The resolution HCR2007 seeks voter approval to mandate that Arizona school districts with at least 200 students allocate a minimum of 60% of their operational spending towards direct instructional expenses. This initiative aims to improve instructional quality by establishing clear spending requirements for school districts, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG), and the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). To ensure compliance, districts that do not meet the spending threshold will be required to increase their instructional spending by at least 0.5% annually. The resolution also includes accountability measures, such as withholding state aid from non-compliant districts and requiring the establishment of a Direct Instruction Fund for instructional expenses, with the OAG responsible for monitoring compliance and reporting annually.

In addition, the resolution proposes amendments to existing statutes regarding charter school budgets and teacher salaries, which will also be submitted to voters. It requires charter schools to provide detailed salary information for teachers in their budgets and display this information prominently on their websites. The resolution introduces a Teacher Pay Fund to facilitate salary increases for eligible teachers, contingent upon voter approval of increased distributions from the state land trust permanent funds. It outlines guidelines for fund distribution, defines "eligible teachers," and sets compliance requirements for school districts and charter schools to meet the new salary standards. If approved, this resolution aims to enhance transparency in teacher compensation and establish a framework for salary increases based on state funding.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-189.05, 15-248.01, 15-903, 15-502, 15-544, 2026-2027, 15-255, 35-190, 15-947, 15-189.06, 15-537