02/12/2025 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HJR5 | |
| HB69 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HJR 5 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 28 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 69 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 12, 2025
8:03 a.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Rebecca Himschoot, Co-Chair
Representative Andi Story, Co-Chair
Representative Ted Eischeid
Representative Jubilee Underwood
Representative Rebecca Schwanke
Representative Bill Elam
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Maxine Dibert
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5
Urging the United States Congress and the President of the
United States to reinstate the Secure Rural Schools and
Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 and make the funding
mechanism in the Act permanent.
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 69
"An Act relating to education funding; and providing for an
effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 28
"An Act establishing a student loan repayment pilot program; and
providing for an effective date."
- BILL HEARING CANCELED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HJR 5
SHORT TITLE: SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS PROGRAM
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) BYNUM
01/22/25 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/22/25 (H) EDC
02/05/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
02/05/25 (H) Heard & Held
02/05/25 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
02/12/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
BILL: HB 69
SHORT TITLE: EDUCATION FUNDING: INCREASE BSA
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) HIMSCHOOT
01/24/25 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/24/25 (H) EDC, FIN
01/27/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
01/27/25 (H) Heard & Held
01/27/25 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
01/29/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
01/29/25 (H) Heard & Held
01/29/25 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
01/29/25 (H) EDC AT 5:00 PM DAVIS 106
01/29/25 (H) -- Public Testimony --
02/03/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
02/03/25 (H) Heard & Held
02/03/25 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
02/06/25 (H) FIN AT 1:30 PM ADAMS 519
02/06/25 (H) <Pending Referral>
02/12/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE JEREMY BYNUM
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented HJR 5 to the
committee.
TREVOR SHAW, Staff
Representative Jeremy Bynum
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of Representative Jeremy Bynum,
prime sponsor, answered committee questions on HJR 5.
RODNEY DIAL, Mayor
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HJR 5.
CYNNA GUBATAYAO, Assistant Borough Manager
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HJR 5.
LON GARRISON, Improvement Coordinator
Association of Alaska School Boards
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HJR 5.
BILL BURR, Superintendent
Wrangell Public Schools
Wrangell, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HJR 5.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:03:08 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT called the House Education Standing Committee
meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. Representatives Elam, Eischeid,
Underwood, Story, Himschoot, and Schwanke were present at the
call to order.
HJR 5-SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS PROGRAM
8:04:34 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT announced that the first order of business
would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5, "Urging the United States
Congress and the President of the United States to reinstate the
Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of
2000 and make the funding mechanism in the Act permanent."
8:04:57 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JEREMY BYNUM, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented HJR 5 to the committee. He said that the
resolution before the committee would urge the United States
Congress and the president of the United States to reinstate
Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funding.
8:06:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE asked Representative Bynum to describe
what portion of Southeast Alaska communities' public school
funding are coming from local property taxes.
8:07:27 AM
TREVOR SHAW, Staff, Representative Jeremy Bynum, Alaska State
Legislature, On behalf of Representative Jeremy Bynum, prime
sponsor, answered committee questions on HJR 5. He said that
the amount of property taxes that are directed to public schools
varies between different school districts. He pointed to
Yakutat as a strong example of a local school district that
depends on SRS funding.
8:08:45 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT opened public testimony on HJR 5.
8:09:06 AM
RODNEY DIAL, Mayor, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Testified in
support of HJR 5. He said that the Ketchikan Gateway Borough
(KGB) has relied on SRS funding for decades and said that it
provides essential financial support for KGB schools which
ensure that its students have access to a quality education.
8:11:59 AM
CYNNA GUBATAYAO, Assistant Borough Manager, Ketchikan Gateway
Borough, Testified in support of HJR 5. She said that only 1
quarter of 1 percent of the land within the KGB boundaries is in
private ownership and said that the SRS program is "not an
entitlement". She explained that SRS funding is meant to
compensate for a loss of income from not being able to utilize
the revenue from the development of federal lands that surround
the KGB.
8:13:33 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:13 a.m. to 8:16 a.m.
8:16:28 AM
LON GARRISON, Improvement Coordinator, Association of Alaska
School Boards, Testified in support of HJR 5. He said that the
Alaska Association of School Boards (AASB) has long supported
the SRS program and explained that SRS was initially created to
help communities that were located on national forest lands. He
emphasized the AASB's "strong support" for HJR 5 and urged the
committee to pass HJR 5.
