Legislature(2019 - 2020)BUTROVICH 205
03/19/2019 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB74 | |
| SB64 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 74 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 64 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 74-INTERNET FOR SCHOOLS
9:00:49 AM
CHAIR STEVENS announced the consideration of SB 74. He stated
his intent to introduce the bill, take public testimony, and
hold the bill in committee.
9:01:32 AM
SENATOR LYMAN HOFFMAN, Bill Sponsor, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, said SB 74 is an important piece of legislation
relating to Internet for schools. A similar bill passed the
Senate last year but did not pass the other body. SB 74 would
increase the minimum Internet speed for every school in Alaska
from 10 megabits a second (Mbps) to 25 Mbps using the Broadband
Assistance Grant (BAG) program, which leverages state investment
by utilizing the federal E-rate Program. For every dollar the
state puts into the program, the federal government match is up
to a 9-to-1 ratio. The bill would benefit 168 schools in 30
school districts throughout Alaska. Schools would be able to use
more technology in more classrooms simultaneously and have
better access to more information, further utilizing video
technology and reducing caching, among other benefits.
CHAIR STEVENS asked what the impact will be for schools to go
from 10 Mbps to 25 Mbps.
SENATOR HOFFMAN replied many schools have Internet speeds that
are lower than 10 megabits. The increased speed will allow
students to access more information to do homework. At 25 Mbps
students can interact with other school districts. It broadens
the horizons of people living in far-flung places. He noted that
even in Anchorage some schools still have speeds of just 10
megabits. The bill is not just for rural Alaska. All school
districts will benefit. He said the BAG program is an excellent
opportunity that the legislature should have taken advantage of
last year. It is hard to find programs today that offer up to a
9-to-1 match, he said.
SENATOR BIRCH mentioned downloading movies and telemedicine and
commented that there are different demands for speed and volume.
He asked if any sort of audit has been done to show the
consumption.
SENATOR HOFFMAN responded that it will vary among school
districts. He opined that schools will cherish their Internet
time and each school district will provide oversight and
guidelines. In many instances, problems associated with volume
exists today without additional speed.
9:06:30 AM
SENATOR COSTELLO said that as a classroom teacher, she saw the
value of Internet accessibility. She and her students
participated in a program with students from Russia and the
lower 48. They were talking to an author whose book the students
had read. She applauded his efforts to improve the opportunities
for educators to provide 21st century experiences to students.
She asked why states are setting the level if this is a federal
program.
SENATOR HOFFMAN suggested she ask the Department of Education
and Early Development (DEED).
CHAIR STEVENS said several people from DEED would be speaking.
He noted that packets have information about the bandwidth speed
for schools. He noted that most schools have around 10 Mbps and
surprisingly, some schools in even the largest communities have
limited bandwidth.
9:08:34 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said asked what the recommended speed is because
her recollection was that two-way video conferencing requires
speeds higher than 25 Mbps. SB 74 is a step in the right
direction, but there is farther to go.
SENATOR HOFFMAN replied the national goal is 100 megabits so
this could be viewed as a small step. He suggested the committee
ask other testifiers about the increase; the cost would be 10
percent of whatever the additional cost may be. He said one
concept is to reach 25 Mbps and increase every two years
thereafter according to some scale. Instead of having to review
the legislation every few years, the legislature could see that
schools were moving toward 100 Mbps. Depending on the state's
ability to match the funds, each legislature could make the
decision. He suggested the committee may consider that.
SENATOR HUGHES asked if there is any concern that the federal
money may be capped or that the federal funds are limited.
SENATOR HOFFMAN said the committee should ask other testifiers,
but the general answer is yes because the federal government is
in deficit spending, but in Alaska education is a high priority
of elected officials.
SENATOR HUGHES offered her understanding that the state's
congressional delegation and the federal administration views
broadband the same way that money for roads, bridges, and ports
has traditionally been viewed. The information highway is just
as important and especially for the rural communities. She said
this committee has talked about the national challenge of
recruiting and retaining teachers, and that the challenge is
intensified in Alaska, particularly in rural communities. Good
teachers are needed on site locally but being able to beam great
teachers from around the state into schools would be a
tremendous opportunity for students. Students would be able to
access courses, materials, and teachers that would otherwise be
inaccessible. She opined that this is the right thing for the
state to do.
CHAIR STEVENS commented that this is probably the only way that
students will have the opportunity to take college-level courses
while they are in high school.
9:13:39 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked whether the cost is mostly related to
moving data through the systems or to upgrades. He said if it is
the latter, it might make more sense to move to a higher Mbps
immediately, if that can be done without incurring greater cost.
SENATOR HOFFMAN said the cost is probably a combination. Six or
seven years ago, there was a push for more broadband in the
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The vast majority of the broadband width
was taken up by the regional hospital and some by the school
district. The investment in infrastructure on a graduated scale
from 25 Mbps up to 100 Mbps would show providers that this a
priority and they may be encouraged to invest in different parts
of Alaska.
