[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6295304,"mediaKeyId","2520953-680a712f3636f47da11a4ae025daafec","parentId",2520953,"title","Votes at a glance: Senate Education Committee actions on four education bills","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",5106000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2520953-680a712f3636f47da11a4ae025daafec&start=5106&end=5106","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2520953-680a712f3636f47da11a4ae025daafec/thumbnail_5106000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6295304/Arizona/Votes-at-a-glance-Senate-Education-Committee-actions-on-four-education-bills","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6295304-3354cf55b4f37d2692b818a0f299bbd5/orig.mp4?Expires=1774979129&Signature=Js0wqcCZCSdDmKHyECio-SLDH~YCTRIZkV2PnKYQnoUeA0W3LD6RbgoYDCu6Yu6ou8V5UBdIZSgWG9cixljjCNXxbauFI~fW56alQ2932jrUtH59kHwFQ8MdmH-y21Q-PXBd7DS1mvd29RZk14qH5BGGYUiLCQmpbLUx1nwcpPPsgqBav8fK7ijygUiRg~DewJic6AGRGKBuUpyE1saiae3OhqqG22-tYrfDcj8s5wsK0IEcRb9Lf8tY1w84atkFGh2UAnzoX~jowZBwmUHDEQlcd9rAyA~5tWI4T7cAIPZ2~L6bJMCAJaGRmg5jYg60ZH1FWJ7vEet~sCoWFbEk5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Arizona Legislature","date","2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Education Committee considered and recorded recommendations on four bills during its Feb. 19 hearing. Below are the motions, outcomes, and key points from staff summaries and testimony.

House Bill 2375 (special education evaluation timeline)
Motion and outcome: Committee gave HB2375 a due-pass recommendation (4 ayes, 3 noes, 0 not voting).
What the bill would do: If a child's parent submits a written request between May 1 and Aug. 15 for an evaluation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the local district would be required to begin the evaluation or provide the parent notice of refusal within 15 calendar days. The sponsor said the change restores a 15-calendar-day requirement and preserves the existing 60-day timeline for completing an evaluation once it begins.
Debate and testimony: Parents testified about long delays for initial meetings; the Arizona Education Association raised concerns about summer staffing and resource constraints and noted the requirement already exists in State Board rules. Committee members discussed potential summer staffing and fiscal impacts.
Vote record: motion moved on the floor and recorded as 4 ayes, 3 noes; individual roll-call names were recorded in committee minutes but the transcript contained limited on-the-record identification for each yes/no vote.

House Bill 2018 (Teachers Academy expansion)
Motion and outcome: Committee recommended a due-pass for HB2018 (4 ayes, 3 noes, 0 not voting).
What the bill would do: Allow degree-granting private postsecondary institutions that offer post-baccalaureate teacher-preparation programs to participate in the Arizona Teachers Academy and receive scholarship monies. The bill caps a Teachers Academy scholarship that a private institution can provide to students at the remainder of the average in-state tuition and fees charged by Arizona public universities, minus other aid. The sponsor included a $10,000,000 FY2026 appropriation to the Teachers Academy fund.
Debate and testimony: Supporters, including representatives from Grand Canyon University and other private institutions, said the change will expand the teacher supply. Opponents raised concerns about using public funds before public-university unmet need is cleared and about funding religious private institutions.
Vote record: Committee gave HB2018 a due-pass recommendation by recorded vote (4 ayes, 3 noes, 0 not voting).

House Bill 2074 (school safety program revisions)
Motion and outcome: Committee recommended a due-pass for HB2074 (4 ayes, 3 noes, 0 not voting).
What the bill would do: Expand the school safety grant program to support costs for placing school safety officers on campus; establish an alternative program-proposal process to spend funds on safety equipment and infrastructure when personnel cannot be placed; require emergency response plans and periodic school-safety assessments; require training for officers on FERPA, civil rights and adolescent health issues; and exempt building blueprints from public-record release.
Debate and testimony: Sponsor said the changes respond to an audit and task-force recommendations and would allow unspent funds to be used for cameras, locks and other infrastructure. Supporters highlighted school-safety needs; some members expressed concern that multiple safety topics were combined in one bill. A parent and disability-advocacy speaker supported the bill's training and emergency-plan provisions for students with disabilities.
Vote record: Committee gave HB2074 a due-pass recommendation (4 ayes, 3 noes, 0 not voting).

