HR 8: Establishing the Task Force on Sustainable Education in the House of Representatives.
00 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 8 01 Establishing the Task Force on Sustainable Education in the House of Representatives. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: 03 WHEREAS state education funding support for public education in grades 04 kindergarten through 12 is increasing at a significant rate and real dollar value; and 05 WHEREAS state revenue, including revenue paid for education, is almost entirely 06 dependent on revenue generated by oil production on state-owned land; and 07 WHEREAS production of oil on state-owned land is forecast to continue to decline; 08 and 09 WHEREAS implementation of new education standards influences capital and 10 operational costs for public education funding; and 11 WHEREAS local school districts achieve varying levels of success, as indicated by 12 drop-out and graduation rates; and 13 WHEREAS the public school funding formula under AS 14.17 may mask the effect 14 of energy, health care, pupil transportation, and other inflationary factors that erode the 15 amount of instructional dollars available to classrooms; and 16 WHEREAS continued increases in public school funding under AS 14.17 restrict the
01 flexibility of both the legislature and local school districts to respond to changing funding 02 needs for public schools in the state; 03 BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives that the Task Force on 04 Sustainable Education is established in the House of Representatives for the purpose of 05 examining the efficiency and effectiveness of public education delivery in the state, including 06 (1) matters pertaining to education standards for students in grades 07 kindergarten through 12; 08 (2) the ability of the state's public schools to prepare students for various 09 rewarding careers; and 10 (3) all aspects of public education funding in the state; and be it 11 FURTHER RESOLVED that the duties of the task force include 12 (1) creating a process for vetting proposed education standards before the 13 standards are adopted by the state Board of Education and Early Development; 14 (2) performing an analysis of public education funding that includes 15 (A) a determination of the adequacy of public school funding provided 16 under AS 14.17.410 for coverage of appropriate education expenses; 17 (B) a determination of the appropriate uses of the base student 18 allocation; 19 (C) alternative methods of addressing fluctuating energy, health, 20 insurance, personnel, and pupil transportation costs; 21 (D) a calculation of the total amounts of state, local, and federal 22 funding available to each district and for each category of special needs service area; 23 (E) a comparison of the allocation of administrative and instructional 24 personnel among districts; 25 (F) a determination as to whether the allocation of administrative and 26 instructional personnel affects the ability of each district to provide effective 27 instructional services; 28 (G) a calculation of the effect of pension and health care expenses on 29 total education costs; 30 (3) evaluating the availability of courses that meet core academic curriculum 31 requirements under AS 14.43.820(a)(3) in each district; and 32 (4) submitting to the governor, the Department of Education and Early
01 Development, and the legislature, by October 1, 2014, a report of findings and 02 recommendations of the task force and submitting additional reports the task force considers 03 advisable; and be it 04 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may meet between and during legislative 05 sessions; and be it 06 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force consists of 07 (1) the chairs of the House Education Committee and the House Finance 08 Subcommittee on Education and Early Development, who shall serve as cochairs of the task 09 force; 10 (2) the task force consists of the following members: 11 (A) one member representing each of the regional Native corporations 12 organized under 43 U.S.C. 1602(m) (Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act); 13 (B) one member representing the Alaska Federation of Natives; 14 (C) one member from each senate district including at least 15 (i) five educators who have resided in a community in the 16 district for not less than three years; 17 (ii) one local elected official; 18 (iii) five parents of children who are enrolled in public schools; 19 (iv) an Alaska Native elder who resides in a rural community 20 or village; 21 (v) five local business owners; and be it 22 FURTHER RESOLVED that 23 (1) a majority of the members of the task force constitutes a quorum; a 24 vacancy on the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original selection or 25 appointment; 26 (2) the staff of the legislative members of the task force shall serve as staff for 27 the task force; 28 (3) the task force shall meet at the call of the cochairs; 29 (4) the task force may request data and other information from the Department 30 of Education and Early Development; 31 (5) members of the task force serve without compensation but are entitled to 32 per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180;
01 and 02 (6) the task force expires January 1, 2015.