SCS CSHB 57(FIN) am S: "An Act relating to maximum classroom sizes in public schools; relating to education reports; relating to charter schools; relating to student transportation funding; relating to secondary school vocational and technical instruction funding; relating to the base student allocation; relating to reading proficiency incentive grants; relating to wireless telecommunications devices in public schools; relating to the use of tax revenue from highly digitized businesses; relating to the duties of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development; establishing the Task Force on Education Funding; and providing for an effective date."
00 SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 57(FIN) am S 01 "An Act relating to maximum classroom sizes in public schools; relating to education 02 reports; relating to charter schools; relating to student transportation funding; relating 03 to secondary school vocational and technical instruction funding; relating to the base 04 student allocation; relating to reading proficiency incentive grants; relating to wireless 05 telecommunications devices in public schools; relating to the use of tax revenue from 06 highly digitized businesses; relating to the duties of the Department of Labor and 07 Workforce Development; establishing the Task Force on Education Funding; and 08 providing for an effective date." 09 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 10 * Section 1. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 11 Sec. 14.03.065. Maximum classroom size. Each school district shall establish 12 and make available to the public a target average class size policy for each grade level.
01 The target average class size for pre-kindergarten through grade six may not exceed 23 02 and the target average class size for grades seven through 12 may not exceed 30. The 03 policy may exclude mixed grade classes and courses in art, library, music, computer 04 science, vocational-technical, and physical education. The policy must include 05 procedures to reduce class sizes when the school district determines a reduction is 06 appropriate. 07 * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.120(g) is amended to read: 08 (g) To the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws, each district 09 shall annually report to the department information from the previous school year 10 regarding 11 (1) the number of students and teaching staff assigned to each 12 classroom in grades kindergarten through 12 [THREE]; 13 (2) the number and percentage of students 14 (A) in grades kindergarten through three who demonstrated 15 improvement on expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening tool; 16 (B) in grades kindergarten through three who performed below 17 expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening tool, by grade; 18 (C) in grades kindergarten through three who did not progress 19 to the next grade and the reasons the students did not progress; 20 (D) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to 21 progress to grade four based on the statewide screening tool; 22 (E) in grade three who progressed to grade four based on a 23 waiver under AS 14.30.765(f); 24 (F) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to 25 progress to grade four based on an alternative standardized reading screening; 26 (G) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to 27 progress to grade four based on a student reading portfolio; 28 (3) the performance on the statewide screening tool of students in a 29 grade above grade three who did not progress to grade four or who progressed to grade 30 four based on a waiver under AS 14.30.765(f). 31 * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.120 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
01 (k) The department shall collaborate with the Department of Labor and 02 Workforce Development under AS 44.31.020 to gather data on the progress of each 03 high school graduating class in a district by collecting career, postsecondary 04 education, and residency data on each student in the graduating class. The departments 05 shall gather the data every five years for 20 years after the high school graduation date 06 of the class. 07 * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.250(a) is amended to read: 08 (a) A local school board shall prescribe an application procedure for the 09 establishment of a charter school in that school district. The application procedure 10 must include provisions for an academic policy committee consisting of parents of 11 students attending the school, teachers, and school employees and a proposed form for 12 a contract between a charter school and the local school board, setting out the contract 13 elements required under AS 14.03.255(c). The application procedure must allow an 14 application to be submitted at any time during a school year for the following 15 school year. A local school board shall announce the deadline to submit an 16 application for establishment of a charter school for the following school year. 17 * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.253(b) is amended to read: 18 (b) In an appeal to the state Board of Education and Early Development of a 19 denial of a charter school application under (a)(3) of this section, the state board shall 20 determine, based on the record, whether the commissioner's findings are supported by 21 substantial evidence and whether the decision is contrary to law. The state board shall 22 issue a written decision within 45 [90] days after the state board receives an appeal. 23 * Sec. 6. AS 14.03.255(c) is amended to read: 24 (c) A charter school shall operate under a contract between the charter school 25 and the local school board. A contract must contain the following provisions: 26 (1) a description of the educational program; 27 (2) specific levels of achievement for the education program; 28 (3) admission policies and procedures; 29 (4) administrative policies; 30 (5) a statement of the charter school's funding allocation from the local 31 school board and costs assignable to the charter school program budget;
