Legislature(2003 - 2004)
05/15/2003 08:45 AM Senate FIN
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 165(HES)(efd fld)
"An Act relating to community schools."
This was the first hearing for this bill in the Senate Finance
Committee.
Co-Chair Wilken explained this bill, sponsored by the House Rules
Committee at the request of the Governor, "eliminates the community
schools grant program. The $500,000 for this program has been
deleted in both the House and Senate operating budgets. In
addition, HB 165 places in the uncodified law, a findings and
intent section regarding community schools."
KEVIN SWEENEY, Special Assistant, Office of the Commissioner,
Department of Education and Early Development testified that this
bill addresses the statutes relating to the community schools grant
program. This grant program, he stated, began in 1975 and its
purpose was to provide financial support to encourage and assist
local school districts in the establishment of community schools.
He emphasized the intent was to provide start-up funds. He
expressed that the grant program has been "extremely successful"
and that to date, the State has granted over $30 million to local
school districts to assist in establishing community schools.
Today, he noted 53 school districts operate community schools and
added that the funds appropriated for community schools have helped
the districts "grow their entire community education programs" to
include activities such as "before and after child care" remedial
programs for students and adult education.
Mr. Sweeney stressed that the Administration is "by no means
suggesting that we want to close and end the community schools
program." He expressed the program provides "a very good service to
students and adults alike," which should continue. However, he
remarked that the Administration is reducing State spending and
this program was identified as "a very reasonable cut" because
start-up funds have been provided for 28 years.
Mr. Sweeney informed that if fully funded, the program would cost
the State approximately $3.3 million annually, although the program
has not been fully funded since the middle 1980s and instead has
been appropriated between $400,000 and $800,000. Currently, he
furthered, the program is not funded at all and the Administration
does not anticipate funding available for the coming years.
Therefore, he remarked this legislation removes the grant program
from statute.
Mr. Sweeney assured this bill does not prevent local school
districts from operating community schools. He asserted that the
grant funds comprise a small percentage of the funds raised by
local school districts for community schools activities. He spoke
to the $2 million community services component of the Anchorage
School District budget, of which the State provides $150,000. By
removing the State's portion, he predicted the local districts
could offset shortfalls with increased user fees, "help from the
community", or other grants.
Senator Taylor offered a motion to report the bill from Committee
with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal note.
Senator Taylor then objected to the motion for purposes of further
discussion.
Senator Bunde supported the continuance of the community schools
programs and asked the average tuition increase necessary to offset
the loss of State funding.
Mr. Sweeney responded that the amount would vary by community. He
exampled Anchorage and the approximately 55,000 annual participants
in community schools activities and the current revenue of $65,000
to $70,000 generated from user fees that is deposited into the
school district's general fund. He predicted if those funds were
invested into the community schools program and user fees were
increased "a little over a dollar" the $150,000 formally
appropriated by the State would be offset.
Senator Olson expressed that in rural communities, schools tend to
be the largest facility and subsequently the location for funerals
and other community activities. He asked if education funds could
be used to pay utilities expenses for these functions.
Mr. Sweeney was unsure if community schools funds are currently
used for these purposes, and pointed out the average appropriation
for smaller schools is $4,000. He pointed out this amount is less
than the amount a school district must absorb as a result of
decreased enrollment. He stated that foundation formula funds are
normally used for utility expenses, building maintenance, etc., and
he surmised are therefore contributing significantly to the
community schools expenses.
EDDY JEANS, School Finance Manager, School Finance and Facilities
Section, Education Support Services, Department of Education and
Early Development spoke a spreadsheet titled, "Alaska Department of
Education and Early Development, FY 02 Community schools
expenditures and grants, Prepared 3/12/03, Updated 4/28/03" [copy
on file]. This spreadsheet lists each school district and its
community schools expenditures, the State allocation to each
district, and the percentage of grant to expenditures for each
district. He also referenced an audit report of the Anchorage
School District FY 02 budget [copy on file], which provides a
definition of "Community Services" as follows.
COMMUNITY SERVICES - Activities provided by a school or school
district for purposes of relating to the community as a whole
or some segment of the community not directly related to
providing education for students. Specifically, it is an
additional responsibility delegated to the school district
beyond its primary function of providing education. Included
are community recreation programs, civic activities, public
libraries, public radio programs, community welfare activities
and care of children in residential day schools. Examples of
the types of expenditures to include are salaries, employee
benefits, travel, and supplies.
Mr. Jeans pointed out that AS 14.17.300(b) relating to foundation
formula funding, provides that funds in the public school account
"may be used only in aid of public schools including community
schools activities." He assured therefore that statute continues to
"support" community schools programs.
Senator Taylor withdrew his objection to the motion to report the
bill from Committee.
JOYCE KITKA, Volunteer, Alaska Association for Community Education,
read a statement into the record as follows.
…I am a volunteer with the Alaska Association for Community
Education, a volunteer organization that promotes Community
Education through out Alaska. Our membership consists of those
individuals who support life long learning. Thank you for the
opportunity to testify today about House Bill 165. I know that
each and every one of you have heard from folks concerning
this bill. Due to the change in schedule, I know we have lost
community members who wanted to testify before you and ask you
not to support HB 165.
We realize that times are tough and funding may not be
available at this time. However passing this bill will
eliminate the possibility of funding Community Education in
the future.
In front of you, you have a sheet, which outlines the history
of funding for community schools, the numbers of folks we
serve and the astounding number of volunteers that we recruit,
train and supervise.
