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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
school bonding; ballot language
Purpose
Expands the information that a school district bond election informational pamphlet and ballot must contain. Requires the question of whether to approve the issuance of school district bonds for outlined purposes to be stated in a separate proposition that is submitted to the voters.
Background
A school district governing board may, and on petition of 15 percent of the school district electors must, hold an election to: 1) decide whether school district bonds will be sold to raise monies for specified purposes in the number and amount provided and payable from the school district's debt service fund; or 2) change the list of capital projects or purposes authorized by prior voter approval to issue bonds. Monies to redeem bonds and pay interest are raised by assessing secondary property taxes in the school district.
Within 35 days of a school district bond election, the school district must mail an informational pamphlet prepared by the county school superintendent to each household that contains a qualified elector of the school district. At a minimum, the informational pamphlet must contain: 1) an executive summary of the school district's most recent capital plan submitted to the School Facilities Oversight Board; 2) a complete list and description of each proposed capital improvement that will be funded with the bond proceeds, including a separate aggregation of capital improvements for administrative purposes; and 3) the tax rate and estimated cost associated with each proposed capital improvement for the owner of a single family home that is valued at $100,000. A school district bond election ballot must contain a prescribed statement that includes the total amount of monies that will be raised by issuing the bonds (A.R.S. § 15-491).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Adds, to the information that a school district bond election informational pamphlet must contain:
a) a complete list of each proposed capital improvement that will be funded with bond proceeds and a description of the proposed cost of each improvement, including a separate aggregation of the capital improvements for administrative purposes;
b) a description of each proposed improvement, categorized by:
i. high school expansion and elementary school enhancements, including playgrounds, athletic facilities, campus security, furniture, technology and equipment;
ii. renovations, repairs and infrastructure upgrades, including furniture, technology and equipment;
iii. pupil transportation and maintenance vehicles; and
iv. transportation, maintenance and administrative facilities improvements, including furniture, technology and equipment;
c) the specific projects the school district will undertake for each proposed improvement; and
d) for each of the prescribed proposed improvement categories, the percentage of the category's total cost relative to the total proceeds of the bonds.
2. Determines that the percentage of a category's total cost relative to the total proceeds of the bonds is calculated by multiplying the quotient of the estimated cost of each proposed improvement and the total amount of the bond proceeds by 100.
3. Specifies that the complete list of each proposed capital improvement must detail each specific proposed capital improvement that will be funded with bond proceeds and include:
a) a description of the improvement, including whether bond proceeds will be used to acquire land, make improvements to land, construct a new school facility, improve existing school facilities or pay for transportation costs;
b) the anticipated cost of the improvement; and
c) the location of the improvement.
4. Allows, for costs to acquire or improve land, the description of the location to detail the general physical location of the improvement.
5. Adds, to the language that a school district bond election ballot must contain, language that states additional information and a description of each proposed capital improvement that will be funded through this bond issuance can be found in the informational pamphlet mailed by the school district.
6. Allows the question of whether to approve the issuance of school district bonds for the following purposes to be submitted to the voters in a single proposition:
a) the construction, acquisition and equipment of school district buildings;
b) the purchase of new school buses; and
c) the purchase of necessary sites for school buildings.
7. Requires the question of whether to approve the issuance of school district bonds for the following purposes to be stated in a separate proposition that is submitted to the voters:
a) the acquisition or update of technology equipment, other than equipment used for school security purposes or technology infrastructure integral to the construction of a facility; and
b) the construction, acquisition or equipment of:
i. a stadium with seating capacity for more than 1,000 spectators;
ii. a natatorium;
iii. a recreational facility other than a gymnasium, playground or play area;
iv. a performing arts facility;
v. administrative buildings; and
vi. housing for teachers as determined by the school district to be necessary to have a sufficient number of teachers for the school district.
8. Requires the question of whether to approve the issuance of school district bonds for the construction, acquisition or equipment of the specified buildings to be printed on the ballot as a separate ballot proposition, regardless of whether that building is proposed as part of the same complex or building that contains traditional classroom facilities.
9. Specifies that each separate ballot proposition for the construction, acquisition or equipment of the specified buildings must state the principal amount of the bonds to be issued that constitutes the construction costs for that portion of the building or complex attributable to the specified buildings or to the traditional classroom facilities, if applicable.
10. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
ED 2/17/26 DP 8-2-1-1
3rd Read 3/3/26 33-21-5-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 16, 2026
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