01 (6) the method by which the charter school will account for receipts 02 and expenditures; 03 (7) the location and description of the facility; 04 (8) the name of the teacher, or teachers, who, by agreement between 05 the charter school and the teacher, will teach in the charter school; 06 (9) the teacher-to-student ratio; 07 (10) the number of students served; 08 (11) the term of the contract, not to exceed a term of 10 years; 09 (12) a termination clause providing that the contract may be terminated 10 by the local school board for the failure of the charter school to meet educational 11 achievement goals or fiscal management standards, or for other good cause; 12 (13) a clause providing that the local school board may only 13 terminate a contract under the standards and procedures established in 14 AS 14.03.256; 15 (14) a statement that the charter school will comply with all state and 16 federal requirements for receipt and use of public money; 17 (15) [(14)] other requirements or exemptions agreed on [UPON] by the charter school 18 and the local school board. 19 * Sec. 7. AS 14.03.255 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 20 (e) A local school board may establish simplified procedures and standards for 21 a renewal of a contract in good standing, as defined by the local school board, between 22 the local school board and a charter school. 23 * Sec. 8. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 24 Sec. 14.03.256. Charter school termination. (a) A local school board may 25 terminate a contract between the local school board and a charter school only if the 26 charter school has 27 (1) failed to comply with a condition or material term of the contract or 28 AS 14.03.250 - 14.03.290; or 29 (2) intentionally or fraudulently misrepresented, in whole or in part, 30 material facts or circumstances upon which the contract was made. 31 (b) Before termination of a contract under this section, the local school board
01 shall give the charter school written notice of the local school board's intent to 02 terminate the contract. The local school board may also provide the charter school 03 with a reasonable opportunity, as determined by the local school board, to cure any 04 deficiency that is the basis for the termination if the local school board determines that 05 curing the deficiency is appropriate under the circumstances. 06 (c) A charter school whose contract is terminated under this section may file 07 an appeal with the superior court under the Alaska Rules of Appellate Procedure. 08 * Sec. 9. AS 14.09.010(a) is repealed and reenacted to read: 09 (a) A school district that provides student transportation services for the 10 transportation of students who reside a distance from established schools is eligible to 11 receive funding for operating or subcontracting the operation of the transportation 12 system for students to and from the schools within the student's transportation service 13 area. Subject to appropriation, the amount of funding provided by the state for 14 operating the student transportation system is the amount of a school district's ADM, 15 less the ADM for the district's correspondence programs during the current fiscal year, 16 multiplied by the per student amount for the school district as follows, for the school 17 years beginning July 1, 2025: 18 DISTRICT PER STUDENT AMOUNT 19 Alaska Gateway $2,529 20 Aleutians East 377 21 Anchorage 529 22 Annette Island 221 23 Bering Strait 59 24 Bristol Bay 3,247 25 Chatham 341 26 Copper River 1,928 27 Cordova 408 28 Craig 514 29 Delta/Greely 2,013 30 Denali 2,197 31 Dillingham 1,480
01 Fairbanks 992 02 Galena 309 03 Haines 761 04 Hoonah 363 05 Iditarod 257 06 Juneau 733 07 Kake 330 08 Kashunamiut 6 09 Kenai Peninsula 1,112 10 Ketchikan 883 11 Klawock 710 12 Kodiak Island 971 13 Kuspuk 794 14 Lake and Peninsula 466 15 Lower Kuskokwim 337 16 Lower Yukon 1 17 Matanuska-Susitna 1,106 18 Nenana 714 19 Nome 755 20 North Slope 1,361 21 Northwest Arctic 30 22 Pelican 88 23 Petersburg 455 24 Saint Mary's 234 25 Sitka 520 26 Skagway 44 27 Southeast Island 1,404 28 Southwest Region 726 29 Unalaska 788 30 Valdez 894 31 Wrangell 851
