ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
Purpose
Limits the number of students a school district governing board may admit into a high school district from an elementary school district that is not within a high school district to 350 students. Requires school districts receiving students or paying tuition to another school district to project the enrollment figures for these students separately in its capital plan. Requires the School Facilities Board, the district receiving the student and the resident district to determine how to best serve students if the projected growth and actual student count in the receiving district exceeds 350 students.
Under current law, a high school student may be admitted to another school district outside of the boundaries of the student’s school district area if the student resides in an elementary school district within the State that is not within the boundaries of a high school district. The elementary school district is required to pay tuition for all pupils admitted to a high school located in a school district outside of the boundaries of the elementary school district.
Forty-nine elementary school districts exist in the State that are not located within the boundaries of a high school district or unified school district. At this time, there is no elementary school district that currently has 350 high school pupils who require admission into another school district that serves high school pupils outside of the boundaries of the elementary school district.
S.B. 1116 limits the number of students a school district governing board may admit into a high school district from an elementary school district that is not within a high school district to 350 students if the students are without a certificate of educational convenience. It also requires school districts receiving students or paying tuition to another school district to project the enrollment figures for these students separately in its capital plan. Additionally, this measure requires the School Facilities Board, the district receiving the students and the students’ resident district to determine how to best serve students’ needs if the projected growth and actual student count in the receiving district exceeds 350 students.
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state general fund associated with this bill.
Provisions
1. Limits the number of high school students a school district governing board may admit into a high school district from an elementary school district that is not within a high school district to no more than 350 pupils if the students do not have a certificate of educational convenience.
2. Stipulates that if a school district pays tuition to another school district for all or a portion of the district’s high school pupils, the capital plan must indicate the number of pupils for which the tuition is paid to the other district.
3. Requires a school district accepting students from another school district to indicate the enrollment projections for these students separately in its capital plan.
4. Requires the School Facilities Board, the receiving district and the resident district to develop a capital plan for determining how to best serve students if the projected growth and existing number of students who are served in a district other than the student’s resident school district exceeds 350 students.
5. Contains technical and conforming changes.
6. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
January 29, 2002