Legislature(2013 - 2014)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/25/2013 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB82 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 82 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 25, 2013
8:01 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair
Senator Bert Stedman
Senator Charlie Huggins
Senator Berta Gardner
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Mike Dunleavy, Vice Chair
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 82
"An Act providing for public school funding for
telecommunications or Internet services."
- HEARD AND HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 82
SHORT TITLE: BROADBAND DISCOUNTS FOR SCHOOLS
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) OLSON
03/19/13 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/19/13 (S) EDC, FIN
03/25/13 (S) EDC AT 8:00 AM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
WITNESS REGISTER
DAVID SCOTT, Staff
Senator Donny Olson
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented information on SB 82 on behalf of
the sponsor.
EVA KINNEEVEAUK, School Board Member
North Slope Borough School District
Point Hope, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 82.
ARNOLD BROWER, JR., School Board Member
North Slope Borough School District
Barrow, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 82.
STEVE NOONKESSER, Technology Coordinator
Southwest Region Schools
Dillingham, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 82.
PEGGY COWAN, Superintendent
North Star Borough School District
Barrow, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 82.
WASSILLIE GUST
Southwest Regional School District
New Stuyahok, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 82.
PAM LLOYD, representing herself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 82.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:01:17 AM
CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:01 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Gardner, Stedman, and Chair Stevens.
SB 82-BROADBAND DISCOUNTS FOR SCHOOLS
8:01:38 AM
CHAIR STEVENS announced that the only order of business would be
SB 82.
DAVID SCOTT, Staff, Senator Donny Olson, Alaska State
Legislature, presented SB 82 on behalf of the sponsor. He
related that the intent of the bill is to have the state pick up
the local share of broadband that is not covered under the
current federal E-Rate Program. The E-Rate Program picks up
anywhere from 20 percent to 90 percent of all modern
telecommunications - internet - for schools.
8:02:23 AM
CHAIR STEVENS announced the arrival of Senator Huggins.
He asked if E-Rate applies to all districts.
MR. SCOTT explained that it affects most districts. He referred
to a list that shows which districts qualify, including
Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and many rural school districts.
MR. SCOTT continued to explain SB 82. He addressed the 200
megabyte cap explained on page 1, line 9. He said the reason for
the cap is to prevent "gaming the system." He noted that the
fiscal note is indeterminate. The sponsor will work with the
Department of Health and Social Services on a more narrowly
defined fiscal note.
8:04:29 AM
CHAIR STEVENS requested a clear fiscal note prior to moving the
bill out of committee.
MR. SCOTT agreed.
8:05:21 AM
EVA KINNEEVEAUK, School Board Member, North Slope Borough School
District, addressed the positive impact of internet services on
the district. She testified in support of higher speed
connectivity for their region.
8:11:13 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked about Ms. Kinneeveauk's connection with
education.
MS. KINNEEVEAUK said she was a school board member. She invited
committee members to visit the villages.
8:12:25 AM
ARNOLD BROWER, JR., School Board Member, North Slope Borough
School District, testified in support of SB 82. He agreed with
the former speaker's testimony and spoke of the advantages of
having broadband services in remote communities.
8:14:51 AM
STEVE NOONKESSER, Technology Coordinator, Southwest Region
Schools, spoke in support of SB 82. He spoke of the issue of
equity in rural Alaska and how technology lags behind. The
current problem is lack of enough bandwidth and the cost to buy
more. Adequate bandwidth will be required for new online
standards-based assessment.
8:19:09 AM
PEGGY COWAN, Superintendent, North Star Borough School District,
testified in support of SB 82. She thanked Senator Olson for
sponsoring the bill. She said she believes that every district
in the state gets E-Rate, both rural and urban. She agreed that
broadband availability is an equity issue. She noted the intent
of the bill was to have the state pick up the local match for
the E-Rate.
She spoke of other financial challenges districts are facing.
She pointed out that the bill would result in districts being
able to leverage federal money.
8:21:19 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked if the local match comes out of the
district's budget.
MS. COWAN said yes. It comes out of the general fund for
telephone bills, internet, and email services.
CHAIR STEVENS asked what the North Star Borough School
District's costs have been for the match.
MS. COWAN replied that internet service costs were $540,000 this
year.
8:22:32 AM
WASSILLIE GUST, Southwest Regional School District, testified in
support of SB 82. He pointed out that most internet services in
the villages are located only in the schools. Expanding
broadband services would benefit the communities, as well as the
schools.
8:24:51 AM
SENATOR GARDNER noted that schools are closed in the summer and
libraries and gyms are not available to local communities. She
asked if that was true in New Stuyahok.
MR. GUST said when the schools shut down the community must rely
on local offices for internet access.
8:26:00 AM
SENATOR GARDNER stressed the importance of the internet when
doing taxes.
CHAIR STEVENS agreed.
8:27:26 AM
PAM LLOYD, representing herself, testified in support of SB 82.
She spoke of research she did regarding online resources in
rural schools. She described the technological inequities in
rural Alaska.
8:29:55 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked if SB 82 would provide any financial
benefits for Anchorage schools.
MS. LLOYD answered yes. She noted that she was the technology
coordinator for the Anchorage School District six years ago. At
that time, the E-Rate match was about $1 million per year. Every
district in Alaska receives some E-Rate funding, depending on
the level of poverty - free and reduced lunches.
CHAIR STEVENS held SB 82 in committee. He noted the committee
would await a new fiscal note before passing the bill out of
committee.
8:31:17 AM
There being no further business to come before the Senate
Education Standing Committee, Chair Stevens adjourned the
meeting at 8:31 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 03252013_SB82 - Erate share & total cost.PDF |
SEDC 3/25/2013 8:00:00 AM |
SB 82 |
| 03252013_SB82_BillText_VersionN.PDF |
SEDC 3/25/2013 8:00:00 AM |
SB 82 |
| 03252013_SB82_2012-2013 Title I Schools Simple List.pdf |
SEDC 3/25/2013 8:00:00 AM |
SB 82 |
| 03252013_SB82_Erate brief.PDF |
SEDC 3/25/2013 8:00:00 AM |
SB 82 |
| 03252013_SB82_FiscalNote.pdf |
SEDC 3/25/2013 8:00:00 AM |
SB 82 |
| 03252013_SB82_LegislativeResearch_Erate section.pdf |
SEDC 3/25/2013 8:00:00 AM |
SB 82 |