01 Yakutat 904 02 Yukon Flats 321 03 Yukon/Koyukuk 364 04 Yupiit 2 05 * Sec. 10. AS 14.17.420(a) is amended to read: 06 (a) As a component of public school funding, a district is eligible for special 07 needs and secondary school vocational and technical instruction funding and may be 08 eligible for intensive services funding as follows: 09 (1) special needs funding is available to a district to assist the district 10 in providing special education, gifted and talented education, vocational education, 11 and bilingual education services to its students; a special needs funding factor of 1.20 12 shall be applied as set out in AS 14.17.410(b)(1); 13 (2) in addition to the special needs funding for which a district is 14 eligible under (1) of this subsection, a district is eligible for intensive services funding 15 for each special education student who needs and receives intensive services and is 16 enrolled on the last day of the count period; for each such student, intensive services 17 funding is equal to the intensive student count multiplied by 13; 18 (3) in addition to the special needs and intensive services funding 19 available under (1) and (2) of this subsection, secondary school vocational and 20 technical instruction funding is available to assist districts in providing vocational and 21 technical instruction to students who are enrolled in a secondary school; a secondary 22 school vocational and technical instruction funding factor of 1.023 [1.015] shall be 23 applied as set out in AS 14.17.410(b)(1); in this paragraph, "vocational and technical 24 instruction" excludes costs associated with 25 (A) administrative expenses; and 26 (B) instruction in general literacy, mathematics, and job 27 readiness skills. 28 * Sec. 11. AS 14.17.420 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 29 (d) If the legislature increases the secondary school vocational and technical 30 instruction funding factor under (a)(3) of this section, a district shall budget for and 31 spend on secondary school vocational and technical instruction an amount equal to the
01 increase in the funds generated for the district by the increase to the secondary school 02 vocational and technical instruction funding factor under (a)(3) of this section. 03 * Sec. 12. AS 14.17.470 is amended to read: 04 Sec. 14.17.470. Base student allocation. The base student allocation is $6,660 05 [$5,960]. 06 * Sec. 13. AS 14.30 is amended by adding a new section to read: 07 Sec. 14.30.773. Reading proficiency incentive grants. (a) Subject to 08 appropriation, a school district is eligible to receive a reading proficiency incentive 09 grant of not less than $450 for each student in kindergarten through grade six who, at 10 the end of the school year, 11 (1) performs at grade-level reading proficiency; or 12 (2) demonstrates improvement on a reading screening tool approved 13 by the department, on a standards-based assessment in language arts approved by the 14 department, or on a student portfolio in language arts approved by the department. 15 (b) If insufficient funding is appropriated to provide all grants authorized 16 under this section, the grants shall be distributed pro rata to eligible school districts. 17 * Sec. 14. AS 14.33 is amended by adding a new section to read: 18 Article 5. Wireless Telecommunications Devices. 19 Sec. 14.33.300. Wireless telecommunications device policy. (a) Each school 20 district shall adopt a policy that regulates the possession and use of nonschool-issued 21 wireless telecommunications devices during regular school hours, including lunch and 22 passing periods. Each school district shall share this policy with parents or guardians, 23 students, volunteers, and school employees. If a school district's policy prohibits the 24 use of nonschool-issued wireless telecommunications devices, the policy must allow 25 exceptions for students to use a wireless telecommunications device for medical or 26 translation purposes, in the event of an emergency, or when a teacher or administrator 27 of the school grants permission to a student to use a wireless telecommunications 28 device for educational purposes. A school in a district that has not adopted a policy 29 under this section may not allow a student to use an electronic telecommunications 30 device during regular school hours, including lunch and passing periods. 31 (b) This section does not authorize a person to monitor, collect, or access
01 information related to a student's use of a wireless telecommunications device. 02 (c) In this section, "wireless telecommunications device" means any portable 03 wireless device that has the capability to provide voice, messaging, or other data 04 communication between two or more parties. 05 * Sec. 15. AS 43.20 is amended by adding a new section to article 2 to read: 06 Sec. 43.20.149. Highly digitized businesses tax revenue. The amounts 07 collected under AS 43.20.148 shall be separately accounted for and shall be 08 appropriated to the Department of Education and Early Development. The Department 09 of Education and Early Development shall use funds appropriated under this section to 10 fund reading proficiency incentive grants awarded under AS 14.30.773. If the amount 11 appropriated to the Department of Education and Early Development exceeds the 12 amount necessary to award grants under AS 14.30.773 for the fiscal year, the 13 department shall use the remaining balance of the appropriation to fund secondary 14 school vocational and technical instruction. The department shall distribute the 15 secondary school vocational and technical instruction funding on a pro rata basis. 16 * Sec. 16. AS 44.31.020 is amended to read: 17 Sec. 44.31.020. Duties of department. The Department of Labor and 18 Workforce Development shall 19 (1) enforce the laws and adopt regulations under them concerning 20 employer-employee relationships, including the safety, hours of work, wages, and 21 conditions of workers, including children; 22 (2) accumulate, analyze, and report labor statistics; 23 (3) operate systems of workers' compensation and unemployment 24 insurance; 25 (4) gather data reflecting the cost of living in various locations of the 26 state upon request of the director of personnel under AS 39.27.030; 27 (5) operate the federally funded employment and training programs 28 under 29 U.S.C. 2801 - 2945 (Workforce Investment Act of 1998); 29 (6) administer the state's program of adult basic education and adopt 30 regulations to administer the program; and 31 (7) administer the programs of the Alaska Vocational Technical Center
