| 1 | 1 | | House Engrossed technical correction; school district boards (now: school district governing boards; training) State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 HOUSE BILL 2883 AN ACT amending title 15, chapter 3, article 3, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-349; amending section 15-421, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to school district governing boards. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE) |
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| 11 | 11 | | House Engrossed technical correction; school district boards (now: school district governing boards; training) |
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| 12 | 12 | | State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 |
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| 13 | 13 | | HOUSE BILL 2883 |
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| 15 | 15 | | House Engrossed |
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| 19 | 19 | | technical correction; school district boards |
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| 21 | 21 | | (now: school district governing boards; training) |
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| 31 | 31 | | State of Arizona |
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| 33 | 33 | | House of Representatives |
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| 35 | 35 | | Fifty-seventh Legislature |
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| 37 | 37 | | First Regular Session |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2025 |
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| 47 | 47 | | HOUSE BILL 2883 |
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| 57 | 57 | | AN ACT |
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| 61 | 61 | | amending title 15, chapter 3, article 3, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-349; amending section 15-421, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to school district governing boards. |
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| 67 | 67 | | (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE) |
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| 71 | 71 | | Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: Section 1. Title 15, chapter 3, article 3, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-349, to read: START_STATUTE15-349. Governing board members; biennial training requirements A. In consultation with the office of the auditor general, The department of education shall develop a training program for school district governing board members that may be delivered through an in-person workshop, a virtual workshop or self-paced online training modules or any combination of in-person workshop, virtual workshop and self-paced online training modules. The office of the auditor general shall establish the training requirements for the training program developed pursuant to this subsection and shall require the training program to includemay be delivered through an in-person workshop, virtual workshop, self-paced online training modules, or any combination of in-person workshop, virtual workshop and self-paced online training modules. The office of the auditor general shall establish the training requirements for the training program developed pursuant to this subsection and shall require the training program to include instruction on all of the following: 1. Public school finance. 2. Compliance with the uniform system of financial records prescribed by the auditor general pursuant to section 15-271. 3. How to develop and revise a school district budget. 4. Audit requirements and procedures. 5. How to prepare the annual financial report required by section 15-904. 6. Best practices related to internal controls. 7. Reports and resources that are provided by the Office of the Auditor general. B. Each school district governing board member shall complete training on all of the following topics: 1. School district governance.B. Each school district governing board member shall complete training on all of the following topics: 1. School district governance. 2. The fiduciary duties of school district governing board members. 3. How to develop, adopt and implement school district governing board policies. 4. Community engagement and collaboration with stakeholders. 5. Student outcome-focused school district governance. 6. The legal and ethical responsibilities of school district governing board members.3. How to develop, adopt and implement school district governing board policies. 4. Community engagement and collaboration with stakeholders. 5. Student outcome-focused school district governance. 6. The legal and ethical responsibilities of school district governing board members. 7. Any other professional development topics that are relevant to service as a school district governing board member. C. Each governing board member of each school district in this state shall complete both the training developed pursuant to subsection A of this section and the training required pursuant to subsection B of this section at least once in every two-year period. A school district governing board member may select and complete one or more training programs that are provided by a nonprofit organization, professional association or other entity that specializes in public education to satisfy the training requirements prescribed by subsection B of this section. A school district governing board member may select and complete one or more training programs that are provided by a nonprofit organization, professional association or other entity that specializes in public education to satisfy the training requirements prescribed by subsection B of this section.END_STATUTE Sec. 2. Section 15-421, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE15-421. Governing boards; members; qualifications; prohibitions; candidate statements; definitions A. The governing body of a school district shall be a governing board. There shall be three governing board members, except as otherwise provided by this section and section 15-425, subsection A. B. The governing body of a high school district shall be a governing board composed of: 1. In a single district, the governing board members of the common school district. 2. In a union high school district, five members. C. A person is eligible for election to the office of governing board member if all of the following apply: 1. The person is a registered voter of this state. 