8:18:45 AM
BILL BURR, Superintendent, Wrangell Public Schools, Testified in
support of HJR 5. He said that the SRS program is essential to
the funding in his school district due to its location on
untaxable federal lands. He explained that Wrangell Public
Schools is generally funded by the SRS and emphasized that the
funding deficit created by the lack of SRS funding is
unsustainable for the school district.
8:21:16 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT asked Mr. Burr how the Wrangell Public
Schools would be affected by a lack of SRS funding.
MR. BURR said that Wrangell Public Schools is currently facing a
deficit of $800,000 and said that the SRS program represents
another $800,000 loss if the program is not reinstated.
8:22:54 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT closed public testimony on HJR 5.
[HJR 5 was held over].
HB 69-EDUCATION FUNDING: INCREASE BSA
8:23:18 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT announced that the final order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 69, "An Act relating to education
funding; and providing for an effective date."
8:23:44 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT moved Amendment 1 to HB 69, labeled 34-
LS0309\G.18, Marx, 2/3/25, which read:
Page 1, line 1:
Delete "funding"
Insert "; relating to achievement incentive funding;
relating to the fund for the improvement of school
performance; relating to the base student allocation"
Page 1, following line 2:
Insert new bill sections to read:
"* Section 1. AS 14.07.020(a) is amended to read:
(a) The department shall
(1) exercise general supervision over the public
schools of the state except the University of Alaska;
(2) study the conditions and needs of the public
schools of the state, adopt or recommend plans,
[ADMINISTER AND EVALUATE GRANTS TO IMPROVE SCHOOL
PERFORMANCE AWARDED UNDER AS 14.03.125,] and adopt
regulations for the improvement of the public schools;
the department may consult with the University of
Alaska to develop secondary education requirements to
improve student achievement in college preparatory
courses;
(3) provide advisory and consultative services to all
public school governing bodies and personnel;
(4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study
for the public schools; the regulations must provide
that, if a course in American Sign Language is given,
the course shall be given credit as a course in a
foreign language;
(5) establish, in coordination with the Department of
Family and Community Services, a program for the
continuing education of children who are held in
juvenile detention facilities or juvenile treatment
facilities, as those terms are defined in AS
47.12.990, in the state during the period of detention
or treatment;
(6) accredit those public schools that meet
accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by
the department; these regulations shall be adopted by
the department and presented to the legislature during
the first 10 days of any regular session, and become
effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of
the session, whichever is earlier, unless disapproved
by a resolution concurred in by a majority of the
members of each house;
(7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with
the state fire marshal and the state sanitarian,
standards that will ensure healthful and safe
conditions in the public and private schools of the
state, including a requirement of physical
examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary
schools; the standards for private schools may not be
more stringent than those for public schools;
(8) exercise general supervision over early education
programs that receive direct state or federal funding,
including early education programs provided by a
school district for students four and five years of
age, approve an early education program provided by a
school district that complies with the standards
adopted by the board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5), and
revoke approval of an early education program if the
program does not comply with the standards adopted by
the board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5);
(9) exercise general supervision over elementary and
secondary correspondence study programs offered by
municipal school districts or regional educational
attendance areas; the department may also offer and
make available to any Alaskan through a centralized
office a correspondence study program;
(10) accredit private schools that request
accreditation and that meet accreditation standards
prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in
this paragraph authorizes the department to require
religious or other private schools to be licensed;
(11) review plans for construction of new public
elementary and secondary schools and for additions to
and major rehabilitation of existing public elementary
and secondary schools and, in accordance with
regulations adopted by the department, determine and
approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a
school construction or major maintenance project; for
the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" include
educational specifications, schematic designs,
projected energy consumption and costs, and final
contract documents;
(12) provide educational opportunities in the areas
of vocational education and training, and basic
education to individuals over 16 years of age who are
no longer attending school; the department may consult
with businesses and labor unions to develop a program
to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships
that will lead to employment opportunities;
(13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11;
(14) establish, in coordination with the Department
of Public Safety, a school bus driver training course;
