Legislature(2013 - 2014)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/01/2013 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB49 | |
| SB47 | |
| SB86 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 47 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 59 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 86 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| = | SB 49 | ||
SENATE BILL NO. 47
"An Act increasing the monthly stipend available for
students attending a statewide boarding school
operated by a school district; and providing for an
effective date."
9:16:58 AM
Senator Coghill testified that the bill would remove the
sunset provision for providing stipends to boarding
schools. He said that there were many burgeoning small
boarding and trade schools that had been helping young
people in rural Alaska to receive an education that they
might not otherwise experience. He asserted that boarding
schools not only raised the bar for educational standards
but also created work and college ready members of society.
9:19:31 AM
RYNNIEVA MOSS, STAFF, SENATOR JOHN COGHILL, discussed the
sectional analysis:
*Sec. 1. This section removes narrow applicability to
schools operating before June 1, 2005. Currently
three school districts are receiving the stipend:
Nenana, Bethel and Galena. The Department of
Education is currently soliciting applications for
three additional boarding schools statewide.
Sec. 1 also adds magnet schools that have
variable-length terms but have a 180-day school year.
*Sec. 2. Section 2 increases the monthly stipend rate
based on the region of the state the boarding school
is located.
*Sec. 3. Section 4 allows school districts to
contract room and board.
*Sec. 4. This section repeals AS 14.17.200(c) which
limited DOE to approving three additional boarding
school applications.
Sec. 4 also repeals AS 14.16.200(d)(2), the definition
for "district-operated statewide residential program"
as Section 1 now included both statewide and district-
wide residential schools.
*Sec. 5. This Act has an immediate effective date.
Co-Chair Meyer observed that part of the fiscal note for
the bill needed to be included in the 2013 Supplemental
Budget.
Ms. Moss replied that the administration could speak to the
fiscal note.
9:22:55 AM
Co-Chair Meyer asked about the Jesse Lee Home in Seward. He
wondered about the qualifications needed to be labeled a
boarding school.
Ms. Moss replied that boarding school qualifications were
determined by the public school system. She thought that a
public school could contract with the Jesse Lee Home for
room and board.
9:23:25 AM
Co-Chair Meyer noted that it sounded like a charter school.
Ms. Moss informed the committee that charter schools are
public schools.
9:23:36 AM
Senator Bishop pointed to Section 3. He requested an
example of the kind of school intended in the section.
Ms. Moss replied that the example would be a non-profit
organization that was providing room and board for students
attending a public school.
9:24:17 AM
Senator Dunleavy stated that all charter schools in the
state were public schools under the district of their
location.
9:24:48 AM
Co-Chair Meyer inquired whether the administration
supported the bill.
MICHAEL HANLEY, COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND
EARLY DEVELOPMENT, stated that the department appreciated
the cost of housing and monitoring students 24 hours a day,
7 days per week. He believed that the increase in the
funding represented true costs. He supported shifting from
a statewide to a district-wide component, which would allow
programs to bring in students from outlying schools and
provide them the intensives for qualification in the Alaska
Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP). He
explained that the variable term component meant that
although the school would run for the full school year,
students participating in the ANSEP intensive could cycle
through and return to their home schools within the school
year.
9:27:33 AM
Co-Chair Meyer understood that boarding schools boasted
high test scores and academic achievement.
Commissioner Hanley replied that comparisons in graduation
and achievement rates between the boarding schools and the
student's home schools in the state had revealed positive
results on the boarding school side.
9:28:00 AM
Co-Chair Meyer asked how many boarding schools in the state
would apply and receive the stipend.
Commissioner Hanley responded four. He noted that Mount
Edgecumbe was unique as it was a state-run private school.
9:28:31 AM
Co-Chair Meyer pointed out to the committee that passage of
the legislation would result in an additional $1.6 million
in the supplemental budget.
9:28:46 AM
ELIZABETH SWEENEY NUDELMAN, DIRECTOR, SCHOOL FINANCES AND
FACILITIES, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT,
agreed that additional funding would need to be added to
the supplemental budget to support the legislation.
9:29:08 AM
Commissioner Hanley interjected that the stipend increase
that was awarded two years ago would sunset this year. He
said that the lack of the additional funds would make
future funding of the state's private schools, except for
Mount Edgecumbe, challenging.
9:29:35 AM
Co-Chair Meyer relayed that the state paid for students to
fly several times per year to Mount Edgecumbe in Sitka. He
wondered if boarding schools saved the state money.
Commissioner Hanley replied that boarding school students
still received the BSA, but that the added boarding
component allowed each student one, round-trip ticket to
and from school. He believed that boarding schools were
more expensive than traditional neighborhood schools, but
that tickets would be based on the number of beds the
school housed, rather that the number of students who came
and went.
9:31:56 AM
Co-Chair Kelly queried whether a boarding school had been
planned for Kotzebue.
Commissioner Hanley replied that the department had
recently begun an open application period to allow
districts to apply for schools. He stated that the Star of
the Northwest boarding school was considering allowing high
school students to register.
