00 HOUSE BILL NO. 395                                                                                                    
01 "An Act imposing a maximum pupil-teacher ratio in public schools; and providing                                         
02 for an effective date."                                                                                                 
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04    * Section 1.  AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                 
05  Sec. 14.03.065.  Maximum effective class size.  (a)  In a public school class,                                      
06 other than an art, library, music, computer science, vocational-technical, or physical                                  
07 education class, the ratio of pupils to a teacher may not exceed 18 to one in a class in                                
08 grades kindergarten through three, 20 to one in a class in grades four through six, and                                 
09 25 to one in a class in grades seven through 12.                                                                        
10  (b)  The pupil-teacher ratio required under this section does not apply                                               
11   (1)  during the final eight weeks of each school year; or                                                            
12   (2)  in a fiscal year in which the legislature has not appropriated                                                  
13 sufficient money to implement the requirements of this section.                                                         
14  (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in implementing the                                                  
01 requirements of (a) of this section a governing body may                                                                
02   (1)  alter the length of the school day or school year;                                                              
03   (2)  provide additional classrooms in publicly or privately owned                                                    
04 buildings that satisfy health and safety requirements for schools;                                                      
05   (3)  seek additional public or private funding for education in the school                                           
06 district; or                                                                                                            
07   (4)  implement changes to the education program in the district that are                                             
08 approved by the department.                                                                                             
09  (d)  A district shall annually report to the department the district's ratio of                                       
10 pupils to a teacher in each class if the district is required to meet the ratio set out in                              
11 (a) of this section.  The ratio reported shall be the average of the daily ratio taken over                             
12 the same period in October used to determine average daily membership under                                             
13 AS 14.17.600.                                                                                                           
14  (e)  In this section, "teacher" means a person who is certified under                                                 
15 AS 14.20.020 and who is an actual classroom teacher in a regular instructional                                          
16 program.                                                                                                                
17    * Sec. 2.  The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section                            
18 to read:                                                                                                                
19  TRANSITION.  Before July 1, 2003, notwithstanding AS 14.03.065, enacted in sec. 1                                      
20 of this Act, the ratio of pupils to a teacher in a class may be higher than the ratio required                          
21 under AS 14.03.065, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, if the actual number of pupils in the                                
22 present class has declined by two or more when compared to pupils in the same class and                                 
23 grade in the previous school year.                                                                                      
24    * Sec. 3.  This Act takes effect July 1, 2000.