(15) require the reporting of information relating to
school disciplinary and safety programs under AS
14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent
behavior;
(16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low
student performance, under which the department may
intervene in a school district to improve
instructional practices, as described in AS
14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include
(A) a notice provision that alerts the district to
the deficiencies and the instructional practice
changes proposed by the department;
(B) an end date for departmental intervention, as
described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15),
after the district demonstrates three consecutive
years of improvement consisting of not less than two
percent increases in student proficiency on standards-
based assessments in language arts and mathematics, as
provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and
(C) a process for districts to petition the
department for continuing or discontinuing the
department's intervention;
(17) notify the legislative committees having
jurisdiction over education before intervening in a
school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or
redirecting public school funding under AS
14.07.030(a)(15);
(18) establish a reading program to provide direct
support for and intervention in the reading
intervention programs of participating schools as
described in AS 14.30.765 and 14.30.770;
(19) annually convene, either in person or
electronically, a panel to review and comment on the
effectiveness of the programs created by the
department and the regulations adopted by the board to
implement AS 14.03.410, 14.03.420, AS 14.30.760 -
14.30.770, and 14.30.800; the panel
(A) shall provide recommendations and guidance to the
board, the department, and the legislature on how to
integrate early education and reading programs created
under this title with tribal compacting or programs
focused on cultural education within the department;
(B) shall discuss support for reading in Alaska
Native languages and other non-English languages;
(C) must collectively represent the regions of the
state and include teachers of grades kindergarten
through three, school administrators, parents of
students in grades kindergarten through three,
stakeholders from indigenous language immersion
programs, representatives from early education
stakeholder groups, and researchers of best practices
for improving literacy performance, including best
practices for instruction of indigenous students and
students whose first language is not English.
* Sec. 2. AS 14.17.410(b) is amended to read:
(b) Public school funding consists of state aid, a
required local contribution, and eligible federal
impact aid determined as follows:
(1) state aid equals basic need minus a required
local contribution and 90 percent of eligible federal
impact aid for that fiscal year; basic need equals the
sum obtained under (D) of this paragraph, multiplied
by the base student allocation set out in AS
14.17.470; district adjusted ADM is calculated as
follows:
(A) the ADM of each school in the district is
calculated by applying the school size factor to the
student count as set out in AS 14.17.450;
(B) the number obtained under (A) of this paragraph
is multiplied by the district cost factor described in
AS 14.17.460;
(C) the ADMs of each school in a district, as
adjusted according to (A) and (B) of this paragraph,
are added; the sum is then multiplied by the special
needs factor set out in AS 14.17.420(a)(1), [AND] the
secondary school vocational and technical instruction
funding factor set out in AS 14.17.420(a)(3), and the
achievement incentive funding factor calculated under
AS 14.17.422;
(D) the number obtained for intensive services under
AS 14.17.420(a)(2) and the number obtained for
correspondence study under AS 14.17.430 are added to
the number obtained under (C) of this paragraph or
under (H) and (I) of this paragraph;
(E) notwithstanding (A) - (C) of this paragraph, if a
school district's ADM adjusted for school size under
(A) of this paragraph decreases by five percent or
more from one fiscal year to the next fiscal year, the
school district may use the last fiscal year before
the decrease as a base fiscal year to offset the
decrease, according to the following method:
(i) for the first fiscal year after the base fiscal
year determined under this subparagraph, the school
district's ADM adjusted for school size determined
under (A) of this paragraph is calculated as the
district's ADM adjusted for school size, plus 75
percent of the difference in the district's ADM
adjusted for school size between the base fiscal year
and the first fiscal year after the base fiscal year;
(ii) for the second fiscal year after the base fiscal
year determined under this subparagraph, the school
district's ADM adjusted for school size determined
under (A) of this paragraph is calculated as the
district's ADM adjusted for school size, plus 50
percent of the difference in the district's ADM
adjusted for school size between the base fiscal year
and the second fiscal year after the base fiscal year;
(iii) for the third fiscal year after the base fiscal
year determined under this subparagraph, the school
district's ADM adjusted for school size determined
under (A) of this paragraph is calculated as the
district's ADM adjusted for school size, plus 25
percent of the difference in the district's ADM
adjusted for school size between the base fiscal year
and the third fiscal year after the base fiscal year;
(F) the method established in (E) of this paragraph
is available to a school district for the three fiscal
years following the base fiscal year determined under
(E) of this paragraph only if the district's ADM
adjusted for school size determined under (A) of this
paragraph for each fiscal year is less than the