Today's testimony is to ask why there really is a need to
eliminate the statute that says Community Schools is in
existence in Alaska today. Through this process, we have only
heard DEED argue that the intent of the Community Schools
Statute was to only [facilitate the] start of the program and
[that] all Community Schools does is provide open gyms,
although more recently we have been upgraded to providing
underwater basket weaving classes. We have counter[ed] those
statements with attorney opinions that differ with the
interpretation of the statute, provided folks with stacks of
programs, flyers, etc. that indicate that we do much more than
the previous mentioned programs.
We have been told that there are corporate sponsors out there
that can fund our programs, while other legislators swear and
laugh at these comments (by that way that has been the
response from both parties). We have been told that we need to
raise our fees, yet we have not had full funding 17 years and
are always asked to do more so we have already raised fees,
been creative in establishing partnerships throughout the
State and have exhausted a lot of our choices. We often serve
the poor, single parent families and raising fees will
eliminate those folks from our program. We have been told that
schools will pick up these programs. We chuckle, as we know
our districts are facing tremendous cost and little money to
fund them. I know my district is starting to have problems in
finding the resources to handle the wear and tear on our
facilities by community usage.
Our participants and staff are upset, and I apologize if you
have been the recipient of their frustration. Over the past
years, Community Educators have approached the Commissioner of
Education and asked how Community Education could be a part of
the team, they have had no response. Community Schools
programs across the State have never been asked about their
programs, only to have assumptions presented to the
legislature. The task of reporting about how your money is
being spent was deemed no needed by DEED. So the Alaska
Association for Community Educations has utilized its
volunteers to compile and provide you with participant numbers
and programs. They feel that they have been fiscally
responsible and are being punished for their efforts.
That last thing I want to touch on is that of respect. As
citizens of Alaska, we recognize and respect your efforts and
why we may not always agree [with] your decisions we respect
them. Unfortunately, many of our participants and staff feel
that the respect has not been shown to them. DEED and the
Governor have not thoroughly looked at the program they
proposed eliminating, thus insulating the years of hard work
and successful programs. We feel that it has been a game with
DEED staff. Last Friday evening, as I exited the House Floor
observing area, I witnessed a DEED person high-fiving another
person and exclaiming the victory as HB 165 cleared the House
Floor. It [became] apparent to me it isn't about what is good
for kids, isn't about what is best for Alaska, it's a game
about who can win. However, I can tell you, assure you, there
are no winners as programs will be [lost], students and adults
will suffer and buildings will go unused.
You have already made the choice not to fund Community
Schools. If you think the legislation is bad then let's spend
the next year working on making it better, eliminating the
program as outlined by HB 165 does nothing to making Alaska a
better place to live or to utilize an incredible amount of
resources available in Community Schools programs.
Ms. Kitka spoke to the accounting of community services revenues in
the Anchorage School Districts and warned that if State funding
were not provided, programs would be eliminated. She disagreed that
increasing user fees would offset the costs, pointing out that
rural residents would be affected disproportionately.
Senator Bunde agreed that community schools programs have the
support of many people. He asserted that increased user fees, would
secure more funding for community schools than a general tax
administered by the State and distributed to each school district.
Ms. Kitka stressed the issue is the proposal to eliminate the grant
program from statute, regardless of whether funding is provided.
She stated that if funds became available in the future, statute
should allow for appropriation to the grant program.
Senator Bunde noted appropriations to other programs have been
suspended, although the programs have not been eliminated. He
advocated "continuing in that mode" with respect to the community
schools grant program.
Co-Chair Wilken applauded the efforts of the witness on behalf of
community schools and noted the bill reflects these efforts in the
finding and intent language on page 1, lines 5 - 12, which reads as
follows.
FINDINGS AND INTENT. (a) The legislature finds that
community schools
(1) are an expression of the philosophy that the
school, as the prime educational institution of the community,
is the most responsive when it involves the people of that
community in a program designed to fulfill their educational
needs; and
(2) promote the use of school facilities through the
use of buildings and equipment beyond the normal school day.
(b) It is the intent of this Act to encourage local
school districts to maintain community schools.
JULIE WILD-CURRY, Alaska Association for Community Education,
testified via teleconference from Fairbanks, to encourage the
Committee to not eliminate the enabling statutes for the community
schools grant program. She stressed the laws supporting the
community schools program must remain. She qualified that the
community schools program in Anchorage is "strong", but pointed out
this is only one of 53 school districts funded through the grant
program. She furthered that over the past several years, school
districts have been the recipients of "twenty-first century grant
programs" that have generated $25 million to the State; however,
the schools are currently only receiving $1.75 million. She
cautioned that twenty-first century grants are contingent upon
active community school programs and emphasized the subsequent
importance that the State demonstrates support for the existence of
these programs.
ROGER SHANNON testified via teleconference from Kenai, in support
of the general accomplishments of the Legislative session.
SFC 03 # 99, Side B 09:33 AM
Mr. Shannon continued by requesting the Committee not discontinue
the existence of the community schools program, based on 18 years
of "street level" experience. He warned that reductions to
community school programs would increase social problems "on the
streets" and would require additional public safety efforts and
expenditures.
Senator Bunde voiced objection to reporting this bill from
Committee. He suggested the grant program should remain, although
funding not appropriated.
Co-Chair Wilken ordered the bill HELD in Committee. [The motion to
report the bill from Committee was subsequently TABLED.]
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