general appropriations act; 2024-2025

HB 2897 is the 2024-2025 General Appropriations Act for Arizona, which allocates over $7.4 billion in state funding to the Department of Education and its various programs. The bill directly affects public school districts, private schools, and other educational entities by distributing money for teacher salaries, student services, school safety, and specialized programs like special education and adult education. Key provisions include specific funding amounts for basic state aid, formula programs, and non-formula initiatives, while also establishing rules on how certain funds from permanent state school trusts must be spent before using general state funds. Additionally, the legislation sets expenditure limits for various accounts and requires the department to report fiscal impacts before making changes to programs that would increase costs.