a district superintendent or CFO during the preceding five years, including any contract extension or amendment; or
b) an attestation stating that the school district has not employed a district superintendent or CFO during the preceding five years.
2. Requires each governing board to submit to ADE:
a) within 30 days after the date that a school district enters into an employment contract or approves a contract extension or amendment, a copy of the employment contract for each individual who is currently employed as a district superintendent or CFO, including any contract extension or amendment; or
b) within 30 days after the anniversary of the date that a school district entered into an employment contract, an affidavit stating that the district superintendent's or CFO's employment contract is the same as the employment contract that the school district submitted for the immediately preceding year.
3. Requires ADE and each governing board to post all employment contracts submitted to ADE on their respective websites.
4. Prohibits ADE or a governing board from removing an employment contract from its website until at least five years after the date on which the employment of the district superintendent or CFO is terminated.
5. Specifies that ADE or a governing board may redact personally identifiable information that is exempt from public disclosure before posting an employment contract on its website.
6. Requires ADE to create a searchable online database that is posted on ADE's website and contains, at minimum, the following information from each submitted employment contract:
a) the school district's name;
b) the base salary for each district superintendent and CFO;
c) the total amount of performance-based pay that the governing board awards to each district superintendent and CFO;
d) the total amount of stipends paid to each district superintendent and CFO, disaggregated by the purpose or type of stipend;
e) the total hours of personal leave and paid time off (PTO) that are awarded to each district superintendent and CFO;
f) whether each district superintendent and CFO is entitled to payment for unused personal leave and PTO;
g) the total amount of employer contributions for retirement benefits for each district superintendent and CFO;
h) the total amount of employer contributions for health insurance premiums for the spouse and dependents of each district superintendent and CFO; and
i) the total amount of employer contributions for life insurance for each district superintendent and CFO.
7. Requires, by December 1, ADE to annually compile and post on ADE's website a report that includes the following information for each school district that employs a district superintendent or CFO:
a) the base salary of the district superintendent or CFO;
b) a list of all employee benefits that the district superintendent or CFO may receive pursuant to the individual's employment contract, including the monetary value of each benefit; and
c) if the district superintendent or CFO has a car allowance under the individual's employment contract, the amount of the allowance.
8. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
ED 1/27/26 DPA 8-4-0-0
3rd Read 2/23/26 34-23-3
Prepared by Senate Research
February 26, 2026
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