05/02/2025 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

                HB 183-EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:11:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HIMSCHOOT announced  that the  first order  of business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL NO.  183, "An Act relating  to district-wide                                                               
early education programs; and providing for an effective date."                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:11:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ANDI STORY,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor, presented HB  183 to the committee.   She explained that                                                               
the proposed  legislation would change  current funding  for pre-                                                               
kindergarten students  from half full-time equivalent  (FTE) to a                                                               
whole and further  explained how the Alaska Reads  Act is causing                                                               
for the Department  of Education and Early  Development (DEED) to                                                               
adapt  to  regulations   through  feedback  its  pre-kindergarten                                                               
programs that it established.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:15:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE asked how  a series of recommendations to                                                               
the Alaska State Board of  Education made by an unspecified group                                                               
were being implemented.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR    HIMSCHOOT    replied   that    the    recommendations                                                               
Representative Schwanke  was referring had been  submitted to the                                                               
DEED without any response.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:16:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHWANKE   shared  her  belief  that   the  early                                                               
learning  program application  process  was too  great for  small                                                               
school districts and  shared a series of  recommendations to ease                                                               
the administrative  burden that the applications  pose to certain                                                               
school districts in Alaska.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:23:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HEATHER  HEINEKEN,  Director,  Division   of  Finance  &  Support                                                               
Services, Department  of Education & Early  Development, answered                                                               
committee questions on  HB 136.  She explained  that the original                                                               
fiscal noted associated with HB 183  was based off of the current                                                               
Base  Student Allocation  (BSA) of  $5,960 and  detailed how  the                                                               
proposed  $700 increase  to the  BSA  would be  reflected in  the                                                               
newer fiscal note for HB 183.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:26:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MICHAEL   MASON,  Staff,   Senator  Loki   Tobin,  Alaska   State                                                               
Legislature,  answered  committee  questions   on  HB  136.    He                                                               
contextualized Representative Schwanke's  comments by detailing a                                                               
change  made  to  House  Bill   148  of  the  33rd  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:28:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHWANKE   asked  why   there  was  such   a  big                                                               
difference between fiscal year 2026 and the following years.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:29:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:29 a.m. to 8:31 a.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:31:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MASON  clarified that the  proposed legislation  would remove                                                               
the limit on the number  of pre-kindergarten students in programs                                                               
that can be funded as outlined by the Alaska Reads Act.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:33:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. HEINEKEN clarified that the  expensive fiscal note for fiscal                                                               
year 2026 was  based off of a  multi-million dollar appropriation                                                               
made to the DEED.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:34:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT  moved to  report HB  183 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  HB 183 was reported  from the                                                               
House Education Standing Committee.