2. The person has been a resident of the school district for at least one year immediately preceding the day of election. 3. The person is not subject to registration as a sex offender in this state or in any other jurisdiction. D. An employee of a school district, including a person who directly provides certified or classified services to the school district as an employee of a third-party contractor, or the spouse of such an employee may not hold membership on the governing board of a school district by which the employee is employed. E. Notwithstanding subsection D of this section and title 38, chapter 3, article 8, a small school district may employ, including employment through a third-party contractor that provides services to the small school district, a substitute teacher who is related to a member of the governing board as immediate family and who has had the same household of residence within the preceding four years. If a small school district employs a substitute teacher pursuant to this subsection, the member of the governing board who is related to the substitute teacher shall be recused from voting on any matter relating to substitute teachers. F. A school district may employ, including employment through a third-party contractor that provides services to the school district, a person who served as a member of the school district's governing board during the preceding two years only in a position in which the person will provide services directly to students, including as a certificated teacher, a substitute teacher and an employee or contractor who provides transportation, instructional support or student support services. A school district may increase the time period prescribed in this subsection to be more than two years. G. A member of one governing board is ineligible to be a candidate for nomination or election to or serve simultaneously as a member of any other governing board, except that a member of a governing board may be a candidate for nomination or election for any other governing board if the member is serving in the last year of a term of office. A member of a governing board shall resign the member's seat on the governing board before becoming a candidate for nomination or election to the governing board of any other school district, unless the member of the governing board is serving in the last year of a term of office. H. Notwithstanding section 15-511, each county school superintendent shall publish on the superintendent's website the statement of each certified candidate for membership on a school district governing board located in the county. The county school superintendent shall list each school district on the superintendent's website from which a link shall be established to the candidate's name, which shall link to the candidate's statement and photograph. The candidate shall submit the statement to the person at the county school superintendent's office assigned to manage candidate statements, after notice of certification from the county school superintendent's office but not later than twenty-one days before the date that general election early ballots are allowed to be mailed. The person shall post each candidate's statement on the county school superintendent's website not later than fourteen days before the date that general election early ballots are allowed to be mailed. If a candidate does not submit a statement, the county school superintendent's website shall state "no response submitted" for the candidate. The candidate statements shall be posted on the website alphabetically by each school district and by candidate. The candidate statement shall be typewritten or electronically submitted. The county school superintendent shall post the statements verbatim as they are received unless a candidate requests in writing that typographical errors be corrected. The candidate statement shall contain the following items in the same size and format for each candidate: 1. A recent photograph of the candidate. 2. A statement not to exceed five hundred words. 3. A disclosure of any relationships by affinity, by consanguinity or by law to the third degree that exist between the candidate and any current governing board members or other candidates for election to the same governing board. I. Persons related as immediate family who have the same household of residence within four years prior shall not serve simultaneously on the governing board of the same school district if the governing board is composed of five members. For a school district with a student count of at least two hundred fifty that is located in a county with a population of more than five hundred thousand persons, not more than two persons related by affinity, by consanguinity or by law to the third degree shall serve simultaneously on the governing board of the same school district if the governing board is composed of five members. A qualified elector who resides in the school district may bring an action in superior court to enforce this subsection. J. A person related as immediate family who has the same household of residence within four years prior to a member of the governing board of the same school district is ineligible to be a candidate for nomination or election to that governing board if the governing board is composed of five members, except that a person related as immediate family who has the same household of residence within four years prior to a member of a governing board may be a candidate for nomination or election to the governing board of the same school district if the member is serving in the last year of a term of office. For a school district with a student count of at least two hundred fifty that is located in a county with a population of more than five hundred thousand persons, not more than two persons related by affinity, by consanguinity or by law to the third degree shall be eligible to be a candidate for nomination or election to a governing board that is composed of five members. A qualified elector who resides in the school district may bring an action in superior court to enforce this subsection. K. Persons related as immediate family who have the same household of residence within four years prior are ineligible to be simultaneous candidates for nomination or election to the governing board of the same school district if the governing board is composed of five members. For a school district with a student count of at least two hundred fifty that is located in a county with a population of more than five hundred