Commission Description

To review all current common school districts that are not part of a unified school district and consider combining these common school districts into a new unified district or combining common school districts with a union high school district to create unified districts that offer instruction to students in programs for preschool children with disabilities and kindergarten programs and grades one through twelve. The Commission's recommendations may include enlarging or diminishing the size of affected school districts but shall also include unorganized territories within recommended unified districts where practicable. The Commission may also determine that an existing common school district should remain a common school district and not be included in a new unified school district recommendation. The Commission shall consider the recommendations of the governing boards of the affected school districts and then design and submit to the Governor on or before December 31, 2007.

Election Results

Final Report to the Governor

• Executive Summary
• Appendix 1: Unification Plans
• Attachment A: Approved Redistricting Plans
• Appendix 2: Facts and Figures
• Attachment A: First letter to governing boards requesting feedback on the proposed unification plans
• Attachment B: Second letter to governing boards extending the deadline for feedback
• Attachment C: Summary of governing boards that submitted feedback on proposed unification plans
• Attachment D: 100th Day Average Daily Membership (ADM)
• Appendix 3: Frequently Asked Questions
• Attachment A: Frequently Asked Questions
• Appendix 4: Arizona Auditor General's Report
• Attachment A: Excerpts from the Auditor General's Executive Summary
• Attachment B: One-page information sheets on each affected individual school district
• Appendix 5: Financial Analysis
• Attachment A: Tax Rate Impact Calculations
• Attachment B: List of affected districts with Career Ladder programs
• Attachment C: Override Information and District Characteristics
• Appendix 6: Anticipated Impact on State General Fund
• Attachment A: Estimated State Fiscal Impact of Proposed School District Unifications
• Attachment B: Small School Weights v. Small School Adjustments
• Appendix 7: Elections
• Attachment A: Cost of Elections
• Appendix 8: Potential Legislation
• Attachment A: Suggested Legislation
• Appendix 9: Statutory Authority
• Attachment A: SB 1068
• Attachment B: SB 1164

(All handouts provided to Commissioners, meeting minutes, Governing School Board responses and additional information about the School District Redistricting Commission are available on file at the Arizona Department of Education through November 2008. These records will be transferred to the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records in December 2008. Audio recordings, meeting minutes, and attachments also on file in the Secretary of Senate's Office/Resource Center, Room 115.)

SDRC Video Presentation

Decision Theater, in collaboration with the W. P. Carey School of Business L. William Seidman Research Institute assisted in collecting data and creating a visualization tool to help Commissioners evaluate Arizona's non-unified school districts and create plans for unification where it made sense based on a number of variables. The plans they have recommended will be presented to voters on November 4th, 2008.

Decision Theater also produced videos of the unification plans to help voters better understand the plans before they cast their votes in their various districts and counties. These videos are hosted on the Decision Theater's website for public use: www.decisiontheater.org/sdrc

Frequently Asked Questions

• Letter from the Secretary of State's Office
• Upcoming Public Forums Cancelled
• Frequently Asked Questions: Elections
• Frequently Asked Questions: General
• Videos of the Unification Plans

Upcoming Meeting Agendas

• December 9, 2008

Past Meeting Agendas

• October 7, 2008
• June 10, 2008
• February 21, 2008
• December 11, 2007
• November 20, 2007
• November 13, 2007
• November 6, 2007
• October 11, 2007
• June 28, 2007
• March 27, 2007
• February 15, 2007
• January 17, 2007
• December 14, 2006
• November 15, 2006
• October 16, 2006
• August 28, 2006
• August 1, 2006
• May 18, 2006
• May 3, 2006
• April 20, 2006
• April 13, 2006
• March 30, 2006
• March 16, 2006
• February 16, 2006

Meeting Minutes

• June 10, 2008
• February 21, 2008
• December 11, 2007
• November 20, 2007
• November 13, 2007
• November 6, 2007
• October 11, 2007
• June 28, 2007
• March 27, 2007
• February 15, 2007
• January 17, 2007
• December 14, 2006
• November 15, 2006
• October 16, 2006
• August 28, 2006
• August 1, 2006
• May 18, 2006
• May 3, 2006
• April 20, 2006
• April 13, 2006
• March 30, 2006
• March 16, 2006
• February 16, 2006

Documents

• Career Ladder Complaint
• Letter to Maricopa County School Officials
• Proposed Process
• Time Line
• Draft Work Plan
• SDRC Commission Update Letter
• Arizona Legislative Council Report On District Size

Please email public comments or questions to sdrc_comments@azed.gov

Membership

Four public members, not more than three from the same political party, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives:

Ms. Vicki Anderson
Dr. Sandra Dowling, Maricopa County School Superintendent
Susan Bitter-Smith
Mr. Dave Naugle

Four public members, not more than three from the same political party, appointed by the President of the Senate:

Mr. Jay Blanchard, College of Education
Ms. Rita Leyva, Yavapai County Education Service Agency
Mr. Thomas Schoaf
Jay Kaprosy

Four members, at least one certified teacher in this state, at least one administrator of a school in this state and at least one member of a school district governing board of this state, appointed by the Governor:

Ms. Doris Goodale
Mr. Kent Scribner
Mr. Martin Shultz, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation
Mr. Joseph Thomas

The Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Superintendent's designee:

Mr. Art Harding, Arizona Department of Education

Contact Information

Arizona Department of Education
1535 West Jefferson Street, Bin 2
Phoenix, Arizona  85007
Tel: (602) 364-1952
Legislative Liaison: Art Harding
Email: SDRC_Comments@azed.gov