Source: https://www.azag.gov/sgo-opinions/I06-001
Timestamp: 2015-08-04 22:28:48
Document Index: 779897192

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15', '§ 15']

Currently, there are no high schools that serve the students who reside in the Bonita Elementary School District No. 16 (“Bonita”) in Graham County. As a result, students who reside in Bonita attend high schools located in other school districts. Some students from Bonita attend high school in Willcox, which is in Cochise County. Although students from Bonita have attended Willcox High School for some time, a dispute has arisen recently over tuition payments. According to the information submitted to this Office, in the past Bonita paid tuition to Willcox for students who resided in Bonita and attended Willcox High School. Recently, however, Bonita has not paid tuition to Willcox. Bonita bases its refusal to pay tuition on the fact that six of the seven students currently attending Willcox High School have been identified on a CEC by the Graham County School Superintendent pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-825(A). A student may apply for a CEC under A.R.S. § 15-825(A) if he or she “is precluded by distance and a lack of adequate transportation facilities from attending a school in the school district or county of the pupil’s residence or who resides in unorganized territory.” A.R.S. § 15-825(A). A county school superintendent may issue the student a CEC “[i]f it appears . . . that it is not feasible for the pupil to attend a school in the school district or county of residence.” Id.The CEC may authorize the student “to attend a school in an adjoining school district or county, whether within or without this state.” Id.If the CEC authorizes the student to attend school in another state, the student is considered to be enrolled in the school district of the student’s residence. A.R.S. § 15-825(A)(1). In other circumstances, the enrollment of a student who receives a CEC under A.R.S. § 15-825(A) is “deemed for the purpose of determining student count to be enrolled in the school district of actual attendance.” A.R.S. § 15-825(A)(2). The student count, or average daily membership, is used to determine the amount of State aid that a school district receives. See A.R.S. §§ 15-902, -941 to -980. School districts are generally required to admit all students within their boundaries. See Magyar ex rel. Magyar v. Tucson Unified Sch. Dist., 958 F. Supp. 1423 (D. Ariz. 1997). A school district is also required to admit: (1) a student who has a CEC; or (2) “without presentation of [a]. . . certificate,” a student who “is a resident of a common school district within this state which is not within a high school district and which does not offer instruction in the pupil’s grade.” A.R.S. § 15-824(A)(2). In addition, school districts must establish policies and implement “an open enrollment policy without charging tuition.” A.R.S. § 15-816.01(A). Tuition may be charged to nonresident pupils “only when tuition is authorized under § 15-764, subsection C, § 15-797, subsection C, § 15-823, subsection A, § 15-824, subsection A or § 15-825.” Id.
Analysis Bonita is not required to pay tuition to Willcox for students who have CECs issued by the Graham County School Superintendent. This conclusion is supported by A.R.S. §§ 15-824 and -825. Under Section 15-825(A)(2), a student with a CEC is included in the student count of the district where the student attends school. As a result, the district where the student attends school should receive the State funding for the student who has a CEC issued pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-825(A).(2) Because Willcox, rather than Bonita, should receive the State funding for the students with CECs, there is no need for Bonita to pay tuition to Willcox for these students. In addition, nothing in A.R.S. § 15-825 authorizes tuition payments for students who have CECs issued pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-825(A). In contrast, A.R.S. § 15-825(D) specifically addresses certain tuition requirements for CECs issued pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-825(B). Section 15-824(A) also supports the conclusion that no tuition is required for students attending schools within this State who have CECs issued pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-825(A). Section 15-824(A) establishes when a district must accept students from other school districts. This statute requires that districts accept students who do not have CECs and reside in a common school district that does not have a high school. A.R.S. § 15-824(A)(2). For these students, tuition is expressly required. Id.; Ruth Fisher Elem. Sch. Dist. v. Buckeye Union High Sch. Dist., 202 Ariz. 107, 112, 41 P.3d 645, 650 (2002).In addition, these students are included in the student count of the district of residence. Id.The statute also requires that districts accept students with CECs but does not authorize tuition charges for these students. A.R.S. § 15-824(A)(1). Because there is no statute authorizing tuition for students with CECs issued pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-825 (A) who attend school within this State and because the district that the students attend should receive any State funding for students with these CECs, Bonita is not required to pay tuition to Willcox for students with CECs.