SB 1583
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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-sixth Legislature
Second Regular Session
Senate: ED DP 4-3-0-0 | 3rd Read 16-12-2-0
SB 1583: school admission; annual parental disclosure
Sponsor: Senator Wadsack, LD 17
Committee on Education
Overview
Requires public schools to annually provide parents with a document that contains specified
disclosures relating to school choice, educational options and parents' rights. Instructs a
public school to assist a parent or guardian who chooses a charter school or to participate in
the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program.
History
A child between 6 and 16 years old must attend a school and be instructed in at least reading,
grammar, mathematics, social studies and science. The child's guardian must choose a public,
private or charter school, a homeschool or sign a contract to participate in the ESA Program
(A.R.S. § 15-802).
The State Board of Education (SBE), each January and subject to the availability of
appropriated monies, is required to design a public awareness effort to distribute materials
to the public that: 1) communicate the ability to choose any public school; 2) include resources
to learn about school choice options; and 3) provide instruction on how to request enrollment.
(A.R.S. § 15-816.01).
The Parents' Bill of Rights asserts that: 1) it is a parent's fundamental right to direct their
child's upbringing, education, health care and mental health; and 2) a governmental entity
may not infringe on parents' rights without demonstrating that the compelling governmental
interest is of the highest order, narrowly tailored and cannot be served by less restrictive
means. The Parents' Bill of Rights details specific rights and declares that parents have
inalienable rights that are more comprehensive than the rights outlined in statute (A.R.S. §§
1-601, 1-602).
ADE must develop and post on its website a statutory parental rights handbook for parents
of children enrolled in school districts and parents of children enrolled in charter schools.
Each school district and charter school must post a link to the respective handbook on a
publicly accessible portion of its website (A.R.S. § 15-249.16).
Provisions
1. Directs each public school to annually provide the parent or guardian of each enrolled
student a document that discloses:
a) the school's letter grade;
b) a list of charter schools located within a reasonable distance from the school;
c) an overview of the ESA Program, including the award amount available and approved
expenses; and
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d) a written notice that includes prescribed statements relating to:
i. school choice in Arizona;
ii. available educational options, including a school district, charter school, private
school, private educational services provider, private vendor, homeschool, the ESA
Program and tuition scholarships or grants from a school tuition organization; and
iii. the Parents' Bill of Rights.
2. Details content, formatting and style requirements for the written notice in the disclosure
document.
3. Requires the disclosure document to include:
a) an area for the parent or guardian to initial after each prescribed disclosure; and
b) a phone number for ADE.
4. Instructs the public school to annually file the initialed and signed disclosure document
in the student's permanent file and provide the parent or guardian with a copy.
5. Stipulates a public school must, after receiving the required disclosure document, assist
any parent or guardian who chooses to pursue admission to a charter school or to
participate in the ESA Program.
6. Requires ADE to create a form for the disclosure document that public schools may use.