thousand persons, not more than two persons related by affinity, by consanguinity or by law to the third degree shall be simultaneous candidates for nomination or election to a governing board that is composed of five members. A qualified elector who resides in the school district may bring an action in superior court to enforce this subsection. L. Notwithstanding subsections I, J and K of this section, an individual who is related as immediate family to and who had the same household of residence within the previous four years as another member of or candidate for nomination or election to a school district governing board is eligible to serve on or be a candidate for nomination or election to the same school district governing board if both of the following apply: 1. The individual is under twenty years of age. 2. The individual's current household of residence is not the same household of residence as the other governing board member or candidate.L. Notwithstanding subsections I, J and K of this section, an individual who is related as immediate family to and who had the same household of residence within the previous four years as another member of or candidate for nomination or election to a school district governing board is eligible to serve on or be a candidate for nomination or election to the same school district governing board if both of the following apply: 1. The individual is under twenty years of age. 2. The individual's current household of residence is not the same household of residence as the other governing board member or candidate. L. M. For the purposes of this section: 1. "Household of residence" means the place of abode during applicable time periods or the residence address used by an individual for voter registration or property tax purposes. 2. "Immediate family" means individuals who are married to each other and any children of those individuals. 3. "Small school district" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-901. END_STATUTE |
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| 73 | 73 | | Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: |
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| 75 | 75 | | Section 1. Title 15, chapter 3, article 3, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-349, to read: |
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| 77 | 77 | | START_STATUTE15-349. Governing board members; biennial training requirements |
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| 79 | 79 | | A. In consultation with the office of the auditor general, The department of education shall develop a training program for school district governing board members that may be delivered through an in-person workshop, a virtual workshop or self-paced online training modules or any combination of in-person workshop, virtual workshop and self-paced online training modules. The office of the auditor general shall establish the training requirements for the training program developed pursuant to this subsection and shall require the training program to includemay be delivered through an in-person workshop, virtual workshop, self-paced online training modules, or any combination of in-person workshop, virtual workshop and self-paced online training modules. The office of the auditor general shall establish the training requirements for the training program developed pursuant to this subsection and shall require the training program to include instruction on all of the following: |
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| 81 | 81 | | 1. Public school finance. |
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| 83 | 83 | | 2. Compliance with the uniform system of financial records prescribed by the auditor general pursuant to section 15-271. |
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| 85 | 85 | | 3. How to develop and revise a school district budget. |
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| 87 | 87 | | 4. Audit requirements and procedures. |
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| 89 | 89 | | 5. How to prepare the annual financial report required by section 15-904. |
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| 91 | 91 | | 6. Best practices related to internal controls. |
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| 93 | 93 | | 7. Reports and resources that are provided by the Office of the Auditor general. |
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| 95 | 95 | | B. Each school district governing board member shall complete training on all of the following topics: |
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| 97 | 97 | | 1. School district governance.B. Each school district governing board member shall complete training on all of the following topics: |
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| 99 | 99 | | 1. School district governance. |
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| 101 | 101 | | 2. The fiduciary duties of school district governing board members. |
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| 103 | 103 | | 3. How to develop, adopt and implement school district governing board policies. |
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| 105 | 105 | | 4. Community engagement and collaboration with stakeholders. |
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| 107 | 107 | | 5. Student outcome-focused school district governance. |
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| 109 | 109 | | 6. The legal and ethical responsibilities of school district governing board members.3. How to develop, adopt and implement school district governing board policies. |
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| 111 | 111 | | 4. Community engagement and collaboration with stakeholders. |
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| 113 | 113 | | 5. Student outcome-focused school district governance. |
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| 115 | 115 | | 6. The legal and ethical responsibilities of school district governing board members. |
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| 117 | 117 | | 7. Any other professional development topics that are relevant to service as a school district governing board member. |
