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Capital case hearing update – three ways the court can decide
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Martin heard oral argument in Glendale Elementary School District, et al. vs. State of Arizona earlier this month. The court heard oral argument on competing Motions for Summary Judgment—in other words, both parties asked the court to rule in their favor without the need for a trial. The plaintiffs, Glendale Elementary, et al., argued, in part, that the state has decimated the capital funding system that it implemented with Students FIRST, and has returned to a state funding mechanism that itself causes disparities between districts.
Plaintiffs argued that the Arizona Supreme Court was correct when it stated, “the general and uniform requirement [of our constitution] will not tolerate” such a disparate system. In essence, the plaintiffs argued that the law is clear: Arizona needs to amend its capital funding system in order to comply with Arizona’s constitution. The defendant, State of Arizona, argued that the system is constitutional and that funding disparities statewide do not violate the constitution because the system enables districts to seek capital funding through the building grant renewal program. The state’s attorneys further argued that the failure to provide general and uniform funding to capital projects has not negatively affected student achievement, an element the state said the plaintiffs must show.
The court took the matter under advisement and stated that it will make a decision after reviewing the filings once again. There is no clear timeline for the court’s ruling, members will be updated when new information comes to light. The court could decide in one of three ways: (1) it can rule that the present system is unconstitutional and that it must be fixed; (2) the court could rule for the Defense, and say that the Plaintiffs have not proven their case; or (3) the court could say that the parties need to have a trial so that the court can weigh the evidence after hearing from the witnesses in person.
Currently, a trial date is set for January 9, 2023, but that could be vacated based on the court’s decision. ASBA will keep you updated as more information is available. We are your association and stronger together!
Interested in serving on the ASBAIT Board of Trustees?
Deadline is May 10
ASBA is looking for four members to serve as Trustees on the Arizona School Boards Association Insurance Trust (ASBAIT) board. Term appointments are four years in length beginning July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2026. View the video to learn more.
Applicants must be from an ASBAIT member district and can be a superintendent, business manager or school board member. Applications will be reviewed by the ASBA Executive Director. Those selected will move forward for virtual interviews on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. Selected candidates will be approved by the ASBA Board of Directors.
ASBAIT was set up and operates by an “Agreement and Declaration of Trust” in accordance with the laws of the State of Arizona, including, without limitation, Arizona Revised Statutes Section 15-382 as it may be amended from time to time.
Operational authority of the Trust is by the Board of Trustees. The ASBAIT Board of Trustees is comprised of governing board members, superintendents, and business managers from member districts from across the state. As Trustees end their term of service and seats become available, the ASBA executive director will select, interview and make Trustee recommendations to the Arizona School Boards Association’s (ASBA) board for appointment. Trustees are appointed to serve an initial term of four years, July 1 – June 30, with the possibility of reappointment for additional term(s). Efforts are made to keep a balance between the types of Trustees and the geographic locations for representation to maintain a diverse board to best govern the insurance trust.
The Trustees meet four to six times per year to conduct the business of the Trust. Their major responsibilities include approving renewal procedures, overall budget, contractors, and independent audit and actuarial reports. The Trustees may also hear and make decisions on Appeals or Exceptions for claim payments to member employees or dependents.
If you are interested in serving on the ASBAIT Board of Trustees, please email your letter of interest and resume to Kristi Sisk, Executive Assistant to the ASBA Executive Director at ksisk@azsba.org by Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
Meet ASBA Mohave County Director
Meet Roger Jacks, new county director for Mohave County and board member in the Kingman Unified School District.
Don’t wait! Plan your summer retreat now!
An exclusive benefit of ASBA membership
Summer is a great opportunity for school leaders to reflect on the past year and plan for the year ahead. Let ASBA help tailor a summer retreat to meet your needs!
Popular topics include: Communication Protocols, Effective Meetings & Team Member Style
Now offering two FREE tools to help your board demonstrate transparency and develop a plan for accountability.
- Board Self-Evaluation: Free Online Tool & Detailed Report w/ Optional Facilitation (Available now)
- Each board member will take a quick, confidential, online assessment of the board’s performance in five key areas of governance. ASBA members can now receive the detailed report outlining the responses to each question FREE of charge.
- Make the most of this report by inviting ASBA to facilitate a discussion around the findings and assist the board in building consensus around goals for its improvement. Cost: $375 member rate
- Superintendent Evaluation: Free Evaluation Tool w/ Optional Training (Available July 1, 2022)
- Created in collaboration with the Arizona School Administrators Association, this FREE tool provides clear metrics for the evaluation of your district’s superintendent in key performance areas.
- Make the most of this tool by inviting ASBA to assist you with training on how to best use the tool to maximize effectiveness. Cost: $375 member rate
Please note: Non-member rates are double the member rate.
For a full list of professional development & facilitation offerings click here.
ASBA website. Download the NEW Calendar of Events.
Students can win $500 scholarships right now
AZEdNews, a service of Arizona School Boards Association, has teamed up with The Brand Agency to offer students in Arizona public schools a chance to win $500 scholarships each quarter. Apply to win by clicking here.
ASBA accepting applications for Policy Analyst and Multimedia Communications Manager
ASBA is currently seeking candidates to apply for two open positions. View full job descriptions for a Policy Analyst in the Legal & Policy Department and a Multimedia Communications Manager in the Communications Department. All details and deadlines can be found here.
ASBA Events and Webinars
Upcoming ASBA Events
Summer Leadership Institute, June 9-11
Law Conference, September 7-9 (registration opens July 5)
View all ASBA events on the ASBA website.
Upcoming ASBA Webinars
May 17, 5 – 6 p.m. Webinar: I am on the Ballot…Now What?
November 17, 5 – 6 p.m. Webinar: I Was Elected…Now What?
Plus more! You can find all Wednesday webinars on the ASBA webpage, https://azsba.org/events-asba/.
Can’t view the webinar live? No problem. Go ahead and register and you will receive the recording automatically by email so you can view it later. There is no cost to register for these webinars. We encourage advance registration.
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