AZ SB1251

Amends section 15-393 of Arizona Revised Statutes to allow ninth grade students to be included in joint technical education district (JTED) funding and student count calculations, reversing the previous restriction to grades 10-12 only.

Permits ninth graders enrolled in career and technical education courses at JTEDs to generate average daily membership funding, subject to existing funding caps and requirements for approved programs.

Maintains restrictions on funding for kindergarten through eighth grade students in JTED courses, while allowing eighth and ninth graders to be funded through the five-cent qualifying tax rate authorized for JTEDs.

Requires JTEDs to offer programs and courses to all eligible students in each member district when operating centralized or leased centralized campuses to qualify for the expanded funding provisions.

Preserves existing JTED governance, operational, and financial requirements while adding ninth grade participation to existing average daily membership calculation frameworks.