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| 119 | 119 | | C. Each governing board member of each school district in this state shall complete both the training developed pursuant to subsection A of this section and the training required pursuant to subsection B of this section at least once in every two-year period. A school district governing board member may select and complete one or more training programs that are provided by a nonprofit organization, professional association or other entity that specializes in public education to satisfy the training requirements prescribed by subsection B of this section. A school district governing board member may select and complete one or more training programs that are provided by a nonprofit organization, professional association or other entity that specializes in public education to satisfy the training requirements prescribed by subsection B of this section.END_STATUTE |
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| 121 | 121 | | Sec. 2. Section 15-421, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: |
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| 122 | 122 | | |
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| 123 | 123 | | START_STATUTE15-421. Governing boards; members; qualifications; prohibitions; candidate statements; definitions |
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| 125 | 125 | | A. The governing body of a school district shall be a governing board. There shall be three governing board members, except as otherwise provided by this section and section 15-425, subsection A. |
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| 127 | 127 | | B. The governing body of a high school district shall be a governing board composed of: |
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| 129 | 129 | | 1. In a single district, the governing board members of the common school district. |
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| 131 | 131 | | 2. In a union high school district, five members. |
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| 133 | 133 | | C. A person is eligible for election to the office of governing board member if all of the following apply: |
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| 135 | 135 | | 1. The person is a registered voter of this state. |
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| 137 | 137 | | 2. The person has been a resident of the school district for at least one year immediately preceding the day of election. |
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| 139 | 139 | | 3. The person is not subject to registration as a sex offender in this state or in any other jurisdiction. |
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| 141 | 141 | | D. An employee of a school district, including a person who directly provides certified or classified services to the school district as an employee of a third-party contractor, or the spouse of such an employee may not hold membership on the governing board of a school district by which the employee is employed. |
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| 143 | 143 | | E. Notwithstanding subsection D of this section and title 38, chapter 3, article 8, a small school district may employ, including employment through a third-party contractor that provides services to the small school district, a substitute teacher who is related to a member of the governing board as immediate family and who has had the same household of residence within the preceding four years. If a small school district employs a substitute teacher pursuant to this subsection, the member of the governing board who is related to the substitute teacher shall be recused from voting on any matter relating to substitute teachers. |
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| 145 | 145 | | F. A school district may employ, including employment through a third-party contractor that provides services to the school district, a person who served as a member of the school district's governing board during the preceding two years only in a position in which the person will provide services directly to students, including as a certificated teacher, a substitute teacher and an employee or contractor who provides transportation, instructional support or student support services. A school district may increase the time period prescribed in this subsection to be more than two years. |
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| 147 | 147 | | G. A member of one governing board is ineligible to be a candidate for nomination or election to or serve simultaneously as a member of any other governing board, except that a member of a governing board may be a candidate for nomination or election for any other governing board if the member is serving in the last year of a term of office. A member of a governing board shall resign the member's seat on the governing board before becoming a candidate for nomination or election to the governing board of any other school district, unless the member of the governing board is serving in the last year of a term of office. |
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| 149 | 149 | | H. Notwithstanding section 15-511, each county school superintendent shall publish on the superintendent's website the statement of each certified candidate for membership on a school district governing board located in the county. The county school superintendent shall list each school district on the superintendent's website from which a link shall be established to the candidate's name, which shall link to the candidate's statement and photograph. The candidate shall submit the statement to the person at the county school superintendent's office assigned to manage candidate statements, after notice of certification from the county school superintendent's office but not later than twenty-one days before the date that general election early ballots are allowed to be mailed. The person shall post each candidate's statement on the county school superintendent's website not later than fourteen days before the date that general election early ballots are allowed to be mailed. If a candidate does not submit a statement, the county school superintendent's website shall state "no response submitted" for the candidate. The candidate statements shall be posted on the website alphabetically by each school district and by candidate. The candidate statement shall be typewritten or electronically submitted. The county school superintendent shall post the statements verbatim as they are received unless a candidate requests in writing that typographical errors be corrected. The candidate statement shall contain the following items in the same size and format for each candidate: |
