Assigned to ED & APPROP AS PASSED BY COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2677
middle school students; CTE courses
Purpose
Authorizes, during the 2025-2026, 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years, a school
district or charter school to offer career and technical education (CTE) courses to middle school
students which may be counted toward the promotion from eighth grade and graduation from high
school. Allows a middle school student to be funded with career technical education district
(CTED) monies as prescribed and outlines administrative and reporting requirements for school
districts and charter schools that offer CTE courses to middle school students.
Background
CTEDs are responsible for providing CTE preparation programs designed to prepare
students for advanced CTE or entry into the workforce. A person may enroll in a CTED without
regard to the person's age or high school graduation, except that a CTED may not include a person
in the CTED's student count if the person: 1) is in a kindergarten program or any grades one
through eight; 2) graduated from high school or received a general equivalency diploma; or 3) is
older than 21 years old. A CTED student in grade eight may be funded with monies generated
from the CTED secondary property tax levy. Funding may not be provided for more than four
years to the same student. A CTED governing board may enter into an intergovernmental
agreement (IGA) or contract with a school district, charter school, community college district
(CCD) or another CTED to offer CTE courses (A.R.S. § 15-393).
The State Board of Education (SBE) must designate a school district to maintain a
department consisting of CTE and vocational education programs and program improvement
services for students in grades 7 through 12 if: 1) the school district governing board applies to the
SBE for the designation; 2) the school has satisfactory facilities and equipment fit to provide CTE
and vocational education; and 3) the school district governing board employs trained instructors
that meet SBE-prescribed qualifications and provides suitable classrooms and laboratory facilities
that meet SBE-prescribed rules (A.R.S. § 15-782).
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) fiscal note estimates that allowing a
school district or charter school to offer CTE courses to middle school students would not have a
direct impact on the state General Fund for public school formula costs. JLBC estimates that any
costs generated through IGAs would be borne by the school districts and charter schools (JLBC
fiscal note).
Provisions
1. Authorizes, during the 2025-2026, 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years, any school that is
operated by a school district or charter school that provides instruction to middle school
students to offer CTE courses. FACT SHEET – Amended
H.B. 2677
Page 2
2. Determines that CTE courses offered to middle school students may be counted for:
a) the promotion of students from eighth grade; and
b) the graduation of students from high school.
3. Requires each public school to accept credits earned by a middle school student in a CTE
course.
4. Specifies that a public school is not required to recognize credits that were not earned by a
student in a CTE course because the student did not complete the course or earn a passing
grade.
5. Directs a school district or charter school that operates a school that offers CTE courses to
middle school students to enter into an IGA or contract to provide the CTE courses with:
a) a CTED;
b) a school that has been approved by the SBE to provide CTE and vocational education
programs; or
c) a CCD that provides CTE courses that have been approved by the Arizona Department of
Education (ADE) as prescribed.
6. Allows a middle school student who is enrolled in a CTE course to be funded in whole or in
part with CTED monies.
7. Prohibits a CTED from increasing the CTED's secondary property tax levy to fund middle
school students who are enrolled in CTE courses.
8. Specifies that the authorization to fund middle school students with CTED monies does not
authorize a CTED to include a middle school student in the CTED's student count or average
daily membership.
9. Requires, by July 1, each school district or charter school that operates a school that offers
CTE courses to middle school students during the previous school year to annually report to
ADE:
a) the number of CTE courses offered by each middle school in the previous school year; and
b) the number of students in each middle school who successfully completed a CTE course
in the previous school year; and
c) an accounting of all costs incurred for offering CTE courses to middle school students, in
a form and manner prescribed by the Office of the Auditor General.
10. Requires, by December 31, 2028, ADE to:
a) compile all annual reports received from school districts and charter schools that offer CTE
courses to middle school students and prepare a summary of the reports; and
b) submit the compiled reports and summary to the Senate President, Speaker of the House
of Representatives and the Governor and provide a copy of the compiled reports and
summary to the Secretary of State.
11. Repeals the authorization to offer CTE courses to middle school students and the reporting
requirements on January 1, 2037.
12. Defines middle school student as a student who is in any of grades six, seven or eight. FACT SHEET – Amended
H.B. 2677
Page 3
13. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by the Education Committee
1. Allows a middle school student who is enrolled in CTE courses to be funded with CTED
monies.
2. Prohibits a CTED from increasing the property tax levy to fund middle school students.
3. Specifies that a CTED is not authorized to include a middle school student in the CTED's
student count or average daily membership.
4. Adds, to a school district's or charter school's annual report, a requirement to include an
accounting of all costs incurred for offering CTE courses to middle school students as
prescribed.
5. Makes conforming changes.
House Action Senate Action
ED 2/11/25 DP 12-0-0-0 ED 3/26/25 DPA 6-0-1
3
rd
Read 3/3/25 54-4-2 APPROP 4/1/25 DP 8-0-2
Prepared by Senate Research
April 2, 2025
MH/ci