SENATOR HUGHES asked if there is oversight on what the providers
charge for Internet service. She noted that the Iditarod School
District is paying almost $1.5 million for Internet annually and
that seems high. She also pointed out that schools with
increased Internet could provide opportunities to the community.
SENATOR HOFFMAN replied that he doesn't know whether there is
oversight on the rates. He noted that in the Yukon-Kuskokwim
Delta area, there were negotiations with the health corporations
and providers on the charges before the investment was made. He
suggested the committee ask other testifiers, but the 9-to-1
match could create the perception that rates would be going
down.
SENATOR HUGHES said she'd like to know because whether it's
health care or Internet, the legislature wants to make sure
school districts are getting a good deal.
CHAIR STEVENS asked Ms. Boario to present the sectional for SB
74.
9:18:31 AM
MARIDON BOARIO, Staff, Senator Lyman Hoffman, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, said there is one change to the
statute. That is to increase the download speed from 10 megabits
per second to a minimum of 25 megabits per second.
9:19:16 AM
PATIENCE FREDERICKSEN, Division Director, Library, Archives, and
Museums, Department of Education and Early Development (DEED),
Juneau, Alaska, said the division has operated the program since
FY2015 when the original bill was passed. They create and send
out the grant application in the spring for school districts to
complete. The grant awards are cut in August. School districts
spend the funds during the year and the grant final report is
done in April. In August the division asks school districts to
refund any balance. She clarified that the E-rate funding is not
funded by the federal government. It is funded by the universal
service fee on all phones, whether it is a cell phone or
landline. The phone or Internet provider transmits the money to
the Universal Service Administrative [Company]. Schools,
libraries, and health centers apply for the E-rate to the
Universal Service Administrative [Company]. The money never goes
through the federal books. It is a well-funded program. In
FY2018, the total Internet charges for schools and libraries in
Alaska were about $148 million. E-rate paid 86 percent of that
with schools and libraries picking up the rest, supported with
programs like the School BAG program and the online libraries
program that provides a subsidy to libraries.
MS. FREDERICKSEN said that funding is not much of an issue. It
is such a popular program that other entities are trying to get
into it. Tribal libraries are working to be considered for E-
rate. The money is not endless, but 15 cents per telephone line
per month is a small price to pay for the service. The way the
program functions is that schools that needed help to get to 10
Mbps have not been asked to pay anything beyond their November
2014 benchmark. The spreadsheet the division sends to schools
asks for the total Internet bill, the amount paid by E-rate (80
or 90 percent based on the poverty rate in the school), and what
the school paid in November 2014. The School BAG program makes
up the rest. On average in Alaska, schools get 86 percent of
their Internet bills paid by E-rate. The state and school
districts pay the remaining 14 percent.
MS. FREDERICKSEN said her only concern with the bill as written
is that schools want more than 10 Mbps and the phrase "a minimum
of" seems to imply that schools can argue about the 25 cap. She
said the division would also ask for an effective date of
September 2019. Schools apply in the spring for E-rate and the
vendors in the area look at the filings to see what they can
bid. Then the schools choose a vendor. The managed competition
is one way that E-rate tries to keep costs of the program down.
Because that window will close at the end of the month, if the
division tries to institute a 25 Mbps school broadband program
too soon, schools will have to redo their applications. If the
effective date is September 2019, it will be a smooth
transition.
SENATOR BIRCH said this is a remarkable and positive move. He
asked if the speed and volume would be limited to 25 Mbps, if
that is what is provided, regardless of how many users there
might be at one time.
MS. FREDERICKSEN said her understanding is that if a school gets
25 Mbps and one classroom does video conferencing, all the other
classrooms will experience slower speeds. Things like
videoconferencing or streaming movies will impact the speed in
the rest of the building on that circuit.
CHAIR STEVENS asked her to address the substantial fiscal note.
9:28:56 AM
MS. FREDERICKSEN said the fiscal note makes some assumptions
based on the existing School BAG program. In FY 2019, 80 schools
got support for 10 Mbps and she used the average cost of $16,594
in the fiscal note. The E-rate coordinator accessed the FCC
[Federal Communications Commission] database last week to find
that 245 schools have less than 25 Mbps, so 245 times $16,594 is
the third number. Then there is a calculation for the proportion
to get 245 schools to 10 Mbps. That is what the division
anticipates the School BAG need would be, which is in the $10
million range. The governor's FY 2020 request is going forward
with $1.487.5 for the School BAG. That would be added to the
$8,710,000 for the current year. Then next year it would all be
for School BAG at 25 Mbps.
SENATOR HUGHES asked if earlier she said that Alaska schools
spend $148 million a year on Internet.
MS. FREDERICKSEN said $148 million is for schools and libraries.
The E-rate coordinator assists both entities with their E-rate
applications.
SENATOR COSTELLO noted that an article in the packet indicates
that educators are saying that this will improve reading
results. She asked if there is any data showing a side-by-side
comparison of fourth grade reading proficiency and Internet
speed and access to Internet.
