2025-08-02                     Senate Journal                      Page 1428
SB 1002                                                                                                                       
SENATE BILL NO. 1002 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                                              
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
          "An Act relating to demonstration state-tribal                                                                        
          education compacts; relating to demonstration state-                                                                  
          tribal education compact schools; and providing for                                                                   
          an effective date."                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the Education and Finance                                                               
Committees.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
The following fiscal information was published today:                                                                           
     Fiscal Note No. 1, zero, Department of Education and Early                                                                 
       Development                                                                                                              
     Fiscal Note No. 2, zero, Department of Education and Early                                                                 
       Development                                                                                                              
     Fiscal Note No. 3, Department of Education and Early                                                                       
       Development                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Governor’s transmittal letter dated August 1:                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Dear President Stevens:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of Article III, Section 18, of the Alaska                                                                   
Constitution, I am transmitting a bill establishing a pilot program for                                                         
demonstration State-Tribal Education Compact (STEC) schools.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senate Bill 34 (2022) directed the Department of Education and Early                                                            
Development (DEED) to negotiate a demonstration state-tribal                                                                    
education compact with federally recognized tribes and tribal                                                                   
organizations and to submit a report to the legislature relating to the                                                         
demonstration state-tribal education compact and state-tribal education                                                         

2025-08-02                     Senate Journal                      Page 1429
compact schools. On January 31, 2024, DEED submitted its State                                                                  
Tribal Education Compact Schools Demonstration Legislative Report,                                                              
based on its negotiations with five federally recognized tribes or tribal                                                       
organizations that applied to participate: Central Council of the Tlingit                                                       
and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, the Inupiat Community of the                                                                 
Arctic Slope, the Ketchikan Indian Community, the Knik Tribe, and                                                               
the King Island Native Community in partnership with the Village of                                                             
Solomon.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
This bill takes the next step in launching STEC schools in Alaska by                                                            
setting up a five-year pilot program for the five participating tribes and                                                      
tribal organizations to enter into education compacts with DEED for                                                             
the establishment of tribally operated Alaska public schools. The bill                                                          
designates mandatory subjects that must be addressed in each compact                                                            
but allows DEED and the participating tribes and tribal organizations                                                           
to negotiate the details of each mandatory provision based on their                                                             
individual needs and circumstances.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Demonstration STEC schools may be funded by the legislature as if                                                               
they were schools in a regional education attendance area.                                                                      
Participating tribes and tribal organizations must report on student data                                                       
and enrollment at their demonstration STEC schools to DEED on an                                                                
annual basis and DEED will provide that information to the legislature                                                          
in its annual progress reports. At the completion of the pilot program,                                                         
DEED will provide a written report to the legislature summarizing the                                                           
student data over the entire project period.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Sincerely,                                                                                                                      
/s/                                                                                                                             
Mike Dunleavy                                                                                                                   
Governor