HB 2385 Arizona House · 57th Legislature - Second Regular Session

school districts; superintendent; employment contracts

HB 2385 sets new employment terms for school superintendents, principals, and school psychologists in Arizona public school districts. It limits superintendent contracts to one year for new hires (three years for those with three+ consecutive years) and requires a fingerprint clearance card for superintendents. The bill mandates that districts must offer contracts for the next school year by May 15 (or June 15 if an override election occurs), prohibits contract renegotiation within 15 months of expiration for multi-year agreements, and establishes standardized evaluation processes for administrators and school psychologists. These changes apply to all new or renewed contracts after the law takes effect.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Last action Mar 10, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version House Engrossed Version (02/26/2026) · 3 edits · Feb 26, 2026
MINOR
The bill updates the formatting and official title of the legislation while retaining the core statutory text regarding superintendent and principal employment terms. It clarifies the timeline for contract offers and non-renewal notices, ensuring administrators receive contracts by May 15 (or June 15 if an override election occurs) and receive non-renewal notices by April 15 (or within five days after an election).
Scope change
The scope of applicability remains unchanged, as the bill explicitly states it applies to contracts executed or renewed after its effective date, covering existing and future agreements.
TECHNICAL

Updated the document header, title, and introductory language to reflect the 'House Engrossed Version' status and correct legislative session details.

Corrected minor grammatical inconsistencies and formatting errors within the statutory text, such as removing redundant words like 'developing' and 'adopting' and standardizing capitalization.

TIMELINE

Refined the deadlines for offering contracts and providing non-renewal notices to administrators and school psychologists, specifically clarifying the May 15 and April 15 dates and the conditions for extension if an override election is called.

Floor votes · House Feb 26, 2026

How they voted

3617
Passed · 7 other
Total votes 60
Feb 26, 2026
D Democratic27
5 Yea 17 Nay 5
62% Nay
R Republican33
31 Yea 2
93% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
9
Key actions
3
Committee
1
Feb 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
PASSED
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
DP
lower
Feb 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
DP
lower
1 primary · 5 co-sponsors

Sponsors