Assigned to ED & APPROP FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
REVISED
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1181
Arizona online; instructional time model
Purpose
Applies the base support level (BSL) funding calculations for a pupil in a remote setting
under an instructional time model (ITM) to a pupil enrolled full-time or part-time in Arizona online
instruction (AOI).
Background
A school district's or charter school's BSL funding is calculated by multiplying the district's
or school's weighted average daily membership (ADM) by the statutory per-pupil base level
amount. A school district's BSL may increase for the teacher experience index. School districts
and charter schools also receive district additional assistance (DAA) and charter additional
assistance (CAA) as prescribed (A.R.S. §§ 15-183; 15-941; 15-943; 15-952; and 15-961).
For a full-time pupil in a school district or charter school that is not an AOI (brick-and-mortar
school) to generate 1.0 ADM, the pupil must be enrolled in the following minimum number of
instructional hours: 1) 720 hours for high school students; 2) 890 hours for grades four through eight;
and 3) 712 hours for grades one through three. Kindergarten students must be enrolled in 356
instructional hours and generate 0.5 ADM (A.R.S. § 15-901).
A full-time AOI pupil's BSL is 95 percent of the BSL that would be calculated if the pupil
were enrolled in a brick-and-mortar school and a part-time AOI pupil's BSL is 85 percent. DAA
and CAA are calculated in the same manner as if the student were enrolled in the district or charter
school. A full-time AOI pupil must be enrolled in the following minimum number of instructional
hours: 1) for high school students, 900 hours; 2) for grades seven and eight, 1,068 hours; 3) for
grades four through six, 890 hours; 4) for grades one through three, 712 hours; and 5) for
kindergarten pupils, 346 hours (A.R.S. § 15-808).
A school district may adopt an ITM to fulfill brick-and-mortar or AOI instructional time
requirements: 1) in any day, week and course length; 2) through direct instruction or project-based,
independent or mastery-based learning; 3) through a combination of in-person and remote
instruction; and 4) by reallocating per course instructional time on a per-student basis and
staggering student schedules. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, the BSL for any remote
instruction under an ITM provided above 40 percent of the school's total instructional time is
funded at 95 percent of the BSL that would otherwise be calculated (A.R.S. § 15-901.08).
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) fiscal note estimates that increasing the
BSL funding level of AOI students to 100 percent for the first 40 percent of instructional time and
to 95 percent for the remaining 60 percent of instructional time will result in an annual cost of $7.2
million, assuming FY 2022 AOI enrollment of 41,000 full-time students and 2,249 part-time
students. JLBC notes that the actual cost may be higher or lower if actual ADM differs from the
assumption (JLBC fiscal note). FACT SHEET – Revised
S.B. 1181
Page 2
Provisions
1. Funds a full-time or part-time AOI pupil in the same manner as funding is provided for a
student in a remote setting under a brick-and-mortar school's ITM, rather than at 95 percent of
the BSL for full-time pupils or 85 percent of the BSL for part-time pupils.
2. Replaces the requirement that an AOI school maintain and report in a daily log for each pupil
the time the pupil spends on academic tasks with a requirement that the AOI school ensure
statutory minimum instructional time and instructional hour requirements are met.
3. Authorizes an AOI school to adopt an ITM to meet the minimum annual instructional time and
instructional hour requirements.
4. Specifies that, for the purposes of ADM calculations, an AOI school may use any method
consistent with AOI and ITM requirements to determine the number of instructional hours
provided to each pupil and the amount of time that each pupil is enrolled or in attendance in
AOI.
5. Makes technical and conforming changes.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Revisions
• Updates the fiscal impact statement.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 17, 2023
LB/slp