9:32:58 AM
Co-Chair Kelly inquired what communities the department
would target for boarding schools.
Commissioner Hanley replied that he would do regional
research. He said he would consider Barrow, Kotzebue,
Bethel and Southeast Alaska.
Co-Chair Kelly asked about Dillingham and McGrath.
Commissioner Hanley said that the Bristol Bay area,
Dillingham, King Salmon and Naknek had all been considered.
He stressed the importance of building schools in the
region of need so that students still felt connected to
home.
Co-Chair Kelly queried the lack of roads as a barrier to
the success of a boarding school in Kotzebue.
Commissioner Hanley responded that road access was a
barrier. He said that currently there were no roads to any
of Alaska's boarding schools. He believed that greater
access would be beneficial.
9:35:48 AM
Senator Olson stated that Nenana had a road.
Commissioner Hanley said that the road was relatively far
removed from other communities; most of the student still
had to fly to the school.
9:36:17 AM
Senator Olson asked whether there had been requests from
certain school districts for a boarding school.
Commissioner Hanley replied that requests had been made. He
said that local communities should make their need known to
the department. He stated that four areas had applied:
Kotzebueu, Nome, Chugach, and Anchorage.
9:37:27 AM
Senator Olson referred to earlier testimony that some
students became homesick during Christmastime visits which
resulted in students dropping out of boarding school. He
wondered if it would be best to not allow them to return
home at Christmastime.
Commissioner Hanley said that experience had shown that
when students were away from home for too long it became a
problem. He recognized that being away from home could be a
challenge for teenagers.
9:38:25 AM
Senator Olson commented that he came from a long line of
people that had attended boarding school. He wondered what
the options would be for these students if the boarding
schools did not exist.
Commissioner Hanley responded that the option would be the
neighborhood school; a school with 10-20 students and two
teachers. He noted that it was difficult to offer a broad
ranged curriculum at a very small school.
9:39:22 AM
Co-Chair Kelly queried what the cost would be to make the
boarding school model work for the state across the board.
Commissioner Hanley responded that the answer was to
provide more opportunities for students throughout the
state.
Co-Chair Kelly asserted that he was seeking a dollar
number.
Commissioner Hanley replied that if you looked at the four
schools that had applied and several that had not applied,
the department would have to add the cost of access to the
schools. He stressed that an exact number was difficult to
pencil in. He hypothesized that if you added 1000 rural
Alaskan student to full or part-time variable term
programs, the total cost would be approximately $10
million.
Co-Chair Kelly queried what the capital costs would be,
once there was an additional $10 million added to the
operating budget.
Commissioner Hanky relayed that the state did not currently
build residential facilities; if the state were to do so,
the capital cost could be as high as $50 million per
school.
9:42:53 AM
Senator Bishop noted that there were assets that could be
utilized for room and board components. He cited the work
in Galena where the Air Force facility was being used for
culinary classes. He stressed that there were existing hard
assets that could be utilized to stretch state funding.
9:44:04 AM
Senator Dunleavy asked what kind of school the if the
commissioner would send his children to given the choice of
a small, two teacher, school or a comprehensive, boarding
home, high school.
Commissioner Hanley replied that he would be tempted by the
greater options of a boarding school but would ultimately
choose the school that was best for the individual child.
9:44:52 AM
Senator Dunleavy restated the question.
Commissioner Hanley asserted that his fist inclination as a
parent would be to keep his children close to home.
9:45:09 AM
Senator Dunleavy asked what if the schools were both two
blocks away from the commissioner home.
Commissioner Hanley replied that he would send them to the
school with the greater opportunity.
9:45:34 AM
Senator Hoffman noted that Akiak, Akiachak and Tuluksak had
been contemplating a sub-regional high school for over a
decade. He said that sub-regional schools should be
considered before taking half of the student population of
a small town and relocating them to boarding schools. He
expressed concern that the children left behind could
suffer reduced educational opportunities.
Commissioner Hanley agreed that the problem should be
considered. He stressed that with the variable term program
the funding would stay with the home schools.
9:48:07 AM
Co-Chair Kelly believed that information should be gathered
concerning the cost of building boarding schools and that
the Commissioner of Transportations and Public Facilities
should be probed for the costs of road they may need to be
built to ensure access. He thought that information about
the impact of more boarding schools on home schools should
be examined.
Commissioner Handley responded that he would gather the
information.
9:50:24 AM
Senator Dunleavy asked if there was a current waiting list
for Mount Edgecumbe.
Commissioner Handley said yes.
9:50:37 AM
STEVE NOONKESSER, DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION, SOUTHWEST REGION
SCHOOL DISTRICT, DILLINGHAM (via teleconference), spoke in
support of SB 47. He stated that declining enrollment had
caused the district to close two schools in seven years.
He added that the economy of the region did not afford
parents the ability to move their family for schooling,
which had resulted in elementary school student moving in
with other families of other schools in the district. He
discussed a proposed amendment that removed the word
"secondary" from statute which would provide an avenue to
financially assist the house-parents that took in boarding
students for communities that no longer had a school. He
did not believe that the amendment would increase the
fiscal note to an unreasonable level.
