education workforce innovation; pilot program

Plain English Breakdown

The bill specifies selection criteria requiring at least one rural school, one urban school, one district, and one charter among the five selected schools; this detail was not included in the candidate explanation but is supported by official text.

Education Workforce Innovation Pilot Program

This bill creates a test program for up to five public schools in Arizona to try new teaching models that help students get ready for college and jobs.

What This Bill Does

• Creates the Education and Workforce Innovation Pilot Program within the State Board of Education (SBE).
• Sets up an advisory committee with no more than seven members to write rules, review applications, monitor schools, and submit reports.
• Allows school districts or charter schools to apply for exemptions from certain state laws if they propose a new education model.
• Requires participating schools to offer at least two options like college courses, job credentials, or youth apprenticeships.
• Mandates that the SBE select up to five public schools recommended by the advisory committee to join the program for three school years.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Arizona State Board of Education
• School districts and charter schools in Arizona
• Public students attending participating schools

Terms To Know

Pilot Program

A test project used to try out new ideas before making them permanent rules.

Exemption, Waiver or Modification

Permission for a school to follow different state laws than usual while testing their new model.

Limits and Unknowns

• The program ends on July 1, 2031.
• Schools cannot ask to be exempt from federal laws or rules about health and safety, special education, graduation requirements, financial compliance, certification, state academic standards, assessments, or school accountability.
• It is not yet known which specific schools will be chosen for the pilot.

Official Summary Text

HB2838 - 572R - House Bill Summary

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th
Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

House:
ED DPA 6-3-2-1

HB
2838
: education workforce innovation; pilot program

Sponsor:
Representative Weninger, LD 13

Caucus
& COW

Overview

Creates
the Education and Workforce Innovation Pilot Program (Pilot Program) within the
State Board of Education (SBE) to develop and test innovative models of
education that are aligned to student outcomes, attainment and workforce
readiness.

History

SBE exercises general supervision over and regulates the
conduct of the public school system. To do this, SBE may adopt any rules and
policies it deems necessary to accomplish its purpose. Statute details the
powers and duties of SBE, which include recommending to the Legislature changes
or additions to the statutes pertaining to schools (
A.R.S.
� 15-203
).

The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools (ASBCS) exercises
general supervision over ASBCS-sponsored charter schools, recommends charter
school-related legislation to the Legislature and adopts rules and policies it
deems necessary to accomplish its statutory duties (
A.R.S. � 15-182
).

A school district or charter school that meets prescribed
letter grade requirements may identify and submit exemptions to statute and SBE
rules to SBE for approval. SBE may review and approve the exemptions, except
for statutes and rules SBE determines apply to: 1) certification; 2) health and
safety; 3) state academic standards and assessments; 4) high school graduation
requirements; 5) special education; 6) financial compliance and procurement
requirements; or 7) statutory school accountability requirements (A
.R.S. � 15-215
).

Provisions

1.

Establishes
the Pilot Program that is administered by SBE to develop and test innovative
models of education that are aligned to student outcomes, attainment and
workforce readiness.

2.

Repeals the
Program on July 2, 2031.

3.

Requires SBE
to establish an advisory committee that:

a.

is composed
of not more than seven members appointed by the SBE executive director;

b.

includes
members who represent ASBCS and SBE; and

c.

must select
one member to serve as chairperson in its first meeting.

4.

Instructs
SBE to provide staff and meeting space for the advisory committee.

5.

Specifies
advisory committee members are not eligible to receive compensation but are
eligible for reimbursement of expenses as authorized by statute.

6.

Tasks the
advisory committee with:

a.

recommending
to SBE:

i.

Pilot
Program policies, procedures and guidelines; and

ii.

an application
for school districts and charter schools to participate in the Pilot Program;

b.

reviewing
applications and recommending qualified applicants to SBE;

c.

monitoring participating
public schools to ensure the public school protects student rights, safety and
equity; and

d.

submitting specified
annual reports to SBE.

7.

Requires SBE
to select up to five public schools recommended by the advisory committee to
participate in the Pilot Program for three school years as specified.

8.

Authorizes a
school district or charter school to apply to participate in the Pilot Program
by submitting in the application developed by the advisory committee:

a.

a
description of the proposed innovative model and expected outcomes;

b.

a request
for an exemption, waiver or modification of specific state laws, rules or
policies, with an explanation of the reason for the request;

c.

specific
goals and all methods the applicant will use to evaluate progress and outcomes;

d.

a timeline
for implementing the innovative model;

e.

a plan for:

i.

sustaining
the innovative model after the Pilot Program's termination;

ii.

terminating
the innovative model on the Pilot Program's termination, or as directed by SBE;
and

f.

a list of
the opportunities to earn college credits or credits that lead to a workforce
certification or license that the applicant will provide to students.

