HB 208: "An Act relating to targeted funding for low-performing public schools."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 208 01 "An Act relating to targeted funding for low-performing public schools." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 04 Sec. 14.03.127. Targeted resource expenditures by district. (a) The 05 department shall devise a system to identify, approve, and monitor targeted resource 06 expenditures of funds provided under AS 14.17.420(a)(1)(A) and (B) for low- 07 performing school districts. The system must include a current list of approved 08 targeted resource expenditures by a district, created in consultation with the University 09 of Alaska and districts, which may include incentives, tutors, mentors, technology, 10 longer school days, and cultural programs. 11 (b) A school district that is designated as low-performing under 12 AS 14.03.123(a) may apply an enhanced special needs funding factor if the 13 department has assigned to the district an average yearly progress score as a measure 14 of student improvement under AS 14.03.123(f) of 85 or lower, and, 15 (1) for a funding factor under AS 14.17.420(a)(1)(A), 50 percent or
01 more of students who attend school, other than an alternative school, in the district 02 received, in the previous school year, a below proficient score on the state's standards- 03 based assessments in two or more subjects tested; 04 (2) for a funding factor under AS 14.17.420(a)(1)(B), 50 percent or 05 more of students who attend school, other than an alternative school, in the district 06 received, in the previous school year, a below proficient score on the state's standards- 07 based assessments in only one subject. 08 (c) In this section, "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990. 09 * Sec. 2. AS 14.17.420(a) is amended to read: 10 (a) As a component of public school funding, a district is eligible for special 11 needs funding and may be eligible for intensive services funding as follows: 12 (1) special needs funding is available to a district to assist the district 13 in providing special education, gifted and talented education, vocational education, 14 targeted resources, and bilingual education services to its students; a special needs 15 funding factor [OF 1.20] shall be applied as set out in AS 14.17.410(b)(1) as follows: 16 (A) for a low-performing district, as determined under 17 AS 14.03.127(b)(1), a funding factor of 1.30; 18 (B) for a low-performing district, as determined under 19 AS 14.03.127(b)(2), a funding factor of 1.25; 20 (C) for a district that is not a low-performing district under 21 AS 14.03.127(b), a funding factor of 1.20; 22 (2) in addition to the special needs funding for which a district is 23 eligible under (1) of this subsection, a district is eligible for intensive services funding 24 for each special education student who needs and receives intensive services and is 25 enrolled on the last day of the count period; for each such student, intensive services 26 funding is equal to the intensive student count multiplied by 13. 27 * Sec. 3. AS 14.17.420 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 28 (d) A district shall apply the difference in special needs funding received as a 29 result of a funding factor above 1.20 under (a)(1)(A) or (B) of this section to targeted 30 resources as provided under AS 14.03.127.