Legislature(2009 - 2010)
04/16/2009 05:11 PM House FIN
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| SB1 | |
| HB88 | |
| HB151 | |
| SB57 | |
| SB96 | |
| SB170 | |
| SB114 | |
| SB75 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 57(FIN)
"An Act relating to charter and alternative school
funding."
6:36:20 PM
SENATOR JOE THOMAS, SPONSOR, read from the Sponsor Statement
(Copy on File). He explained that the legislation was about
supporting school choice by extinguishing the charter school
penalty. He shared that charter schools are public schools,
open to all children free of charge. Charter Schools must
comply with state laws and employ state certified teachers,
who are employees of their local school district. The
schools are managed by a parent- teacher board of directors,
which determine school curriculum and teaching methods,
within the guidelines of state statute. Current law results
in carter schools with fewer than 150 students receiving 30
to 45 percent less state funding than neighborhood schools
of comparable size. He referred to the chart, "Adjusted
Student Count for Charter Schools vs. Neighborhood Schools"
(copy on file). He stated that the legislation would provide
charter schools, with fewer than 150 students, a student
count adjustment equal to that of neighborhood schools with
400 students. The bill would also address the problem
created for school districts when charter and alternative
schools unexpectedly enroll fewer students than is required
by the state to fund them as separate schools. Presently,
the number of students a charter school must have enrolled
in order to be funded as a school is 150, an alternative
school must have 200. When these schools fall one student
below the threshold, the state cuts funding by $500,000 to
$700,000. This is detrimental not only to the school but to
the district as well. CS for SB 57 contains a one year "hold
harmless" provision for schools that unexpectedly fall below
the threshold in their first year of operation, or were
above the threshold the previous year and then fell below.
For one year the schools would receive 95 percent of the per
student rate that they would have received at the threshold.
During the "hold harmless" year the school would be required
to submit a budget to their local school board laying out
the plan for the following year if their enrollment does not
rise. Finally, the CS lowers the separate schools threshold
for alternative schools from 200 to 175 students. He shared
that Alaska has a serious problem with school achievement
and high school graduation, and that what works well for one
student may not work best for all students. Charter schools
and alternative schools offer parents choice within the
public school system. The legislation has been shown strong
support by school districts throughout the state. He
expressed concern that the school funding system has limited
communities in their ability to create and sustain
innovative programs and urged committee support for the
bill.
6:40:35 PM
Representative Gara wondered if the legislation would affect
the funding of traditional schools. Senator Thomas answered
no.
EDDY JEANS, DIRECTOR, SCHOOL FINANCES AND FACILITIES,
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT, introduced
himself.
Representative Gara reiterated his concerns that the
legislation could negatively impact funding for traditional
K-12 schools. Mr. Jeans replied that, provided the fiscal
note was passed along with the bill, the funding of other
schools in the state would not be affected.
SENATOR CHARLIE HUGGINS, WASILLA, shared that he assisted in
opening the first two charter schools in Mat-Su. He
discussed the commonalities between charter schools and
alternative schools, which at one time had the same minimum
student count. He explained that when a charter school drops
from 150 to 149; alternative school 200 to 199, the school
incurs a loss of $500,000 to $700,000. Both are schools of
choice. The difference between the two programs is stark.
Charter schools traditionally have a strong support system,
alternative schools do not. For many, alternative schools
are usually the last stop before dropping out of school. He
stated that charter and alternative school programs
throughout the state face multiple challenges.
6:45:23 PM
Senator Huggins described agreement worked out between
proponents of alternative schools and proponents of charter
schools. He stated that he thought the measure was rational
and urged the committee to support the legislation.
Vice-Chair Thomas asked how many charter schools were in the
Haines district. Mr. Jeans replied that there were none.
Vice-Chair Thomas wondered if passing the measure would
encourage all schools to expect more money. Mr. Jeans
replied that he could not make the assurance that schools
would not ask for increased funding in the future. He
believed that the legislation addresses the problem by
allowing schools that are on the verge of losing funding to
transition to a new funding level should their enrollment
decrease, instead of being forced to shut down.
6:49:28 PM
Senator Huggins noted that the number of students required
for adequate funding in neighborhood schools is dramatically
different than charter or alternative schools.
Vice-Chair Thomas reiterated concerns about increased
expectations for funding from traditional schools.
Senator Thomas referred to the chart, "Adjusted Student
Count for Charter Schools vs. Neighborhood Schools"(copy on
file). He shared that the traditional schools have less
participation in enrollment.
Representative Gara wondered what the student count for
traditional school funding was based on. Mr. Jeans explained
the Rule of 10. He said that traditional schools do not lose
funding at 10 students, but the funding is substantially
reduced. He pointed out that that policy was put in place by
the legislature in 1998, to encourage small schools in the
state to close. Representative Gara stated that he supported
the legislation.
6:51:57 PM
Co-Chair Hawker opened public testimony.
6:52:09 PM
TODD HINDMAN, TEACHER, ANVIL CITY SCIENCE ACADEMY, NOME,
testified via teleconference, related that small charter
schools are vital in order to provide specific educational
needs in both rural and urban communities in the state. The
small size of charter schools allows for flexibility to
provide unique educational opportunities for students.
Teachers are able to develop and implement lessons in which
students can use the community and their environment as
educational resources. He furthered that the small school
size creates a culture around family values, ensuring
student success through daily engagement of parents. He
concluded that charter schools are identifying and meeting
specific needs within Alaskan communities.
6:53:56 PM
RAY DEPRIEST, DIRECTOR OF CARREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION, MATSU
SCHOOL DISTRICT, testified via teleconference, in support of
the bill. He stated that there are four charter schools and
three alternative schools within the district, which enroll
1500 students. He believed that the bill would correct the
funding problem in an impartial and fiscally dependable
manner. He relayed that in 2008, the district suffered a
loss of $780,000, when the enrollment numbers of one
alternative school in the district unexpectedly dropped from
200 to 194. He spoke in strong support of the "hold
harmless" provision contained in the legislation.
KIKI ABRAHAMSON, PRESIDENT, ALASKA CHARTER SCHOOL
ASSOCIATION testified via teleconference, She spoke in favor
of the legislation. She pointed out that innovation;
alternatives and accountability were necessities in
education, to meet the changing needs of the workforce,
financial situations, and communities. She strongly urged
committee support for the bill.
6:58:05 PM
Co-Chair Hawker closed public testimony.
6:58:15 PM
Mr. Jeans detailed the fiscal notes. The second page of the
fiscal notes highlights the impact of the funding changes
for carter school with less than 150 students. The third
page illustrates the impact of the "hold harmless" provision
on the Mid-Valley Alternative High School in Mat-Su.
6:58:43 PM
Co-Chair Stoltze clarified for the committee that charter
schools are public schools.
6:59:20 PM
Co-Chair Stoltze MOVED to report CSSB 57 (FIN) out of
Committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying fiscal note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was
so ordered.
CSSB 57 (FIN) was REPORTED out of Committee with a "do pass"
recommendation and with fiscal note #2 by the Department of
Education and Early Development.
7:01:00 PM
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|