04/28/2025 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB174 | |
| HB183 | |
| HB12 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 174 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 183 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 12 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 28, 2025
8:04 a.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Rebecca Himschoot, Co-Chair
Representative Andi Story, Co-Chair
Representative Maxine Dibert
Representative Ted Eischeid
Representative Jubilee Underwood
Representative Rebecca Schwanke
Representative Bill Elam
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 174
"An Act relating to the regional educational attendance area and
small municipal school district fund; relating to Mt. Edgecumbe
High School; and relating to teacher housing."
- MOVED HB 174 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 183
"An Act relating to district-wide early education programs; and
providing for an effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 12
"An Act relating to free breakfast and lunch in public schools."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 174
SHORT TITLE: REAA FUND: MT. EDGECUMBE, TEACHER HOUSING
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) BURKE
04/07/25 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/07/25 (H) EDC, FIN
04/16/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
04/16/25 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
04/23/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
04/23/25 (H) Heard & Held
04/23/25 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
04/28/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
BILL: HB 183
SHORT TITLE: EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) STORY
04/11/25 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/11/25 (H) EDC, FIN
04/23/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
04/23/25 (H) Heard & Held
04/23/25 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
04/28/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
BILL: HB 12
SHORT TITLE: FREE BREAKFAST & LUNCH IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) DIBERT
01/22/25 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/10/25
01/22/25 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/22/25 (H) EDC, FIN
02/24/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
02/24/25 (H) Heard & Held
02/24/25 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
04/28/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE ANDI STORY
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor presented HB 183 to the
committee.
JOSHUA COUGHRAN, Superintendent
Skagway School District
Skagway, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony on HB 183.
CYNDY FRY, Special Education Director
Petersburg School District
Petersburg, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony on HB 183.
DEBORAH RIDDLE, Operations Manager
Division of Innovation & Education Excellence, Department of
Education & Early Development
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered committee questions on HB 183.
BECKY MOREN, Early Learning Administrator
Department of Education & Early Development
Talkeetna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered committee questions on HB 183.
REPRESENTATIVE MAXINE DIBERT
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented HB 12 to the
committee.
DR. LISA PARADY, Executive Director
Alaska Council of School Administrators
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony on HB 12.
RACHAEL MILLER, Chief Advocacy Officer
Foodbank of Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony on HB 12.
RACHEL LORD, Advocacy & Policy Director
Alaska Food Policy Council
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 12.
LEAH WOOLARD
representing self
Chugiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 12.
EVELYNN TREFON
representing self
Newhalen, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 12.
TOM KLAAMEYER, President
NEA Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 12.
SUNNY GERAGHTY
representing self
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 12.
DANIEL PARKS, General Manager
Southeast Alaska Food Bank
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 12.
CHARITY BLANCHETT, CEO
Dipping Spoon
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 12.
IRENE BOLL
representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 12.
DEBORAH BENNETT
representing self
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 12.
BERNIE HOFFMAN
representing self
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 12.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:04:18 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT called the House Education Standing Committee
meeting to order at 8:04 a.m. Representatives Schwanke, Dibert,
Elam, Eischeid, Underwood, Story, and Himschoot were present at
the call to order.
HB 174-REAA FUND: MT. EDGECUMBE, TEACHER HOUSING
8:05:33 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT announced that the first order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 174, "An Act relating to the regional
educational attendance area and small municipal school district
fund; relating to Mt. Edgecumbe High School; and relating to
teacher housing."
8:06:28 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY moved to report HB 174 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, HB 174 was reported from the House
Education Standing Committee.
8:07:08 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:07 a.m. to 8:11 a.m.
HB 183-EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS
8:12:31 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT announced that the next order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 183, "An Act relating to district-wide
early education programs; and providing for an effective date."
8:12:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ANDI STORY, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented HB 183 to the committee. She briefly
remarked the importance of pre-kindergarten education and
welcomed invited testifiers to speak on the proposed
legislation.
