school district budgets; two years

SB 1571 allows common school districts and high school districts with overlapping boundaries to form unified districts without requiring a public vote. It mandates that school boards provide property tax estimates to households for different home values before unification, ensures teachers’ salaries and experience are preserved in the new district, and establishes a five-member governing board with staggered terms (two members serving two-year terms initially). The bill also requires unified districts to maintain existing tax overrides until expiration and adjust student enrollment counts for state funding based on the combined districts. This affects school districts, teachers, and property owners in Arizona by changing how districts merge and manage budgets.