9:53:17 AM
DAVID PIAZZA, SOUTHWEST REGION SCHOOL DISTRICT, DILLINGHAM
(via teleconference), testified in support of SB 47 and
echoed the comments of the previous testifier.
9:53:37 AM
JERRY COVEY, EDUCATION CONSULTANT, COOK INLET TRIBAL
COUNCIL, CITIZENS FOR THE EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT OF
ALASKA'S CHILDREN, BARROW (via teleconference), expressed
support for SB 47. He testified that short-term variable
and district residential programs worked and were cost
effective. He stated that they had minimal negative impact
on the student's home schools because they were gone for a
short period of time. He believed that the increase of the
stipend amount was warranted based on the cost of delivery.
He believed that the benefit of the proposed programs would
greatly outweigh the costs. He urged support of the bill.
9:57:15 AM
Senator Olson asked about the ultimate cost of students
dropping out of school in underserved areas.
Mr. Covey responded with a history of Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) Schools in the state. He pointed out that the
capital costs would need to be addressed in terms of the
construction of a residential facility, and that the state
would also need to determine that existing facilities were
being used to their maximum extent. He said that there was
space in Kotzebue High School that could accommodate an
additional 150 students. He believed existing facilities
should be maximized in the effort to keep costs at a
minimum. He estimated that a new, 50 student dorm in
Kotzebue would be approximately $12 million. He stated that
as the population shifted, the rural schools were getting
smaller and smaller and were among the lowest achieving
schools in the state. He stressed that one of the best
things for students in small schools was to provide them
with access to a comprehensive high school located in a
rural community.
10:02:01 AM
CHRIS RITAN, SUPERINTENDENT, GALENA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT,
GALENA (via teleconference), spoke in favor of SB 47 and
discussed some of the history of Galena school district. He
stated that the district started a boarding in 1997 after
gaining access to old Air Force buildings. He explained
that the district had grown each year thereafter. He shared
that there were 213 students currently enrolled. He said
that the main focus of the school was vocational programs.
He shared that a 2005 bill had provided funding to offset
room and board costs, which up until that time had been
paid for through the BSA and federal funding. He said that
the extra money saved through the room and board stipend
would give the school the ability to expand its already
high quality programs for students in the state.
10:05:04 AM
ERIC GEBHART, SUPERINTENDENT, NENANA SCHOOL DISTRICT,
NENANA (via teleconference), testified in support of SB 47.
10:05:48 AM
DR. NORMAN ECK, SUPERINTENDENT, NORTH WEST ARCTIC BOROUGH
SCHOOL DISTRICT, KOTZEBUE (via teleconference), spoke in
support of SB 47. He stressed the importance of finishing
high school with specific job skills and the ability to
enter into post-secondary schooling. He said that smaller
regional schools were necessary as a part of school choice
in rural Alaska. He stated 9th and 10th graders in the 9
high schools in his district had a 27 percent proficiency
rate on state standardized tests. He said that the
percentage was higher in Kotzebue, 51 percent, because it
had a comprehensive high school in a regional hub. He said
Northwest Arctic had a 53 percent graduation rate for
native students; however, each student that took 2 classes
in career technical education had an 83 percent graduation
rate. He stressed that innovative and instructional
programs of practical application to students brought
success. He said that the dormitory should be considered an
integral part of the school in terms of major maintenance
and school construction.
10:09:05 AM
Senator Olson inquired the testifier thoughts regarding
homesickness among students.
Mr. Eck responded that the hope was to have wireless
internet in the dorm. He shared that in the ten outlying
villages in Northwest Arctic over 65 percent of the homes
had internet access and could use SKYPE. He stressed the
importance that students have a strong cultural base.
10:11:21 AM
Senator Olson acknowledged that the state was dealing with
a budget shortfall. He asked whether Dr. Eck believed that
the limited funds should be dedicated to boarding schools
or early childhood education.
Dr. Eck replied that both were needed, and that his
district believed so strongly in early childhood education
that it had a program for 4 year-olds. He asserted that the
program was so important that it was conducted without any
dedicated funding. He stressed the importance that all
children learn to read at grade level by the 3rd grade. He
thought early childhood was the key to future academic
success. He added that students who graduated from school
had to be career and job ready. He opined that too many
students that graduated from the district could be found
unemployed six months later. He concluded that it was the
districts obligation to provide the programs necessary in
order for students to be successful.
10:14:19 AM
Senator Bishop wondered if elder mentors in the magnet
schools could help ease homesickness among displaced
students.
Dr. Eck replied in the affirmative. He noted that the
district planned to use elders as part of its advisory
group in the dormitory.
10:15:49 AM
LISA RIEGER, GENERAL COUNCIL, COOK INLET TRIBAL COUNCIL,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), spoke in support SB 47 and
echoed earlier testimony.
10:19:10 AM
Co-Chair Meyer CLOSED public testimony.
10:19:28 AM
SB 47 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.