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| 151 | 151 | | 1. A recent photograph of the candidate. |
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| 153 | 153 | | 2. A statement not to exceed five hundred words. |
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| 155 | 155 | | 3. A disclosure of any relationships by affinity, by consanguinity or by law to the third degree that exist between the candidate and any current governing board members or other candidates for election to the same governing board. |
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| 156 | 156 | | |
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| 157 | 157 | | I. Persons related as immediate family who have the same household of residence within four years prior shall not serve simultaneously on the governing board of the same school district if the governing board is composed of five members. For a school district with a student count of at least two hundred fifty that is located in a county with a population of more than five hundred thousand persons, not more than two persons related by affinity, by consanguinity or by law to the third degree shall serve simultaneously on the governing board of the same school district if the governing board is composed of five members. A qualified elector who resides in the school district may bring an action in superior court to enforce this subsection. |
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| 158 | 158 | | |
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| 159 | 159 | | J. A person related as immediate family who has the same household of residence within four years prior to a member of the governing board of the same school district is ineligible to be a candidate for nomination or election to that governing board if the governing board is composed of five members, except that a person related as immediate family who has the same household of residence within four years prior to a member of a governing board may be a candidate for nomination or election to the governing board of the same school district if the member is serving in the last year of a term of office. For a school district with a student count of at least two hundred fifty that is located in a county with a population of more than five hundred thousand persons, not more than two persons related by affinity, by consanguinity or by law to the third degree shall be eligible to be a candidate for nomination or election to a governing board that is composed of five members. A qualified elector who resides in the school district may bring an action in superior court to enforce this subsection. |
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| 160 | 160 | | |
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| 161 | 161 | | K. Persons related as immediate family who have the same household of residence within four years prior are ineligible to be simultaneous candidates for nomination or election to the governing board of the same school district if the governing board is composed of five members. For a school district with a student count of at least two hundred fifty that is located in a county with a population of more than five hundred thousand persons, not more than two persons related by affinity, by consanguinity or by law to the third degree shall be simultaneous candidates for nomination or election to a governing board that is composed of five members. A qualified elector who resides in the school district may bring an action in superior court to enforce this subsection. |
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| 162 | 162 | | |
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| 163 | 163 | | L. Notwithstanding subsections I, J and K of this section, an individual who is related as immediate family to and who had the same household of residence within the previous four years as another member of or candidate for nomination or election to a school district governing board is eligible to serve on or be a candidate for nomination or election to the same school district governing board if both of the following apply: |
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| 164 | 164 | | |
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| 165 | 165 | | 1. The individual is under twenty years of age. |
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| 166 | 166 | | |
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| 167 | 167 | | 2. The individual's current household of residence is not the same household of residence as the other governing board member or candidate.L. Notwithstanding subsections I, J and K of this section, an individual who is related as immediate family to and who had the same household of residence within the previous four years as another member of or candidate for nomination or election to a school district governing board is eligible to serve on or be a candidate for nomination or election to the same school district governing board if both of the following apply: |
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| 168 | 168 | | |
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| 169 | 169 | | 1. The individual is under twenty years of age. |
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| 170 | 170 | | |
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| 171 | 171 | | 2. The individual's current household of residence is not the same household of residence as the other governing board member or candidate. |
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| 172 | 172 | | |
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| 173 | 173 | | L. M. For the purposes of this section: |
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| 174 | 174 | | |
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| 175 | 175 | | 1. "Household of residence" means the place of abode during applicable time periods or the residence address used by an individual for voter registration or property tax purposes. |
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| 176 | 176 | | |
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| 177 | 177 | | 2. "Immediate family" means individuals who are married to each other and any children of those individuals. |
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| 178 | 178 | | |
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| 179 | 179 | | 3. "Small school district" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-901. END_STATUTE |
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