HB 302: "An Act relating to a maximum pupil-teacher ratio in public schools; relating to duties of school boards; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 302 01 "An Act relating to a maximum pupil-teacher ratio in public schools; relating to duties 02 of school boards; and providing 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, honors-level, 07 or physical education class, the ratio of pupils to a teacher may not exceed 18 to one in 08 a class in grades kindergarten through six, and 23 to one in a class in grades seven 09 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; 12 (2) during a fiscal year in which the governing body determines in 13 writing that the legislature has not appropriated sufficient money to implement the 14 requirements of this section; a decision of a governing body under this paragraph is
01 final and may not be appealed to the superior court; 02 (3) to classroom space in a school district that exists on the effective 03 date of this Act and that is not large enough to accommodate the ratios specified under 04 (a) of this section; or 05 (4) if the governing body determines in writing that compliance with 06 the ratios under (a) of this section would hinder the ability of the district to best 07 educate its pupils, given available funding. 08 (c) A district shall 09 (1) annually report to the department the district's ratio of pupils to a 10 teacher in each grade; the ratio reported shall be the average of the daily ratio taken 11 over the same period in October that is used to determine average daily membership 12 under AS 14.17.600; and 13 (2) by February 1 of each year, provide written notice to each student's 14 parent or guardian of the average class size goals of this section and the actual average 15 class size for each grade at each school in the district; the district shall determine what 16 day or days shall be used to calculate the actual average class size information 17 required under this paragraph; the notice required under this paragraph may be 18 provided by mail to a student's parent or guardian, or by delivery to a student. 19 (d) In this section, 20 (1) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 21 (2) "teacher" means a person who is certified under AS 14.20.020 and 22 who is an actual classroom teacher in a regular instructional program. 23 * Sec. 2. AS 14.14.090 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 24 (11) design school construction projects in order to comply with the 25 pupil-teacher ratios required under AS 14.03.065; this paragraph does not preclude a 26 school board from designing school construction projects to accommodate larger class 27 sizes. 28 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 29 read: 30 TRANSITION. Before July 1, 2006, notwithstanding AS 14.03.065, enacted in sec. 1 31 of this Act, the ratio of pupils to a teacher in a class may be higher than the ratio required
01 under AS 14.03.065, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, if the actual number of pupils in the present 02 class has declined by two or more when compared to pupils in the same class and grade in the 03 previous school year. 04 * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 05 read: 06 APPLICABILITY. Section 2 of this Act 07 (1) applies to all public schools designed on or after July 1, 2006; and 08 (2) does not require alteration or renovation of public schools or classrooms 09 that were designed on or before the effective date of this Act and does not require alteration to 10 the design or construction of schools that are completed before July 1, 2006. 11 * Sec. 5. This Act takes effect July 1, 2003.