HB 2326 Summary

• Establishes a three-year experienced teacher retention pilot program administered by the Department of Education, offering eligible participants a 75% tuition discount at Arizona Board of Regents universities.

• Extends eligibility to certificated teachers with 10+ years of employment in Arizona public schools, their spouses, and dependents; teachers with 3-10 years may participate if pursuing graduate degrees in their subject area and agree to teach for 4 additional years.

• Prioritizes rural school teachers (defined as schools in counties with ≤10% of state population or >10 miles from cities with 50,000+ residents) on a first-come, first-served basis, with total participants limited by appropriated funds.

• Appropriates $2,000,000 for FY 2020-2021, with $2,000,000 to $2,500,000 for FY 2021-2022 and up to $5,000,000 for FY 2022-2023 depending on prior-year participation rates; includes $100,000 for an impact study due by December 31, 2024.

• Pilot program expires February 15, 2027; participants who fail to complete service requirements or lose teaching certification must repay discounted tuition amounts.