00            CS FOR SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 16(SED)                                                             
01 Establishing and relating to the Education Funding District Cost Factor Commission.                                     
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS, under art. VII, sec. 1, Constitution of the State of Alaska, a system of                               
04 public schools is required to be established and maintained; and                                                        
05       WHEREAS the cost of providing adequate public education for children living in the                              
06 state varies significantly among geographic areas of the state; and                                                     
07       WHEREAS accurately measuring relative cost differences is integral to equitable                                 
08 funding for education across geographic areas; and                                                                      
09       WHEREAS the cost differentials have been a recurring policy issue since the current                             
10 funding formula was adopted in 1998; and                                                                                
11       WHEREAS the findings of economic analyses conducted in 1983 - 1985, 1999, 2002,                                 
12 and 2004 have raised questions and controversy within the Alaska State Legislature; and                                 
13       WHEREAS previous determinations of cost differentials have been static and,                                     
14 consequently, have become outdated;                                                                                     
15       BE IT RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that the Education Funding                                       
16 District Cost Factor Commission is established on January 20, 2009, for the purpose of                                  

01 examining school district relative cost differentials and creating a valid and durable model                            
02 that can be updated to accurately reflect the costs of providing education; and be it                                   
03       FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission consists of 11 members as follows:                                         
04            (1)  three shall be from the senate appointed by the president of the senate;                                
05            (2)  three shall be from the house of representatives appointed by the speaker                               
06 of the house of representatives; and                                                                                    
07            (3)  five shall be appointed by the governor; and be it                                                      
08       FURTHER RESOLVED that the president of the senate and the speaker of the house                                  
09 of representatives shall jointly appoint the chair and vice-chair of the commission; and be it                          
10       FURTHER RESOLVED that a commission member is subject to reappointment or                                        
11 replacement if either the president of the senate or speaker of the house of representatives is                         
12 replaced and the member was appointed by the former president or speaker; and be it                                     
13       FURTHER RESOLVED that development of a model may include consideration of                                       
14 socioeconomic or other geographical components affecting the cost of delivering education                               
15 throughout the state; and be it                                                                                         
16       FURTHER RESOLVED that the division of legislative audit may, at the request of                                  
17 the commission, provide necessary staff to the commission and enter into contracts for                                  
18 professional services for the commission; and be it                                                                     
19       FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission shall submit a preliminary report of its                                   
20 findings and a draft model to the governor and the legislature before April 21, 2010; and be it                         
21       FURTHER RESOLVED that the preliminary report and draft model submitted by                                       
22 the commission shall be distributed and made available for public comment for a period of 60                            
23 days, after which the commission shall prepare and submit a final report and proposed                                   
24 legislation to the governor and the legislature before August 1, 2010; and be it                                        
25       FURTHER RESOLVED that proposed legislation submitted by the commission                                          
26 must include                                                                                                            
27            (1)  a repeal of the existing district cost factor index in AS 14.17.460, to be                              
28 effective in April 2011; and                                                                                            
29            (2)  a new district cost factor index for use in funding education under                                     
30 AS 14.17; and be it                                                                                                     
31       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Education Funding District Cost Factor                                                

01 Commission is terminated on July 31, 2010.