8:14:11 AM
JOSHUA COUGHRAN, Superintendent, Skagway School District, gave
invited testimony on HB 183. He said that he wanted to see the
opposite of a "top down approach" to public education and said
that the Skagway School District (SSD) is a good example of
that. He explained how the pre-kindergarten programs in his
school district positively benefit its students and said that he
is "fortunate to live in a community" that supports and allows
for pre-kindergarten education as a common opportunity for all
students.
8:18:31 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT asked Mr. Coughran if his school district
administered full day pre-kindergarten instruction.
MR. COUGHRAN answered that pre-kindergarten education in the SSD
district was delivered in a half day format.
8:19:25 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked Mr. Coughran to elaborate further on his
school district's budgeting for its pre-kindergarten program and
asked what about the Alaska Reads Act of 2022 makes pre-
kindergarten education "tedious."
MR. COUGHRAN answered that the SSD put in an application for the
25 Average Daily Membership (ADM) funding after learning from
the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) that
some deal of the funding it had been utilizing was illegal and
explained that the SSD does not have a federal head start
program, which has made the implementation of the Alaska Reads
Act policies difficult.
8:24:08 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE asked Mr. Coughran how the SSD has been
able to fund its pre-kindergarten program for the past 20 years.
MR. COUGHRAN answered that his school district's pre-
kindergarten program was fully funded by the Municipality of
Skagway until 2024. He emphasized how the SSD was put in a
difficult position by changes to how special revenue funding was
to be utilized.
8:28:51 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ELAM asked how the SSD distributed staff and
class time to its pre-kindergarten program.
MR. COUGHRAN explained that the SSD is a single-site school
district and said that it has never gone over 12 or 13 total
students in a graduating class.
8:31:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT asked Mr. Coughran how long the SSD has
hosted its pre-kindergarten program and asked if there is a
waitlist for the program.
MR. COUGHRAN explained that the SSD has offered pre-kindergarten
curriculum for over 20 years and said that there is no waitlist
for it.
8:37:59 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EISCHEID asked Mr. Coughran for his estimation of
how many hours were spent on the creation of his school
districts pre-kindergarten funding application.
MR. COUGHRAN replied that it took probably 200 hours between him
and his Alaska Reads Act coordinator.
8:40:15 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE asked about the landscape of daycare and
early childcare in Skagway.
MR. COUGHRAN said that the daycare situation in Skagway is
"pretty bleak" and explained that the seasonal nature of the
Skagway's populous has a great impact on the needs of the
community.
8:44:19 AM
CYNDY FRY, Special Education Director, Petersburg School
District, gave invited testimony on HB 183. She read from a
prepared statement on behalf of Heather Kahn, which described
her experience working in special education and how that career
brought her home to the Petersburg School District (PSG). The
statement detailed the 17 head start programs that currently
exist in Alaska and outlined how the PSG benefits from Alaska
Reads Act grants. The statement emphasized the need for a full
ADM of preschool students in Alaska and detailed how an early
learning program would address physical wellbeing, social &
emotional development, different approaches to learning, general
knowledge & cognition, communication, language, and literacy in
Alaska's early education students.
8:50:`49 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT asked about the early learning landscape
in Petersburg.
MS. FRY answered that Petersburg needs a more holistic early
learning program and said that the PSG is "extremely thankful"
that its early learning programs were available to its students.
8:54:37 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EISCHEID asked why the application for Alaska
Reads Act funding is so arduous and asked if there could be any
way to reduce the amount of man hours spend writing that
application.
8:55:50 AM
DEBORAH RIDDLE, Operations Manager, Division of Innovation &
Education Excellence, Department of Education & Early
Development, answered committee questions on HB 183. She
explained that new legislation passed in the previous
legislative session mandated a new set of accountability
standards and said that administrative staff within the DEED has
been working to assist school districts in creating Alaska Reads
Act grant applications.
8:59:55 AM
BECKY MOREN, Early Learning Administrator, Department of
Education & Early Development, answered committee questions on
HB 183. She explained that the policy proposal of HB 183 would
change two standards of grant application in the next fiscal
year.
