This bill proposes significant updates to current statutes regarding charter schools and school districts in Arizona. It introduces new compliance requirements for charter schools related to open meeting and public records laws, including the posting of notices, agendas, and minutes on both the charter school's and the state board for charter schools' websites. Additionally, it prohibits charter schools from contracting with for-profit organizations starting January 1, 2026, and mandates annual independent audits of financial statements, including salary and management fee disclosures. The bill also requires the return of assets acquired with public funds to the state if a charter school closes, unless those assets are used for a new campus. Moreover, the bill enhances governance transparency by requiring charter school sponsors to publicly post detailed operational and financial information, including board member names and revenue sources. It also introduces stricter procurement policies, including public bidding requirements for larger contracts. In terms of oversight, the bill expands the auditor general's authority to review the implementation of audit recommendations beyond the initial two-year period and mandates that school districts and charter schools notify the auditor general of their agreement or disagreement with audit findings. Overall, these updates aim to improve accountability and transparency in the operations of charter schools and school districts, aligning them more closely with public school standards.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-181, 15-183, 15-183.02, 15-184, 15-189.02, 15-189.03, 15-189.08, 15-213, 15-914.02, 41-1279.03, 41-1279.04, 15-185, 41-1750, 92-544, 15-505, 15-512, 41-1758.03, 114-95, 108-446, 15-550, 15-203, 15-741.01, 1-216, 15-341, 15-914, 11-952.01, 41-621.01, 41-1092.08, 3-365, 15-808, 15-154, 15-771, 15-421, 15-189.0, 11-255, 15-342, 15-382, 15-765, 41-2535, 41-2576, 41-2577, 41-2565, 41-2616, 15-914.01, 41-2631, 42-6106, 42-6107, 28-6392, 28-6533