01 and adopt regulations to administer the programs, including regulations that set rates 02 for student tuition and room and board and fees for the programs and services 03 provided by the department regarding the Alaska Vocational Technical Center; 04 (8) gather data on the progress of each high school graduating 05 class in a district by collecting career, postsecondary education, and residency 06 data on each student in the graduating class; the department shall gather the 07 data required under this paragraph every five years for 20 years after the high 08 school graduation date of each high school graduating class; the department shall 09 publish a biennial report on the data gathered under this paragraph; in this 10 paragraph, "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990. 11 * Sec. 17. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 12 read: 13 TASK FORCE ON EDUCATION FUNDING. (a) The Task Force on Education 14 Funding is established as a joint task force of the Alaska State Legislature. 15 (b) The task force shall 16 (1) analyze the state of public education funding and the current accountability 17 provisions for schools and districts in the state; 18 (2) analyze and recommend statewide policy on interdistrict open enrollment, 19 including evaluating the effects on military families, subsidization of student transportation 20 costs, and appeal processes; 21 (3) evaluate internal and external factors leading to school absenteeism and 22 identify district and state level intervention and incentive tools relating to school absenteeism; 23 (4) analyze and make recommendations on effective policies relating to school 24 major maintenance and school construction; 25 (5) evaluate and recommend health insurance, group insurance, and ways to 26 reduce property and building insurance for public school facilities; 27 (6) make recommendations relating to public education funding and 28 accountability provisions for schools and districts in the state; and 29 (7) submit a report of findings and recommendations of the task force to the 30 senate secretary and the chief clerk of the house of representatives not later than the first day 31 of the First Regular Session of the Thirty-Fifth Alaska State Legislature and notify the
01 members of the legislature that the report is available. 02 (c) The task force consists of six members as follows: 03 (1) three members of the senate, at least one of whom is a member of the 04 minority, appointed by the president of the senate; the president of the senate shall select one 05 of the members to serve as co-chair of the task force; 06 (2) three members of the house of representatives, at least one of whom is a 07 member of the minority, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; the speaker 08 of the house of representatives shall select one of the members to serve as co-chair of the task 09 force. 10 (d) A vacancy on the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original 11 selection or appointment. 12 (e) The task force shall meet at the call of the co-chairs. The task force may meet 13 between and during legislative sessions. A majority of the members of the task force 14 constitute a quorum. The task force may conduct meetings in person, telephonically, or by 15 electronic means, as directed by the co-chairs. 16 (f) The task force may request data and other information from the Department of 17 Education and Early Development. 18 (g) The legislative staff of the members of the task force shall serve as staff for the 19 task force. The task force may hire staff and contract for services necessary to carry out the 20 duties of the task force under the procedures adopted by the legislative council governing 21 procurement of services, subject to the approval of the legislative council and the legislative 22 council making funds available for that purpose. 23 (h) The task force expires on January 31, 2027. 24 * Sec. 18. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 25 read: 26 APPLICABILITY. (a) Sections 6 - 8 of this Act apply to a contract that becomes 27 legally binding on or after the effective date of this Act. 28 (b) Section 11 of this Act applies to an increase to the secondary school vocational 29 and technical instruction funding factor under AS 14.17.420(a)(3) that takes effect on or after 30 the effective date of sec. 11 of this Act. 31 * Sec. 19. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to
01 read: 02 CONDITIONAL EFFECT. AS 14.17.420(a), as amended by sec. 10 of this Act, 03 AS 14.17.420(d), enacted by sec. 11 of this Act, AS 14.30.773, enacted by sec. 13 of this Act, 04 and AS 43.20.149, enacted by sec. 15 of this Act, take effect only if Senate Bill 113 or a 05 substantially similar bill making highly digitized businesses subject to the Alaska Net Income 06 Tax Act is passed by the Thirty-Fourth Alaska State Legislature and enacted into law. 07 * Sec. 20. If secs. 10, 11, 13, and 15 of this Act take effect, they take effect July 1, 2025. 08 * Sec. 21. Section 1 of this Act takes effect July 1, 2026. 09 * Sec. 22. Except as provided in secs. 20 and 21 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 10 2025.