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SB1816 • 2026

school districts; optimal square footage

SB1816 - school districts; optimal square footage

Education Elections
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
David C. Farnsworth
Last action
2026-02-09
Official status
Senate second read
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the consequences of a district's building size being smaller than needed.

School Districts; Optimal Square Footage

This bill requires school districts in Arizona to calculate and post the optimal square footage needed for their buildings based on student numbers and grade levels, and limits bond elections if a district's building size exceeds its needs by at least 10%.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires school boards to calculate the optimal square footage of space each school district needs annually based on student numbers and grade configurations.
  • School boards must post this information online every year, including the ratio of needed space to actual space used by schools.
  • Notifies county officials if a school district's building size is at least 10% larger than what it needs.

Who It Names or Affects

  • School districts in Arizona
  • County school superintendents and county boards of supervisors

Terms To Know

Optimal square footage
The best amount of space a school district needs based on the number of students it serves.
Bond election
A vote by people in a community to decide if their local government can borrow money for projects, like building new schools.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact dates when information must be posted or notifications sent.
  • It is unclear what happens if a school district's buildings are smaller than needed according to this rule.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Senate second read

  2. 2026-02-05 Senate

    Senate Rules: None

  3. 2026-02-05 Senate

    Senate Education: None

  4. 2026-02-05 Senate

    Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1816 - school districts; optimal square footage

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB1816 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
school districts; optimal square footage

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1816

Introduced by

Senator
Farnsworth

AN
ACT

amending title 15, chapter 4, article 5,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-492; amending title 41,
chapter 56, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 41-5702.01;
relating to school facilities.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 15, chapter 4, article 5,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-492, to read:

START_STATUTE
15-492.

Optimal square footage; election eligibility

Notwithstanding section 15-491, if the
ratio of a school district's optimal square footage to actual square footage of
all buildings that are owned by the school district, as calculated pursuant to
section 41-5702.01, is at least one hundred ten percent, the school
district governing board may not Call an election to either:

1. Determine whether bonds of the
school district may be issued and sold.

2. Change the list of capital
projects or the purposes authorized by prior voter approval to issue bonds.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Title 41, chapter 56, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-5702.01, to read:

START_STATUTE
41-5702.01.

School district buildings; optimal square footage; posting;
notification

A. On or before _____ of each year,
the board shall calculate the optimal square footage for each school district
in this state based on the number of students served by the school district and
grade configurations prescribed in section 41-5711, subsection
C. For the purpose of calculating the number of students served by
the school district, the board shall use the sum of the following:

1. The most recent average daily
membership data for the school district.

2. If a school district leases a
building or a portion of a building to a charter school or private school, the
student capacity of the building or the portion of the building.� The board may
include the student capacity of a leased building or portion of a building
pursuant to this paragraph only after verifying the lease.� The board shall
include the full student capacity of a leased building or portion of a building
pursuant to this paragraph without regard to whether the lease grants to the
lessee exclusive rights to use the school building or school facilities that
are the subject of the lease.

B. On or before _____ of each year,
the board shall:

1. Post on the board's website both
of the following:

(
a
) The optimal
square footage for each school district in this state calculated pursuant to
subsection A of this section.

(
b
) The ratio
of each school district's optimal square footage to actual square footage of
all buildings that are owned by the school district.

2. Submit to each county school
superintendent and county board of supervisors a notification that:

(
a
) Identifies
each school district in this state for which the ratio calculated pursuant to
paragraph 1, subdivision (
b
) of this subsection is at
least one hundred ten percent.

(
b
) Includes a
statement that any school district that is identified pursuant to subdivision (
a
) of this paragraph is ineligible to call a bond election pursuant to
title 15, chapter 4, article 5.�
END_STATUTE