03/11/2024 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

             HB 71-SCHOOL DISTRICT ONLINE CHECKBOOK                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:05:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ALLARD announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE  BILL  NO.  71,  "An Act  relating  to  education;  and                                                               
relating to a school district online checkbook."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:06:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:06 a.m. to 8:07 a.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:07:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GEORGE  RAUSCHER,  Alaska State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime  sponsor,  introduced HB  71  and  began with  the  sponsor                                                               
statement  [included  in the  committee  packet],  which read  as                                                               
follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     The School  Districts around  Alaska spend  millions of                                                                    
     dollars  each year  without  a  clear understanding  of                                                                    
     where the money goes. We  believe it goes to everything                                                                    
     from    office   supplies,    to   teacher    salaries,                                                                    
     administrative workers  and hopefully  the kids  in the                                                                    
     classroom. A  tool like an  online checkbook  will help                                                                    
     the  Governor  and  Legislature  understand  where  the                                                                    
     deficit  is,  and  where   funding  is  needed.  Public                                                                    
     accountability  helps  ensure   that  funds  are  spent                                                                    
     wisely, and the public  is entitled to understand where                                                                    
     the funding goes also.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     The  intent of  the  online checkbook  is  to create  a                                                                    
     free,  searchable website  that provides  Alaskans with                                                                    
     easy access  to detailed and  comprehensive information                                                                    
     on  School  District   spending.  This  will  encourage                                                                    
     better   understanding    of   district    needs   and,                                                                    
     ultimately,  help ensure  that funding  is directed  to                                                                    
     where it should be.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RAUSCHER  brought   attention  to  the  sectional                                                               
analysis [included  in the  committee packet].   He  related that                                                               
his  staff would  be available  to  read it  at the  will of  the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:09:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATHY MCCOLLUM,  Vice President, Matanuska-Susitna  School Board,                                                               
gave  invited testimony  in  support  of HB  71.    She said  she                                                               
advocated  for transparency,  accountability,  public funds,  and                                                               
school responsibility.   She offered her belief that it  may be a                                                               
unique  situation  in  the Matanuska-Susitna  ("Mat-Su")  Borough                                                               
School District  in that everything is  currently visible online,                                                               
which  she summarized.   She  noted that  the borough  was moving                                                               
over  to a  new budget  development software  that would  be more                                                               
user  friendly  for  the  public,   and  she  offered  to  answer                                                               
questions regarding it.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:10:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked what "open data" cost.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. MCCOLLUM  clarified that the  budget development  software is                                                               
called  Gravity  Software and  although  the  open data  part  is                                                               
included with the software there would be a very small cost.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HIMSCHOOT asked  Ms. McCollum  whether she  could                                                               
specify how much staff time is needed.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. MCCOLLUM  offered her belief  that the borough  was switching                                                               
to  Gravity Software  because it  would reduce  staff time.   She                                                               
said she  had no knowledge of  exact staff time, and  the finance                                                               
person at the district could answer that specific question.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:12:38 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY asked  Representative Rauscher  whether the                                                               
bill  required a  district to  have a  license to  any particular                                                               
software program.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER replied  that the bill does  not call out                                                               
for any specific software program.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:13:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  ALLARD  opened  public  testimony  on  HB  71.    After                                                               
ascertaining  no  one  wished  to   testify,  she  closed  public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:13:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ALLARD announced that HB 71 was held over.