House Bill 2170 (dyslexia notation on IEPs)
Motion and outcome: Committee recommended a due-pass for HB2170 (7 ayes, 0 noes, 0 not voting).
What the bill would do: Require that when a child is found eligible for special education services because of a specific learning disability, the child's individualized education program (IEP) indicate whether the child has been diagnosed with dyslexia.
Debate and testimony: Supporters said the change would improve clarity and parental advocacy; a parent testified that districts may screen for dyslexia but do not place the label on IEP forms, which complicates advocacy and access to dyslexia-specific interventions.
Vote record: Committee recorded a unanimous due-pass recommendation (7 ayes, 0 noes, 0 not voting).

Ending: Each bill received a committee recommendation to advance; the transcript includes roll-call tallies and testimony excerpts cited in the summaries above. Further floor action and final appropriations decisions remain pending.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03/05/2025 - Senate Education","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Education Committee gave due-pass recommendations on four bills during the Feb. 19 hearing: HB2375 (special education evaluation timeline), HB2018 (Teachers Academy expansion), HB2074 (school safety program changes), and HB2170 (dyslexia notation on IEPs). Vote counts and key provisions are summarized below.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Arizona, Arizona","taxId",78572,"location","Arizona","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6295308,"Presenter says homeschooling enrollment surged since 1970s; committee hears national outcome studies",665,1106000,1771000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2520953-680a712f3636f47da11a4ae025daafec&start=1106&end=1771","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2520953-680a712f3636f47da11a4ae025daafec/thumbnail_1106000.jpg","/articles/6295308/Arizona/Presenter-says-homeschooling-enrollment-surged-since-1970s-committee-hears-national-outcome-studies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6295308-03877c2fa35fbfa69231ac00a6705578/orig.mp4?Expires=1774979129&Signature=CVyn1xpLwt3rVpglQnzi71747xPMnVGO7qQyiHfCyiEQQGKyfaPPL-~-0U~H3rPlu~1SjfIaAPVk6GVvVAHFxxS4LCGhknVTfiUgSZdwhDU9GYAfK7Ezjme2XXbx2ZmA14n6EhVH1odTOm1x7v-P~IAmE5rwNbZGmW0xunley5Nm-cJHlVgW9jBC~0y30zv-mhnzgItBuIRpjAhG5yaXtjYC7HBAeDhpZ3~BUbWnSdGaiOs8VyAIkuR~zOVQQIqYcA-L9Ry13AKTVnN6zNKbFfK6THkPHnOVwEKJBSWC16I~kABluQTbMA40kUcF3i98Pb4XBKnUFSDwsCvTUH0e-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rachel Jensen, speaking for a homeschool advocacy group, told the Senate Education Committee that homeschooling has expanded substantially since the 1970s and highlighted studies and survey findings she said show homeschooled students perform well on standardized and social indicators.

Jensen told the committee that homeschooling grew from an estimated 5.6% to 11% of families with school-age children during the COVID-19 period and that homeschooling enrollment rose from roughly 13,000 students in the 1970s to more than 3.7 million today. \"There are over 5,000,000 homeschooled children in the U.S. today and it continues to grow,\" she said, citing several national sources during a slide presentation.

Why it matters: Jensen framed homeschooling as a growing national education pathway and argued it yields strong academic and social outcomes; her presentation included national statistics that committee members may weigh as lawmakers consider state education policy.

Jensen cited multiple research findings, including higher average standardized-test percentiles for homeschooled students and claims that long-term homeschooled adults report lower depression and anxiety scores and higher life satisfaction in certain surveys she referenced. She also described the growth of classical Christian curricula and community programs that support home educators.

Committee members asked few substantive follow-ups; Jensen offered to provide the committee with her slide deck and thanked members for the opportunity to present.

