Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106
03/21/2022 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Start | |
| Presentation: Update from Alaska School Boards | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
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PRESENTATION: Update from Alaska School Boards
[Contains discussion of HB 164, HB 259, HB 272, HB 273, HB 350, HB
220, HB 19, HB 60, SB 111.]
8:03:09 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the only order of business
would be updates from the Alaska school boards.
8:05:16 AM
KATIE OLIVER, Former President, Association of Alaska School
Boards (AASB), emphasized the necessity of predictable and
reliable funding for public education. This includes financial
support within the base student allocation (BSA) and recognizing
the rising costs of goods and services within communities. The
BSA has remained unchanged since 2017, and districts have
struggled to attract and retain quality teachers. She expressed
her support for HB 272 and HB 273. She urged the committee to
prioritize major maintenance because school infrastructure in
the state needs significant investment for repairs and
replacement. She voiced the opinion that the quality of
facilities can impact learning outcomes.
MS. OLIVER said that bond debt reimbursement has a significant
impact on schools in Kodiak. Historically, the Kodiak Island
Borough has funded the school district at or above 90 percent of
the maximum allowable; however, there has been a steep reduction
in support from the local municipality because of the veto of
appropriation for bond debt reimbursement. She pointed out that
in fiscal year 2021 (FY21), the Kodiak Island Borough's
appropriation was only 76 percent of the maximum allowable. She
urged the committee to support bond debt reimbursement in
Alaska. She continued that teacher recruitment and retention is
a top issue, especially in rural districts. She added that
recruiting is costly and time consuming. She emphasized that
the committee should support the recommendations from the
Teacher Recruitment and Retention task force, especially the
efforts to fund the retirement and benefits program.
MS. OLIVER expressed her support for HB 220. She listed
additional strategies, including investment in teacher housing
for rural school districts, support for a robust teacher-mentor
program, and continuing support for the development of teacher
training programs in the University of Alaska system. She
stated that teachers from Alaska and individuals from out of
state who moved here to be in the education program are more
likely to stay longer, working in the state's school districts.
8:10:07 AM
MARGO BELLAMY, Member, Board of Directors, Association of Alaska
School Boards; President, Anchorage School Board, remarked that
Anchorage does not represent the rest of the state. She
explained that there are some shared challenges; however,
Anchorage has innovations and improvements which could be
utilized throughout the state. She added that district-wide
internet connection and availability of virtual learning creates
equity among students. The mission of AASB is to advocate for
children and youth by assisting school boards in providing
quality public education which focuses on student achievement
through effective local governance.
MS. BELLAMY stated that the impacts of the recruitment and
retention crisis are felt every day. A goal in Anchorage is to
create a diverse and qualified workforce that is culturally
responsive. She expressed the opinion that Alaska has the
expertise to create quality teachers; however, innovation is
necessary to harness new talent. There is a pathway through the
University of Alaska Anchorage to train special education
teachers, but there are not enough recruits. There are
currently 140 vacant positions throughout the Anchorage School
District.
MS. BELLAMY insisted that the current retirement system is no
longer a selling point for teachers looking to move to Alaska
for adventure. She emphasized that teachers deserve to retire
with dignity. She remarked that housing in rural areas for
teachers is necessary for successful student outcomes. She
stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had caused schools to
reimagine school attendance, but it also created inequity for
students who were unable to connect to the internet. She
emphasized the necessity of internet access for students across
the state.
8:18:25 AM
PETE HOEPFNER, President, Alaska Association of School Boards;
Vice President, Cordova School District, addressed student
wellness and safe schools. He remarked that currently school
districts are seeing more absences and more student behavioral
incidences than ever before. He expressed the opinion that
trained mental health counselors are necessary in school
districts; by engaging mental health needs and developing
relationships, student achievement could increase in a profound
way. He stated that literacy is a fundamental human right, and
students reading by third grade is an aspiration and a target of
every school board. He recommended funding of a universal pre-
K, as this would help Alaska school districts reach this
important goal.
8:24:54 AM
IVAN M. IVAN, Former Vice Chair, Yupiit Regional School Board;
Former Representative, Alaska State Legislature, emphasized that
children deserve the best opportunities possible. He explained
that his grandchildren live in "two worlds," one of modern
education and another of their culture at home. Meshing these
worlds would provide an opportunity for them to be grounded in
cultural principles, which would help elders and the community.
This would help mold the children into "complete human beings"
who are prepared for their futures. He suggested there be a
subsistence calendar waiver. He stated that for teachers to
focus on providing the best education possible for rural
students, housing for teachers should include affordable water,
sewer, and fuel.
8:35:01 AM
JOHN MARK, Vice Chair, Lower Kuskokwim School District Board of
Directors, mentioned that because of climate change there has
been a lot of erosion around the schools near the river. School
buildings in Newtok need to be relocated because of
environmental conditions, and funding is needed. He stated that
as permafrost melts, school buildings and teacher housing are
shifting. He reiterated that creating quality housing for
teachers by upgrading water and sewer systems would improve
teacher retention. He shared that the technology implemented
during the pandemic was not reliable and created problems in his
district. He emphasized that the Native language immersion
programs should be protected and not become impaired by state
assessment tools. He said that general funds and grant funds
should be used to translate books to make them culturally
relevant, providing materials for the dual language program.
