Public outcry appears to have killed a state bill that would have created a “crisis” for school board members by requiring those officials to hold four-year degrees.
Rep. Lydia Hernandez, D-Phoenix, sponsored the legislation and said the controversy was the result of a language error as the bill was being drafted.
She said it was meant to require training for school board members if they did not already have a four-year degree or relevant experience in the field. Instead, it requires both training and a degree or experience. Hernandez also is a member of the Cartwright School District Governing Board.
“It doesn’t always roll out the way we intended,” Hernandez said, citing a miscommunication between her and the legislative staff that drafts bills.
The bill was originally co-sponsored by eight Democrats and one Republican. After public criticism from school board members, four lawmakers have now taken their names off the bill.
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