9:01:44 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked Ms. Moren to further detail the two
proposed changes in HB 183.
MS. MOREN answered that legislation before the committee put
forward two proposed changes to the dual language learner
standard and the early childhood mental health consultant
standard.
9:06:07 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT asked how many school districts in Alaska
have received early education funding or are on a conditional
funding status and asked how a school might start an early
education program if it is to hear the results of its grant
application on September of the given year.
MS. MORAN explained that the Alaska Reads Act grant is a one-
time application that stands for three years once the
application approved. She answered that 12 school districts
have requested application forms and explained that the
September 1 notification date of early education funding for the
same year is statutory.
9:14:41 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE asked Ms. Moren to describe the existing
accountability standards in place related to Alaska Reads Act
Funding and asked if early education program grants would be
"discontinued if they were not successful".
MS. MOREN answered that value and criteria of accountability
practices lie within academic testing standards and explained
that early education program grants would stay in place as long
as legislation determines so.
9:19:58 AM
MS. RIDDLE added "when we talk about accountability, there's a
lot of accountability" and explained how the grant applicants
work to meet the standards of accountability outlined by the
early education program grant, such as monthly meetings, early
learning progress data, and check-ins with the DEED.
9:23:31 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY gave wrap-up comments on HB 183 and thanked the
committee for hearing the proposed legislation.
HB 12-FREE BREAKFAST & LUNCH IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
9:24:33 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT announced that the final order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 12, "An Act relating to free breakfast
and lunch in public schools."
9:24:57 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MAXINE DIBERT, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented HB 12 to the committee. She briefly remarked
that HB 12 would allow for students in Alaska to have access to
free meals within its public schools.
9:26:15 AM
DR. LISA PARADY, Executive Director, Alaska Council of School
Administrators, gave invited testimony on HB 12. She emphasized
how the advancement of the proposed legislation would lead to
enhanced academic performance, student behavior, and a lowered
stigma towards reduced rate or fully subsidized school meals.
She pointed to surveys conducted in 27 school districts in
Alaska by the Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA)
that found that 21 school districts in Alaska use their general
fund dollars to fund its food programs and emphasized the higher
cost of food and services in rural school districts in Alaska.
She said that adequate state or federal support would be
necessary to pay for what a school district's general fund might
not be able to.
9:34:49 AM
RACHAEL MILLER, Chief Advocacy Officer, Foodbank of Alaska, gave
invited testimony on HB 12. She emphasized that one in six
children in Alaska experience hunger and highlighted how
universal school meals could be a powerful tool to address
malnutrition in Alaska's children. She pointed to the state's
commitment to a viable public school system as evidence for the
necessity of free school meals and said that the meals proposed
by HB 12 would boost academic performance, decrease chronic
absenteeism, improve student behavior, and contribute to the
economic relief of families.
9:41:24 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT opened public testimony on HB 12.
9:42:01 AM
RACHEL LORD, Advocacy & Policy Director, Alaska Food Policy
Council, testified in support of HB 12. She shared how the
Homer Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) would put on a pancake
breakfast during statewide testing days, of which resulted in
nearly zero students being late to school during those days.
She emphasized the benefits of HB 12 and urged the committee's
support of the proposed legislation.
9:44:14 AM
LEAH WOOLARD, representing self, testified in support of HB 12.
She pointed to recent years where her children could receive
free school meals and emphasized their outsized impact on her
children and family as a whole.
9:45:49 AM
EVELYNN TREFON, representing self, testified in support of HB
12. She shared that the cost of living in Newhalen has
skyrocketed in the past few years and stressed how universal
school meals could work to alleviate costs to already burdened
families in rural Alaska.
9:48:42 AM
TOM KLAAMEYER, President, NEA Alaska, testified in support of HB
12. He emphasized the National Education Association of
Alaska's strong support for HB 12 and said that he has witnessed
firsthand the impact that hunger has on schoolchildren. He said
that hunger leads to behavioral issues, learning issues, and
emotional issues in children and spoke to the need for the free
meals to be free of stigma.