8:43:00 AM
BARB JEWELL, President, School Board, Cordova City School
District, highlighted some positive parts of the Cordova City
School District, including the recent return to full-time, in-
person school. She stated that the pandemic brought up many
issues which need addressing with sustainable and reliable
funding. She opined that HB 259, HB 272, and HB 273 would move
schools in the right direction for Alaska's children. She
pointed out that BSA has not kept up with inflation; therefore,
does not reflect the costs of schools in the state, especially
for rural communities. She suggested that HB 350 may help to
solve school bond debt reimbursement. She stated that Cordova
High School is very old, and the lack of a bond debt
reimbursement system has had an immediate impact on the school
district's finances. She stated that the city has had to cover
these costs; therefore, it is not able to meet the same level of
financial contributions as in the past. As a result, there was
no preschool funding for this school year, and there likely will
not be any next year. She maintained that the lack of bond debt
reimbursement has impaired the district's ability to support
students.
MS. JEWELL expressed her support for HB 164 and SB 111, as these
bills would directly address literacy training for teachers and
the need for universal pre-K. She stated that recruitment and
retention of skilled teachers is difficult, and currently there
are many vacancies. She added that hiring international
teachers is being considered, but this creates an administrative
burden. She informed the committee that Cordova City School
District has seen a dramatic increase in student absences,
disciplinary issues, and substance abuse. These problems are
directly related to mental health issues and attributed to the
pandemic. She expressed the opinion that HB 60 would be a good
start by addressing the mental well-being of all students. She
mentioned that teacher recruitment and retention is a problem
nationwide. She pointed out the importance of retirement and
benefits for teachers. She said, "I want us to stop holding
individual teachers accountable for systemic failures. If we
want to recruit and retain teachers, it's important that we hold
them in high esteem for the hard work they do, and we treat them
with kindness and respect."
9:10:43 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY pointed out that HB 19 would make it possible for
fluent indigenous language speakers to obtain a certification
through the school board to teach their language.
9:12:28 AM
DAVE DICKASON, Member, Board of Directors, Chugach School
District, discussed problems with teacher retention. He stated
that without teacher consistency it is difficult to create
healthy teaching relationships with students. He pointed out
the steady decline in test scores over the years, attributing
this in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated that the
Chugach School District manages a statewide homeschool program
with nearly 575 students. The district's performance-based
system provides personalized support for families. He stressed
the importance of funding for families for homeschooling in
remote areas. He stated that there is a residential school in
Anchorage that teaches life-skills and offers a dorm, commercial
kitchen, and classrooms. He continued that it provides classes
in science, technology, engineering, math, culinary arts,
emergency trauma certification, driver education, and outdoor
leadership. He stated that funding for this facility has not
been increased since 2013. He stated that the Chugach School
District supports priorities for adequate, predictable, and
reliable public education funding, literacy education, early
childhood education, teacher retention, and recruitment.
9:16:10 AM
CHARLENE ARNESON, President, School Board, Chugach School
District, emphasized the importance of providing students with
the skills taught through early education and reading. She
argued that the future of the workforce, leaders, and productive
adults depend on learning these necessary skills. She expressed
the opinion that reading proficiency will level the playing
field for all students. She argued that without a foundation
and competency level for reading, many students will fall behind
in all subjects. She also provided details on the Voyage
School, which provides students with training to gain life
skills and career development.
9:31:31 AM
DIANE GUBATAYAO, Member, Association for Alaska School Boards;
Member, School Board, Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board,
expressed anxiety concerning the budget for school facilities.
She said that because of inflation and seven years of flat
funding for BSA, school districts in the state have lost $1,385
per enrollment since 2007. She deduced this to a total loss of
$7,479,325 in FY22 for Ketchikan schools, which is equal in
spending power to the year 2009. She stated that district
health insurance costs have doubled in the last 10 years,
amounting to 15 percent of the total operating budget for FY 22.
She added that in Ketchikan the pandemic exacerbated this
because the city's critical revenue source is derived from the
tourism industry. She stated that the capacity of Ketchikan to
compensate for inadequate state funding is severely impacted.
She stated that Alaska is facing a teacher shortage and hiring
crisis, with the Ketchikan School District currently having 40
vacancies. She pointed out that benefits and wages in the state
are no longer competitive compared with neighboring states. She
estimated that cuts to the budget will cause the loss of 10
teacher positions and 30 classified positions. Timely,
reliable, and predictable funding is what school districts need
to conduct necessary long-term educational planning. She spoke
in support of HB 272, HB 273, increased retirement and benefits
for teachers, and bond debt reimbursement. She urged the
committee to fulfill its constitutional requirement for all of
Alaska's students.
9:38:49 AM
GEORGE SCOTT BALLARD, Superintendent, Yupiit School District,
addressed the request to the commissioner for a waiver regarding
a subsistence calendar for the Yupiit School District. He
stated that the education system has not served rural students
well in the past, and he is looking to shift the paradigm to a
Native Alaskan model. To make education more meaningful to
rural students, he stated that the district is requesting a
change to the current school calendar. He explained that
currently during the months of May and August attendance is down
20 percent to 40 percent. The subsistence calendar waiver would
add a half hour to the school schedule from September through
April so to allow students to participate in subsistence
activities from May through August. He stated that this
proposal would meet the statutory requirement of 900 hours per
school year. He opined that the system currently does not value
the Yupiit way of life.
9:49:21 AM
MR. IVAN maintained that the purpose of this committee is to
educate every student in the state to the highest standard
possible. He related the instructions from elders in his
community to love oneself, love one's family, extend love into
the community, teach all children to be grounded in respect,
work together, and help each other. He also said to treat
people the way you want to be treated and that all children need
instruction for this.
9:53:38 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND thanked the presenters.
9:54:06 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting was
adjourned at 9:54 a.m.
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