CSHR 8(FIN) am: Establishing the Task Force on Sustainable Education in the House of Representatives.
00 CS FOR HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 8(FIN) am 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) the ability of the state's public schools to prepare students for various 07 rewarding careers; and 08 (2) all aspects of public education funding in the state; and be it 09 FURTHER RESOLVED that the duties of the task force include 10 (1) performing an analysis of public education funding that includes 11 (A) a determination of the adequacy of public school funding provided 12 under AS 14.17.410 for coverage of appropriate education expenses; 13 (B) a determination of the appropriate uses of the base student 14 allocation; 15 (C) alternative methods of addressing fluctuating energy, health, 16 insurance, personnel, and pupil transportation costs; 17 (D) a calculation of the total amounts of state, local, and federal 18 funding available to each district and for each category of special needs service area; 19 (E) a comparison of the allocation of administrative and instructional 20 personnel among districts; 21 (F) a determination as to whether the allocation of administrative and 22 instructional personnel affects the ability of each district to provide effective 23 instructional services; 24 (G) a calculation of the effect of pension and health care expenses on 25 total education costs; 26 (2) evaluating the availability of courses that meet core academic curriculum 27 requirements under AS 14.43.820(a)(3) in each district; and 28 (3) submitting to the governor, the Department of Education and Early 29 Development, and the legislature, by January 1, 2014, a report of findings and 30 recommendations of the task force and submitting additional reports the task force considers 31 advisable; and be it
01 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may meet between and during legislative 02 sessions; and be it 03 FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force consists of 04 (1) the chairs of the House Education Committee and the House Finance 05 Subcommittee on Education and Early Development, who shall serve as cochairs of the task 06 force; 07 (2) members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 08 consultation with the cochairs of the task force, as follows: 09 (A) one member representing a regional Native corporation organized 10 under 43 U.S.C. 1602(m) (Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act) or the Alaska 11 Federation of Natives; 12 (B) two educators; 13 (C) one member who is a cochair of the special committee having 14 jurisdiction over energy in the House of Representatives; 15 (D) two businesspersons; and be it 16 FURTHER RESOLVED that 17 (1) a majority of the members of the task force constitutes a quorum; a 18 vacancy on the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original selection or 19 appointment; 20 (2) the staff of the legislative members of the task force shall serve as staff for 21 the task force; 22 (3) the task force shall meet at the call of the cochairs; 23 (4) the task force may request data and other information from the Department 24 of Education and Early Development; 25 (5) members of the task force serve without compensation but are entitled to 26 per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180; 27 and 28 (6) the task force expires January 1, 2015.