00                             HOUSE BILL NO. 30                                                                          
01 "An Act imposing a maximum pupil-teacher ratio in public schools; and providing for                                     
02 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                                     
06       school 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 (a)                    
11       of this section.  The ratio reported shall be the average of the daily ratio taken over the                       
12       same period in October that is 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 to                         
18 read:                                                                                                                   
19       TRANSITION.  Before July 1, 2004, 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 present                        
22 class has declined by two or more when compared to pupils in the same class and grade in the                            
23 previous school year.                                                                                                   
24    * Sec. 3.  This Act takes effect July 1, 2001.