Ending: The testimony was primarily informational; no formal action followed directly from the presentation.","A national homeschooling advocate told the Senate Education Committee homeschooling has grown to millions of students and cited research she said shows higher academic and social outcomes for homeschooled students.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6295311,"Private postsecondary leaders pitch workforce training, teacher pathways amid Arizona shortages",374,160000,534000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2520953-680a712f3636f47da11a4ae025daafec&start=160&end=534","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2520953-680a712f3636f47da11a4ae025daafec/thumbnail_160000.jpg","/articles/6295311/Arizona/Private-postsecondary-leaders-pitch-workforce-training-teacher-pathways-amid-Arizona-shortages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6295311-8cd2e7329687efd13f8446fe46a4df71/orig.mp4?Expires=1774979129&Signature=J9zbKDSLYy~IWc~QaN1Zs6ys2hd8HhBKxaJOwVE67ahxh4F2U1J5EH~225P2vbQjDlc6U2M4e8eXKvO7ju4MCoQRjt64oovwZFZef7SX2aW8G~YttSsUsKkjTUwTya0nDwz5yod5l3vlHuRtZmArvGwdzSbPBU088hiuuIjg88dpscP33AIgMhayJKu4dCj8paizQeCdn9bSn6khNV9o78YU24Q99E4j5afRoMKLIiCR~cajbO8Q0ky9vjQG8NHOQJ14SC~Wyb0bCVnBl712OiqYdFhktZaxkNsZ4PrhSpHQEq--Atjfhy7MIX9heAt4tKA9sA8WG0AnpwAb2C7NWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Grand Canyon University President Brian Mueller and representatives of Arizona's private postsecondary sector addressed the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 19, describing expanded campuses and certificate programs intended to feed state labor needs, and urging lawmakers to include private institutions in the Teachers Academy scholarship program.

Mueller said Grand Canyon University (GCU) has grown from roughly 900 on-campus students 16 years ago to 25,000 this year and is planning growth to more than 40,000 over the next decade. \"We haven't raised tuition in 16 years,\" Mueller told the committee. \"The average student now pays less tuition than the average state university student, and our students take out on average less debt than the average state university student.\" He added that just under 100,000 students study online with GCU and that about 20,000 of those students are in Arizona.

Why it matters: Committee members heard private colleges portray themselves as a low-cost, rapidly scalable source of trained workers for nursing, skilled trades and teacher preparation at a time Arizona districts report staffing shortages.

In his presentation, Mueller described four \"platforms\": a large residential campus, extensive online programs, a network of small local campuses focused on trades and nursing, and short-term pre-apprenticeship and manufacturing programs tied to local employers. He said GCU is producing nurses and preparing technicians for chip manufacturing and other trades; \"Not every student needs a 4 year degree,\" Mueller said, arguing for alternative career pathways.

Kevin LaMountain, executive director of the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education, described the state's oversight role for nonpublic postsecondary institutions. He said the board licenses 237 institutions serving roughly 336,277 students across 3,150 programs and maintains a Student Tuition Recovery Fund to protect students if an institution closes. \"These schools are out there doing great work'and it doesn't cost the state of Arizona any money,\" LaMountain told the committee.

Representatives of private-school associations and institutions elaborated on workforce programs. Stacy Nottingham of Bryan University and Andrea Snow of Ancora described partnerships with health-care and construction employers to train nursing assistants, machinists and other in-demand occupations. Dr. Emily Pottinger, associate dean at GCU's College of Education, told the committee GCU has graduated about 100,000 educators since 1961 and highlighted accelerated and \"earn while you learn\" programs intended to place candidates in classrooms quickly.

Committee discussion turned to House Bill 2018, which would allow private, degree-granting institutions that offer teacher-preparation programs to participate in the state Teachers Academy and make them eligible for fund distributions capped at the average in-state tuition and fees charged by Arizona public universities. Representative Matt Gress, sponsor of HB2018, said the bill includes a $10 million appropriation to the Teachers Academy fund to address current unmet demand.

Supporters at the hearing said HB2018 would expand the teacher pipeline and level the playing field for students attending private institutions. Opponents raised concerns about diverting limited public dollars before the state has met unmet need at public universities. Testimony from Dr. Emily Pottinger and GCU President Mueller emphasized financial barriers facing teacher candidates and argued the expansion would increase the number of teachers entering Arizona classrooms.

Ending: Committee members completed presentations and moved to consider multiple bills on the agenda. The Teachers Academy proposal was debated later in the session; the committee gave HB2018 a due-pass recommendation by recorded vote (see \"Votes at a glance\").","Leaders from Grand Canyon University and private postsecondary schools told the Senate Education Committee they are expanding programs to supply nurses, technicians and teachers to Arizona employers and urged inclusion in the state's Teachers Academy program.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Senate Education Committee actions on four education bills

Presenter says homeschooling enrollment surged since 1970s; committee hears national outcome studies

Private postsecondary leaders pitch workforce training, teacher pathways amid Arizona shortages