The proposed bill would amend section 15-901.08 of the Arizona Revised Statutes to update the regulations surrounding the school year. Currently, the school year is defined as beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30, with the possibility of adjustments for year-round schools or specific instructional time models. The bill would maintain this definition but add a new provision stating that beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, the first day of instruction cannot occur before September 1. Additionally, the bill clarifies the definition of a school month as twenty school days or four weeks of five days each.

Furthermore, the bill would modify the existing provisions regarding remote instruction. It would remove the allowance for schools to provide up to fifty percent of their total instructional time in a remote setting during the 2021-2022 school year and instead establish that starting from the 2022-2023 school year, schools may provide up to forty percent of their total instructional time in a remote setting without affecting funding. This change aims to standardize remote learning provisions while ensuring that schools adhere to the new instructional start date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-901.08