district's ADM adjusted for school size in the base
fiscal year;
(G) the method established in (E) of this paragraph
does not apply to a decrease in the district's ADM
adjusted for school size resulting from a loss of
enrollment that occurs as a result of a boundary
change under AS 29;
(H) notwithstanding (A) - (C) of this paragraph, if
one or more schools close and consolidate with one or
more other schools in the same community and district
and, as a result of the consolidation, basic need
generated by the district's ADM of the consolidated
schools as adjusted under (A) - (C) of this paragraph
decreases, the district may use the last fiscal year
before the consolidation as the base fiscal year to
offset that decrease for the first four fiscal years
following consolidation according to the following
method:
(i) for the first two fiscal years after the base
fiscal year, the district's ADM of the consolidated
schools as adjusted under (A) - (C) of this paragraph
is calculated by dividing the sum of the district's
ADM of the consolidated schools as adjusted under (A)
- (C) of this paragraph for the base fiscal year by
the sum of the district's ADM of the consolidated
schools for the base fiscal year without adjustment,
and subtracting the quotient obtained by dividing the
district's ADM of the consolidated schools for the
current fiscal year as adjusted under (A) - (C) of
this paragraph by the sum of the district's ADM of the
consolidated schools for the current fiscal year
without adjustment, multiplying that number by the sum
of the district's ADM of the consolidated schools for
the current fiscal year without adjustment, and adding
that number to the sum of the district's ADM of the
consolidated schools for the current fiscal year as
adjusted under (A) - (C) of this paragraph;
(ii) for the third fiscal year after the base fiscal
year, the district's ADM of the consolidated schools
as adjusted under (A) - (C) of this paragraph is
calculated by dividing the sum of the district's ADM
of the consolidated schools as adjusted under (A) -
(C) of this paragraph for the base fiscal year by the
sum of the district's ADM of the consolidated schools
for the base fiscal year without adjustment, and
subtracting the quotient obtained by dividing the sum
of the district's ADM of the consolidated schools for
the current fiscal year as adjusted under (A) - (C) of
this paragraph by the sum of the district's ADM of the
consolidated schools for the current fiscal year,
multiplying that number by the sum of the district's
ADM of the consolidated schools for the current fiscal
year without adjustment, multiplying that number by 66
percent, and adding that number to the sum of the
district's ADM of the consolidated schools for the
current fiscal year as adjusted under (A) - (C) of
this paragraph;
(iii) for the fourth fiscal year after the base
fiscal year, the district's ADM of the consolidated
schools as adjusted under (A) - (C) of this paragraph
is calculated by dividing the sum of the district's
ADM of the consolidated schools as adjusted under (A)
- (C) of this paragraph for the base fiscal year by
the sum of the district's ADM of the consolidated
schools for the base fiscal year without adjustment,
and subtracting the quotient obtained by dividing the
sum of the district's ADM of the consolidated schools
for the current fiscal year as adjusted under (A) -
(C) of this paragraph by the sum of the district's ADM
of the consolidated schools for the current fiscal
year, multiplying that number by the sum of the
district's ADM of the consolidated schools for the
current fiscal year without adjustment, multiplying
that number by 33 percent, and adding that number to
the sum of the district's ADM of the consolidated
schools for the current fiscal year as adjusted under
(A) - (C) of this paragraph;
(iv) to calculate the district's basic need for each
fiscal year, the number obtained through the
calculation in (i), (ii), or (iii) of this
subparagraph is added to the number obtained under (C)
of this paragraph for the remainder of the district;
(I) if the basic need calculated under (H)(i) - (iii)
of this paragraph for one of the first four fiscal
years after consolidation is less than the basic need
calculated under (A) - (C) of this paragraph for that
fiscal year, the basic need may not be adjusted under
(H) of this paragraph for that fiscal year;
(J) a district may not offset a decrease under (H) of
this paragraph if
(i) a new facility is constructed in the district for
the consolidation; or
(ii) the district offset a decrease under (E) of this
paragraph in the same fiscal year;
(K) a district that offsets a decrease under (H) of
this paragraph may not reopen a school that was closed
for consolidation in the district until
(i) seven or more years have passed since the school
closure; and
(ii) the district provides evidence satisfactory to
the department that the schools affected by the
consolidation are over capacity;
(L) a district may not reopen and reconsolidate a
school that was consolidated in the district more than
once every seven years for purposes of the
calculations made under (H) of this paragraph;
(M) a district offsetting a decrease under (H) of
this paragraph shall provide the department with the
list of schools participating in the consolidation and
the corresponding ADM;
(2) the required local contribution of a city or
borough school district is the equivalent of a 2.65
mill tax levy on the full and true value of the
taxable real and personal property in the district as
of January 1 of the second preceding fiscal year, as
determined by the Department of Commerce, Community,
and Economic Development under AS 14.17.510 and AS
29.45.110, not to exceed 45 percent of a district's
basic need for the preceding fiscal year as determined
under (1) of this subsection.
