DB-R ©

REGULATION

ANNUAL  BUDGET:  SCHEDULE,  PREPARATION /
PLANNING,  FORMAT,  AND
POSTING / SUBMISSION

The business manager will prepare a schedule of budget deadlines for presentation to the Superintendent each year.  This schedule will cover all actions necessary to prepare the budget for the following school year.

The following items may be included in the recommended budget schedule:

A.  Specific date for receipt of unit budgets from administrators.

B.  Date for initial meeting on the budget with appropriate staff members.

C.  Date(s) for student membership and attendance reports.

D.  Date(s) for estimates on the maintenance and operations and capital budgets.

E.  Date for completion of employee compensation consideration(s).

F.  Date for preparing financial projections for all categories and subcategories to be included in the proposed budget(s) for the ensuing fiscal year.

G.  Date for determining if the proposed budget(s) is (are) in excess of the District's Truth in Taxation base limit [A.R.S. 15-905.01].

1.  When the base limit is exceeded, or the District plans to levy any amount for adjacent ways projects or liabilities in excess of the School District budget, a decision must be made whether to publish the truth in taxation notice separately or in combination with the proposed budget or budget summary.

2.  Either publication procedure requires publication of at least ten (10) days but not more than twenty (20) days prior to the truth in taxation hearing.

3.  The truth in taxation hearing may be held in conjunction with the proposed budget hearing.

H.  Proposed Budget:  The Governing Board shall not later than July 5 and not less than ten (10) days before:

1.  Publish or mail to each household in the District a copy of the proposed budget or a summary of the proposed budget for consideration of the residents or taxpayers of the District, and a notice of the public hearing and Board meeting.

2.  Furnish to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and County School Superintendent, in electronic format, the proposed budget and summary of proposed budget for the budget year.

3.  Submit to the Department of Education the proposed budget which shall prominently display this information about the School District on the website maintained by the Department.  If the School District maintains a website, the School District shall post a link to the website of the Department of Education where this information about the School District is posted.

I.  Budget Adoption:  The Governing Board shall not later than July 15 and not less than ten (10) days after posting or mailing the notice of the public hearing and Board meeting:

1.  Conduct the public hearing and present the proposed budget to the persons attending the hearing, and

If a truth in taxation hearing is required it must be conducted prior to the budget hearing.

2.  Immediately following the public hearing, the President shall call the Governing Board meeting to order for the purpose of adopting the budget.

J.  Adopted Budget:  Not later than July 18:

1.  The adopted budget shall be submitted electronically to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

2.  The adopted budget shall be submitted to the Department of Education.  The Department shall prominently display this information about the School District on the website maintained by the Department.  If the School District maintains a website, the School District shall post a link to the website of the Department of Education where this information about the School District is posted.

K.  Publishing:  The Governing Board must do one (1) of the following and provide notice of the public hearing and Board meeting to adopt the budget no later than ten (10) days prior to the meeting to adopt the budget:

1. Posting to ADE’s Website:  Districts that have a website are required to follow the website requirements above and may choose to meet the publication requirement for the proposed budget by electronically uploading the Hearing Notification and Summary via the School Finance Budget System to ADE for posting on ADE’s website.  If the budget or proposed budget and notice are posted on a website maintained by the department of education or mailed, the Board shall file an affidavit with the Superintendent of Public Instruction within thirty (30) days after the mailing or the date that the information is posted on the website.

2. Publishing in a newspaper:  Print the proposed budget or Summary and Hearing Notification in at least eight (8)-point type in a newspaper of general circulation within the District. The publisher’s affidavit of newspaper publication must be filed with the Superintendent of Public Instruction within thirty (30) days of the publication.  To meet this requirement, districts should scan and e-mail the affidavit to SFBudgetTeam@azed.gov.

3. Mailing:  Mail the proposed budget or Summary and Hearing Notification to each household in the District.  An affidavit or other documentation of mailing must be filed with the Superintendent of Public Instruction within thirty (30) days of mailing.  To meet this requirement, districts should scan and e-mail the affidavit to SFBudgetTeam@azed.gov.

L.  Override Election:

1.   When applicable, dates pursuant to A.R.S. §§ 15-481-15-482, as applicable.  

2.  Date for budget hearing on following year's budget.

a.  At least ninety (90) days before a proposed override election (first [1st] Tuesday following the first [1st] Monday in November, order override election to present proposed override budget to electors.  Must also prepare alternate budget without override increase in event voters reject the proposed override budget.

b.  At least thirty-five (35) days before override election, mail or distribute to households where qualified electors reside the informational report prepared by County School Superintendent.

c.  When a determination is made to cancel the override election, the request must be made to the County School Superintendent at least eighty (80) days before the override election date.

M.  Annual Financial Report:

1.  Not later than October 15 of each year the Governing Board shall:

a.  Prepare and distribute the annual financial report for the prior fiscal year.

b.  Provide a copy of the financial report to the County School Superintendent.

c.  Electronically submit a copy of the financial report to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

d.  Submit a copy of the annual financial report for the prior fiscal year to the Department of Education.  The Department shall prominently display this information about the School District on the website maintained by the Department.  If the School District maintains a website, the School District shall post a link to the website of the Department of Education where this information about the School District is posted.

2.  Not later than November 15 of each year the Governing Board shall publish the annual financial report:

a.  In a newspaper of general circulation within the School District, or

b.  In the official newspaper of the county as defined in A.R.S. 11-255, or

c.  By mailing a copy to each household in the District, or

d.  By electronic transmission of the information to the Department of Education for posting on the Department's website (if the Board chooses this option the School District shall post a link on the District's website to the report on the Department’s website).

All forms and technical requirements for each respective form shall be as prescribed in A.R.S. 15-904.