REFERENCE TITLE: middle school students; CTE courses

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2316

Introduced by

Representatives Aguilar: Austin, Biasiucci, Blattman, Bliss, Carter N, Carter P, Cavero, Garcia, Gress, Heap, Hendrix, Hernandez C, Márquez, Peña, Sandoval, Taylor, Villegas, Way, Weninger, Wilmeth;  Senators Farnsworth, Gonzales, Gowan, Kavanagh, Miranda, Ortiz, Payne

AN ACT

providing for career technical education for middle school students.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Common schools; career technical education courses; funding; reporting requirements; delayed repeal; definition

A. Notwithstanding any other law, during the 2026-2027, 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 school years, any school that is operated by a school district or charter school in this state and that provides instruction to middle school students may offer career technical education courses that may be counted for both the promotion of students from the eighth grade pursuant to section 15-701, Arizona Revised Statutes, and the graduation of students from high school pursuant to section 15-701.01, Arizona Revised Statutes.

B. Each public school in this state shall accept credits earned by a student in courses offered pursuant to subsection A of this section.  This subsection does not require a public school to recognize credits that were not earned by a student because the student did not either complete the course or earn a passing grade.

C. A school district or charter school that operates a school that offers one or more career technical education courses pursuant to subsection A of this section shall enter into an intergovernmental agreement or contract with any of the following for the purpose of providing the career technical education courses:

1. A career technical education district established under title 15, chapter 3, article 6, Arizona Revised Statutes.

2. A school that has been approved by the state board of education to provide career technical education and vocational education pursuant to section 15-782, Arizona Revised Statutes.

3. A community college district that provides career technical education courses that have been approved by the department of education in accordance with the Carl D. Perkins career and technical education improvement act of 2006, as amended by the strengthening career and technical education for the 21st century act.

D. Notwithstanding section 15-393, subsection D, paragraph 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, a middle school student who is enrolled in career technical education courses may be funded in whole or in part with monies provided by the career technical education district.  A career technical education district may not increase the property tax levy to fund middle school students pursuant to this subsection.  This subsection does not authorize a career technical education district to include a middle school student in the career technical education district's student count or average daily membership.

E. On or before July 1 of each year, each school district or charter school that operates a school that offered one or more career technical education courses pursuant to subsection A of this section during the previous school year shall report to the department of education all of the following for the previous school year:

1. The number of career technical education courses offered by each school that is operated by the school district or charter school.

2. The number of students in each school that is operated by the school district or charter school who successfully completed a career technical education course.

3. In a form and manner prescribed by the office of the auditor general, an accounting of all costs incurred pursuant to this section.

F. On or before December 31, 2029, the department of education shall compile all the reports received pursuant to subsection E of this section and prepare a summary of the reports. The department shall submit the compiled reports and summary to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and the governor and shall provide a copy of the compiled reports and summary to the secretary of state.

G. This section is repealed from and after December 31, 2037.

H. For the purposes of this section, "middle school student" means a student in any of grades six, seven or eight.