2005 Arizona Revised Statutes - Revised Statutes §15-2201  Local education accountability program; phase‑in

A. The local education accountability program is established to provide direct funding associated with teacher salaries, average daily membership, and transportation of pupils to local individual schools.

B. By January 1 of each year, principals of schools not participating in the local education accountability program may provide written notice to the district superintendent of schools and the department of education of intent to apply for participation in the program.

C. Each school district shall, from the applications made and by March 1 of each year, select at least one school to participate in the program and shall select additional schools as necessary to reach ten per cent of the number of schools in the district. If applications are received from more than ten per cent of the schools, the district may, at its sole option, determine the schools making up ten per cent of the schools in the district which shall participate in the program. Nothing in this section shall be construed as a limitation of the number of schools which the district may admit to the program in any one year.

D. The principal of each school selected to participate in the program may:

1. Adopt a corporate seal.

2. Contract, except that the principal shall not enter into any contract for goods or services in which the total cost of the transaction exceeds five thousand dollars without written approval from the school district governing board. The school district governing board shall approve any proposed contract submitted by the principal pursuant to this paragraph if the contract is in proper form and if the contract is for a lawful purpose. The principal shall honor any existing contractual obligations between the school district and any provider of goods or services to the school.

3. Sue and be sued.

E. The principal of each financially and operationally independent school shall negotiate employment contracts with teachers who provide instruction at the school, except that the principal shall honor any existing employment agreements between those teachers and the school district. The salary paid to a teacher who provides instruction at a financially and operationally independent school shall not be less than the salary earned by that teacher before the school became financially and operationally independent and shall not be less than the salary offered by that school district to teachers with comparable work experience and a comparable level of education.

F. Each financially and operationally independent school shall procure liability insurance, property damage insurance, workers' compensation insurance and any other forms of insurance deemed necessary or desirable by the principal of the school.

G. Taxpayers are eligible to receive a tax credit pursuant to section 43-1089.01 for contributions to financially and operationally independent schools.

H. A school district governing board shall not take any personnel action against a principal applying to participate in the local education accountability program.

I. A school district governing board shall not take any personnel action against a principal of a financially and operationally independent school that is directly or indirectly contingent on the amount of services that the school will contract to purchase from the school district. As used in this subsection "personnel action" means any of the following:

1. A disciplinary or corrective action.

2. A transfer or reassignment.

3. A suspension, demotion or dismissal.

4. An unfavorable performance evaluation.

5. A reduction in pay, benefits or awards.

6. Other significant changes in duties or responsibilities that are inconsistent with the principal's salary or employment classification.