* Sec. 3. AS 14.17 is amended by adding a new
section to read:
Sec. 14.17.422. Achievement incentive funding. (a) As
a component of public school funding, a district or
state boarding school is eligible to receive
achievement incentive funding based on an achievement
incentive funding factor calculated as described in
(b) of this section and applied as described in AS
14.17.410(b)(1) and 14.17.440(a)(2).
(b) The achievement funding factor may not exceed 1.2
and is calculated by adding 1.0 to the sum of the
following components:
(1) math proficiency; the math proficiency component
is calculated by multiplying .017 by the percentage of
students in the district enrolled in kindergarten
through grade 10 who, in the previous school year,
scored proficient or above on the spring math
assessment;
(2) math proficiency growth; the math proficiency
growth component is calculated by multiplying .033 by
the percentage of students in the district enrolled in
kindergarten through grade 10 who, in the previous
school year, showed growth between the math
assessments taken in the fall and the spring;
(3) reading proficiency; the reading proficiency
component is calculated by multiplying .017 by the
percentage of students in the district enrolled in
kindergarten through grade 10 who, in the previous
school year, scored proficient or above on the spring
reading assessment;
(4) reading proficiency growth; the reading
proficiency growth component is calculated by
multiplying .033 by the percentage of students in the
district enrolled in kindergarten through grade 10
who, in the previous school year, showed growth
between the reading assessments taken in the fall and
the spring;
(5) graduation rate; if the graduation rate for the
previous school year is
(A) at least 70 percent but less than 80 percent, the
component is .017;
(B) at least 80 percent but less than 90 percent, the
component is .033;
(C) 90 percent or higher, the component is .05; and
(6) postgraduation achievement rate; if the
postgraduation achievement rate for the previous
school year is
(A) at least 70 percent but less than 80 percent, the
component is .017;
(B) at least 80 percent but less than 90 percent, the
component is .033;
(C) 90 percent or higher, the component is .05.
(c) The department shall select the math assessments
and reading assessments used for the purposes of
calculating a component under (b) of this section.
(d) The department shall annually prepare a report
containing information relating to the components and
achievement incentive funding factor applied for each
district and state boarding school in the previous
school year, including the data relating to each
component and factor. The department shall, not later
than the seventh day of each regular legislative
session, submit the report to the senate secretary and
the chief clerk of the house of representatives and
notify the legislature that the report is available.
(e) In this section,
(1) "graduation rate" has the meaning given by the
department by regulation;
(2) "math assessment" means a national, norm-
referenced assessment that measures student
performance in math;
(3) "postgraduation achievement rate" means a
quotient, expressed as a percentage, obtained by
dividing the number of students who, within six months
after graduating from a high school in the district,
were accepted into a postsecondary educational
institution or an apprenticeship program, enlisted in
the military service of a state or the United States,
or accepted full-time employment, by the number of
students who graduated from high schools in the
district;
(4) "postsecondary educational institution" has the
meaning given in AS 14.48.210;
(5) "reading assessment" means a national, norm-
referenced assessment that measures student
performance in reading;
(6) "state boarding school" means a state boarding
school established under AS 14.16.010.
* Sec. 4. AS 14.17.430 is amended to read:
Sec. 14.17.430. State funding for correspondence
study. Except as provided in AS 14.17.400(b), funding
for the state centralized correspondence study program
or a district correspondence program, including a
district that offers a statewide correspondence study
program, includes an allocation from the public
education fund in an amount calculated by
(1) multiplying the ADM of the correspondence program
by 90 percent;
(2) multiplying the ADM of the correspondence program
by the sum of the district's achievement incentive
funding factor components under AS 14.17.422(b)(1) -
(6); and
(3) adding the number obtained in (1) of this section
to the number obtained in (2) of this section.