9.

Prohibits an
applicant from requesting an exemption, waiver or modification of federal law.

10.

Instructs
SBE, by December 30, 2026, and December 30 annually thereafter, to review,
approve and submit the advisory committee's reports to specified individuals.

Amendments

Committee on
Education

1.

Instructs SBE to require
participating public schools to offer students at least two of the following:

a.

a concurrent enrollment course;

b.

an industry-recognized
credential for a high-demand or high-wage occupation; or

c.

a youth apprenticeship program.

---------- DOCUMENT
FOOTER ---------

Initials CH/JD���������������� HB 2838

2/19/2026� Page 0 Caucus & COW

---------- DOCUMENT
FOOTER ---------

Current Bill Text

HB2838 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
education workforce innovation; pilot program

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2838

Introduced by

Representative
Weninger

AN
ACT

establishing the education and workforce
innovation pilot program.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.
Education and
workforce innovation pilot program; eligibility; reporting requirements;
delayed repeal

A. The education and
workforce innovation pilot program is established within the state board of
education to develop and test innovative models of education that are aligned
to student outcomes, attainment and workforce readiness.� The state board of
education shall:

1. Administer the pilot
program.

2. Establish an advisory
committee that is composed of not more than seven total members who are
appointed by the executive director of the state board of education.� The
advisory committee must include members who represent the state board of
charter schools and members who represent the state board of education.�
Advisory committee members are not eligible to receive compensation but are
eligible for reimbursement of expenses pursuant to title 38, chapter 4, article
2, Arizona Revised Statutes.� In the first meeting of the advisory committee,
the advisory committee shall select one member to serve as chairperson.� The
state board of education shall provide staff and meeting space for the advisory
committee established pursuant to this paragraph.� The advisory committee
members shall do all of the following:

(a) Develop and recommend
to the state board of education:

(i) Policies, procedures
and guidelines for the pilot program.

(ii) An application for
school districts and charter schools to apply to participate in the pilot
program.

(b) Review all applications
to participate in the pilot program that are submitted by school districts and
charter schools and recommend qualified applicants to the state board of
education.�

(c) Monitor each public
school that participates in the program to ensure that the public school
protects student rights, safety and equity.

(d) On or before December
1, 2026, prepare a report on the implementation of the program and submit the
report to the state board of education.

(e) On or before November
30, 2027 and November 30 of each year thereafter, prepare and submit to the
state board of education an annual report that includes at least the following:

(i) A description of the
program implementation and progress.

(ii) Program outcomes
during the immediately preceding year and since the pilot program began.

(f) On or before November
30, 2030, submit to the state board of education a final report that includes
policy implications of the pilot program, findings and legislative
recommendations.

3. Select not more than
five public schools that are recommended by the advisory committee to
participate in the pilot program for a term of three school years.� The public
schools selected pursuant to this paragraph must include at least one of each
of the following:

(a) A public school that is
rural as defined in section 15-249.13, Arizona Revised Statutes.

(b) A public school that is
located in an urban area.

(c) A school district.

(d) A charter school.

4. On or before December
30, 2026 and December 30 of each year thereafter, review the reports submitted
by the advisory committee pursuant to paragraph 3, subdivisions (d), (e) and
(f) of this subsection and approve each report, in whole or in part, and submit
each approved report to the governor, the speaker of the house of
representatives and the president of the senate, and submit a copy of the
report to the secretary of state.

B. A school district or
charter school may apply to participate in the pilot program by submitting at
least the following information in the application that is developed pursuant
to subsection A, paragraph 2 of this section:

1. A description of the
proposed innovative model and the expected outcomes.

2. A request for an
exemption, waiver or modification of specific state laws, rules or policies,
together with an explanation of the reason for the request.� An applicant may
not request an exemption, waiver or modification of federal law.

3. Specific goals and all
methods that the applicant will use to evaluate progress and outcomes.

4. A timeline for
implementing the innovative model.

5. A plan for each of the
following:

(a) Sustaining the
innovative model after the termination of the pilot program.

(b) Terminating the
innovative model on termination of the pilot program, or as directed by the
state board of education.

6. A list of the
opportunities to earn college credits or credits that lead to a workforce
certification or license, or both, that the applicant will provide to students.

C. This section is repealed
from and after July 1, 2031.