Phoenix, AZ– Governor Katie Hobbs signed Executive Orders that will facilitate the modernization of Arizona school buildings and allow for increased safety for Arizona students. In 1998, the Arizona Legislature passed Students FIRST, which requires school facilities to meet minimum building adequacy standards and requires the State to conduct inspections of school facilities every five years to ensure compliance. However, some components of the minimum adequacy guidelines have not been updated in many years and inspections could be improved.  

To address these issues, Governor Katie Hobbs has issued two executive orders that will ensure schools across Arizona are safe for our students.

The first Executive Order, Improving School Facilities Inspections, directs the Arizona Department of Administration’s Division of School Facilities to develop and implement a plan to conduct robust, in-person inspections with qualified personnel no less than once every five years and provide detailed reports to the Governor.

The second Executive Order, Establishing a Stakeholder Council to Update the Minimum Adequacy Guidelines for School Facilities, creates an advisory council that will conduct stakeholder meetings and consult with experts to develop recommendations for updating the Guidelines.

“A child’s ability to attend a safe and secure school should not depend on their zip code,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “As I have traveled across the state, I have heard from parents and educators about the effects outdated buildings and poorly kept facilities have on a students’ quality of education. We have a responsibility to foster productive learning environments for our children, and these actions will help ensure every Arizona student has equal access to adequate facilities.”

Read Improving School Facilities Inspections HERE.
Read Establishing a Stakeholder Council to Update the Minimum Adequacy Guidelines for School Facilities HERE.