9:51:11 AM
SUNNY GERAGHTY, representing self, testified in support of HB
12. She said that food security is an "incredibly important
fact of life" and urged the committee's support HB 12.
9:52:03 AM
DANIEL PARKS, General Manager, Southeast Alaska Food Bank,
testified in support of HB 12. He said that the Southeast
Alaska Food Bank helps to feed many families each week, which
include about 100-150 kids. He echoed the previous testifier's
remark that passing HB 12 would be an "investment in Alaska's
future" and urged the committee's support of HB 12.
9:54:24 AM
CHARITY BLANCHETT, CEO, Dipping Spoon, testified in support of
HB 12. She said that indigenous youth in Alaska have
historically been forced to eat highly processed and
malnutritious meals and emphasized how HB 12 could be used as an
avenue of decolonization.
9:56:24 AM
IRENE BOLL, representing self, testified in support of HB 12.
She explained how the burden of food debt places a major stress
on families in Alaska and said that the passing of the proposed
legislation would end a great deal of worry for many families
working to pay for their children's school meals.
9:58:13 AM
DEBORAH BENNETT, representing self, testified in support of HB
12. She explained that the proposed policies of HB 12 & their
associated benefits are "well established" and urged the
committee's support of HB 12.
9:59:23 AM
BERNIE HOFFMAN, representing self, testified in support of HB
12. She said that the Alaska State Legislature must "reach out
and do whatever it can" to help the next generation of Alaskans.
10:01:12 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT, after ascertaining that there was no one
else who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 12.
10:01:45 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 10:01 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 174 Bill A.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 174 |
| HB 174 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 174 |
| HB 174 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 174 |
| HB 174 Fiscal Note OMB #2737.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 174 |
| HB 174 H EDC presentation 4.22.25.pdf |
HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 174 |
| HB 183 A.pdf |
HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 183 |
| HB 183 Sponsor Statement Version A..pdf |
HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 183 |
| HB 183 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 183 |
| HB 183 FN 4.21.25 Foundation Progm #141.pdf |
HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 183 |
| HB 183 FN 4.21.25 Pub Ed Fund #2804.pdf |
HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 183 |
| HB 183 Article. InBrief-Science-of-Early-Childhood-Dev, Harvard 3.17.2007.pdf |
HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 183 |
| HB 183 Article: Child Care & Early Learning AK First 5 Years Fund 2024 Factsheet.pdf |
HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 183 |
| HB 183 Invited Testimony, Evidence of Pre-K Impacts Weiland-Berne, Univ Michigan.pdf |
HEDC 4/23/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 183 |
| DEED Resp. to Q at HEDC 4.28.25 Meeting.pdf |
HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
|
| HB 12 Version A. 02.18.25.pdf |
HEDC 2/24/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 12 |
| HB 12 Sponsor Statement 02.18.25.pdf |
HEDC 2/24/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 12 |
| HB 12 Sectional Analysis - Version A. 02.18.25.pdf |
HEDC 2/24/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 12 |
| HB 12 Fiscal Note DEED 2-20-25.pdf |
HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
|
| HB 12 Letters of Support x8.pdf |
HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 12 |
| HB 12 Research - Food Research Action Center 04.23.pdf |
HEDC 2/24/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 12 |
| HB 12 Research - School Lunch Quality and Academic Performance 03.17.17.pdf |
HEDC 2/24/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 12 |
| HB 12 Research - School Nutrition and Student Dicipline Effects of School Wide Free meals 09.18.pdf |
HEDC 2/24/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 12 |
| HB 12 Article KDLG Lake &Peninsula SD cut school meal pgm Jan'25,10.28.24.pdf |
HEDC 2/24/2025 8:00:00 AM HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 12 |
| HB 12 LOS A2P2 5.7.25.pdf |
HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 12 |
| HB 183 Invited Testimony of Heather Conn Prin P'burg SD 4.28.25.pdf |
HEDC 4/28/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 183 |