* Sec. 5. AS 14.17.440(a) is amended to read:
(a) Except as provided in AS 14.17.400(b), funding
for state boarding schools established under AS
14.16.010 includes an allocation from the public
education fund in an amount calculated by
(1) determining the ADM of state boarding schools by
applying the school size factor to the student count
as described in AS 14.17.450;
(2) multiplying the number obtained under (1) of this
subsection by the special needs factor in AS
14.17.420(a)(1), [AND] the secondary school vocational
and technical instruction funding factor set out in AS
14.17.420(a)(3), and the achievement incentive funding
factor for each state boarding school calculated under
AS 14.17.422, and multiplying that product by the base
student allocation; and
(3) multiplying the product determined under (2) of
this subsection by the district cost factor that is
applicable to calculation of the state aid for the
adjacent school district under AS 14.17.460."
Page 1, line 3:
Delete "Section 1"
Insert "Sec. 6"
Renumber the following bill section accordingly.
Page 2, following line 9:
Insert a new bill section to read:
"* Sec. 7. AS 14.03.125 and AS 14.07.165(a)(2) are
repealed."
Renumber the following bill section accordingly.
REPRESENTATIVE UNDERWOOD objected.
8:24:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE explained that HB 69 is too costly for
Alaska's public education system. She explained that Amendment
1 would remove the improvement school performance grant concept,
which is meant to offer extra funding to schools with poorer
performance statistics. She said that Amendment 1 would add an
achievement and performance metric that was award more funding
to schools that have higher performance statistics than others.
8:29:15 AM
The committee took an at ease from 8:29 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
8:30:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE repeated that the components of her
proposed achievement incentive concept would be math and reading
proficiency, graduation rates, and post-graduation metrics. She
emphasized that the assessments proposed by the theoretical
achievement initiative concept would be based off of national
test score metrics and shared her belief that academic testing
is important for students in Alaska's Public School system.
8:33:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ELAM said that the goals that Representative
Schwanke was proposing were more reminiscent of a private
business's goal and asked what the timeline of the
implementation of the proposed policies of Amendment 1 would be.
He asked what kind of impacts that Amendment 1 would have on
schools that aren't as successful with growth and achievement
metrics.
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE answered that the Alaska State
Legislature does not have anything in place to measure post-
graduation metrics, which posed the greatest challenge to the
implementation of Amendment 1. She said that the proposed
Amendment would reward school districts with additional
allocations when "what they choose to do is working for all
students".
8:39:23 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked Representative Schwanke which school
districts she has consulted and asked if the Legislative Finance
Division
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE said that she has not yet spoked to the
Legislative Finance Division and shared that she has spoken to 7
or 8 different school districts around Alaska, which she said
all gave her "very positive" feedback on the proposed Amendment.
8:42:06 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY commented that she would like to see Amendment 1
created as a separate bill, rather than an Amendment to HB 69.
8:43:01 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EISCHEID asked what the genesis of the funding
factors mentioned in Amendment 1 were. He commented that there
are some good things in Amendment 1, but he would rather see
Amendment 1 proposed as a legislation.
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE explained that she modeled the proposed
funding concepts of Amendment 1 off of an existing 1.2 funding
multiplier used for current achievement-based funding
allocations.
8:45:39 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT commented that she liked the out-of-the-box
thinking on Amendment 1 and would like to see it return as a
separate piece of legislation.
8:46:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ELAM opined that the proposed amendment is a
"step towards defining progress" in Alaska's public schools.
8:47:11 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT added her opinion that defining success in
schools is extremely important, but obtaining fair data and
looking to more broad measures of success is just as important.
8:47:53 AM
A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Underwood,
Schwanke, and Elam voted in favor of Amendment 1.
Representatives Eischeid, Story, and Himschoot voted against it.
Therefore, Amendment 1 failed to be adopted by a vote of 3-3.
8:48:47 AM
The committee took a brief at-ease at 8:48 a.m.
8:49:01 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT announced that HB 69 would be held over.
8:49:46 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:49 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HJR5_FiscalNote_LEG-SESS_2.7.25.pdf |
HEDC 2/12/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HJR 5 |
| HB 69 Ammendment #1_2.3.25.pdf |
HEDC 2/12/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 69 |