02/02/2009 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION

                   ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                   
              SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                       February 2, 2009                                                                                         
                           8:02 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kim Elton, Chair                                                                                                        
Senator Bettye Davis, Vice Chair                                                                                                
Senator Charlie Huggins                                                                                                         
Senator Donald Olson                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Gary Stevens                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 57                                                                                                              
"An Act relating to charter school funding."                                                                                    
     MOVED SB 57 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SB  57                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: CHARTER SCHOOL FUNDING                                                                                             
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) THOMAS                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
01/21/09       (S)       PREFILE RELEASED 1/16/09                                                                               

01/21/09       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        

01/21/09       (S)       EDC, FIN                                                                                               

01/29/09       (S)       EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205                                                                           

01/29/09       (S)       Heard & Held                                                                                           

01/29/09       (S)       MINUTE(EDC)                                                                                            
02/02/09       (S)       EDC AT 8:00 AM BELTZ 211                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS                                                                                                                  
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, AK                                                                                                                      
POSITION STATEMENT: As sponsor, answered questions about the SB
 funding calculations.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:02:31 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR ELTON called  the meeting to order at  8:02:31 AM. Present                                                                
at the  call to  order were  Senators Huggins, Olson,  Elton and                                                                
Davis.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                 SB  57-CHARTER SCHOOL FUNDING                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:03:26 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  ELTON announced  the  consideration of  SB  57. He  asked                                                                
Brenda  Taylor  of  the   Juneau  Community  Charter  School  to                                                                
introduce  the three  students  in  attendance. They  are:  Clem                                                                
Taylor-Roth,  Abigail  Taylor-Roth  and  Madeline  Handley  from                                                                
Juneau, AK.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:04:04 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR OLSON  asked Senator  Thomashow he  arrived at  the 1.18                                                                
percentage calculation.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THOMAS, sponsor  of  SB 57,  answered  that  it was  an                                                                
arbitrary number arrived at through discussion and compromise.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  OLSON asked  if he  is sure  that will  be  an adequate                                                                
amount.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS  said no  doubt the schools  would like  a larger                                                                
number, but  they tried to get  1.27 through last year  and were                                                                
unable to do so.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HUGGINS  asked if  Senator Olson would  be working  on a                                                                
broader scope of  issues including facilities, as  it appears to                                                                
him there are other major issues facing charter schools.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:07:33 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR OLSON  responded that doubtless there  are other issues,                                                                
but he wanted to get this matter taken care of first.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ELTON  commented that Senator  Thomas has been  stellar in                                                                
his support of education for the past couple of years.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS moved  to report SB 57, Version  E, from committee                                                                
with  individual recommendations  and  attached fiscal  note(s).                                                                
There being no objection, SB 57 moved from committee.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:10:22 AM                                                                                                                    
There being  no further business  to come before  the committee,                                                                
Chair Elton adjourned the meeting at 8:10:22 AM.