MS. FREDERICKSEN replied that the division doesn't gather any
data on the schools. They rely on the statisticians at the
Department of Education and Early Development. She acknowledged
that a basic assumption is that Internet is a utility that
schools need.
CHAIR STEVENS said that is an important question.
SENATOR COSTELLO said that since the department does collect the
information the committee could do a comparison. The hope is
that this will improve how education is delivered and the
results of the investment.
9:33:00 AM
LISA SKILES PARADY, Ph.D., Executive Director, Alaska Council of
School Administrators, Juneau, Alaska, said that SB 74 increases
the minimum broadband for schools and provides funding through
the School BAG program. She referenced the concern with the
language "a minimum of" and offered her understanding that it
allows a minimum to be spent for growth as price compression
happens. She said we don't want to cap districts; this is a
minimum. She was involved with starting School BAG in 2015 when
she was working with the North Slope Borough School District. At
that time, villages had 1 or 2 megs and this was seen as the
next step needed to grow connectivity in Alaska. While it's not
financially feasible to connect the entire state, SB 74
continues to incrementally grow connectivity for school
districts. It is an equity issue.
DR. PARADY said the joint position statement and the members
place a high priority on increasing bandwidth in outlying areas.
Alaska students need the transformative power of technology and
equitable access to online resources. Teachers and students,
some of whom live in some of the most remote areas of the world,
require access to modern technology in order to transform
learning, create efficiencies, provide online health services,
and keep pace with peers globally. She said ACSA supports the
leverage of federal funding of up to 9-to-1 to provide Alaska
students and teachers fair access to the digital world. In 2017
over 59,000 students across Alaska still lacked access to
bandwidth needed to support the integration of technology into
classroom instruction. SB 74 addresses that statistic. Reliable
access to the Internet is a critical component of modern
learning. Right now, many students cannot access the Internet at
the minimum FCC goal. ACSA wants all schools, no matter their
geography, to have equitable education opportunities. That
requires connectivity.
9:37:18 AM
CHAIR STEVENS opened public testimony.
9:37:27 AM
NORM WOOTEN, Executive Director, Association of Alaska School
Boards, Juneau, Alaska, supported SB 74. He said that when he
was in school, the number one tool for delivering education was
a mimeograph machine. When he served on the school board in
Kodiak, the superintendent said a copying machine was the number
one tool for delivering education to students. Now it is the
Internet, which has opened so many fields and opportunities. He
said this is a baby step, but it is a huge step. It affects
rural and urban school districts. It touches every student in
the state of Alaska.
CHAIR STEVENS said that at another time he would like to hear
more about the issue of equity throughout the system and how SB
74 would help.
MR. WOOTEN replied that he would be prepared.
9:39:32 AM
MIKE HANLEY, Superintendent, Chugach School District (CSD),
Anchorage, Alaska, said he had concrete examples of how
increased Internet speed would help. He explained that the
Chugach School District just finished its bid for Internet and
because of some infrastructure additions in Whittier, they were
able to increase speeds in the Whittier school from 10 Mbps to
50 Mbps for the same price. That has allowed the school to
implement classes that were unavailable previously because of a
lack of bandwidth. The school also has some connections with
Prince William Sound College and is looking at adding dual
credit opportunities. He said strong educators are core to a
strong education system and the district has been pursuing
professional development for its educators. They now have
opportunities to take courses to increase their abilities, which
will have positive impacts on the school. In Whittier the
increased bandwidth allowed teachers to do increased video
conferencing and board members don't have to travel for board
meetings. He acknowledged that it also creates disparity of
opportunity because the other two schools that are further out
in Prince William Sound are capped at 10 Mbps. He concluded that
he agrees with the previous testimony that better access to high
speed internet is a core part of education in the 21st century.
9:42:02 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked what the difference in cost is between 25
Mbps and 50 Mbps. He commented that if the infrastructure is in
place, the price may not be that different.
MR. HANLEY answered that in this case, that is correct. After
providers got the fiber optic cable into Whitter, the school is
paying less for 50 Mbps than it previously paid for 10 Mbps. He
clarified that the school does not have control over the
infrastructure component, but that is what availability to that
infrastructure meant to the school.
SENATOR BEGICH highlighted that Nome, Kotzebue and some other
areas on the north coast also have fiber optic cable and that
infrastructure investment pays huge dividends. He said that's
something for the committee to keep in mind.
SENATOR HUGHES asked if the other two schools in the district
are limited to 10 Mbps because of a lack of infrastructure or a
shortage of money.
MR. HANLEY replied those schools are not connected to fiber
because they are on islands in Prince William Sound. Speeds
could be increased through the use of satellite and microwave
but the cost is double to go from 10 Mbps to 20 Mbps. The
district has E-rate funding that provides support but it is
still cost prohibitive.
9:44:42 AM
CHAIR STEVENS said the committee is under time constraints and
he hopes that those who could not testify today would do so at
later date.
[CHAIR STEVENS held SB 74 in committee.]