Legislature(2017 - 2018)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/06/2017 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB87 | |
| SB96 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 87 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 96 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SENATE BILL NO. 96
"An Act relating to education; relating to school
districts; relating to course credit for students;
relating to group insurance, self-insurance, and other
cooperative arrangements between school districts and
businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government
agencies; relating to funding for school districts;
relating to school operating funds; relating to
competency examinations for teacher certificates;
relating to the Professional Teaching Practices
Commission; relating to the duties and powers of the
Department of Education and Early Development and the
commissioner of education and early development;
relating to a virtual education consortium; relating
to the minimum wage for bus drivers; relating to the
investment, appropriation, and administration of the
public school trust fund; and providing for an
effective date."
9:39:14 AM
SENATOR SHELLEY HUGHES, SPONSOR, introduced the
legislation.
9:44:02 AM
Senator Hughes continued
9:45:32 AM
Senator Olson // Senator Hughes /
9:46:34 AM
Senator Olson // Senator Hughes //
9:47:00 AM
Senator Olson // Senator Hughes //
9:47:40 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon //
9:47:50 AM
JOSHUA BANKS, STAFF, SENATOR HUGHES, replied //
9:48:52 AM
Mr. Banks discussed the Sectional Analysis (copy on file):
Section 1 (Pages 2): Creates uncodified law for
legislative findings of the Alaska Education
Transformation Act in regards to virtual education,
education spending, and quality teachers and classroom
instruction.
Sections 2-3 (Page 2-3): Makes technical amendments to
AS 14.03.073 to add references to specific subsections
within these sections due to a new subsection added in
Section 4 of this bill.
Section 4 (Pages 3): Adds a new subsection to AS
14.03.073 requiring school districts to allow credit
for career and technical education, gym, music, or art
classes for a student that participates
in an activity that meets the educational or physical
requirements of the course. Cultural
activities may be used to obtain class credit.
Section 5 (Page 3): Amends AS 14.03.078(a) to add a
requirement that the Department of
Education and Early Development (DEED) submit a report
to the legislature and the school
districts. The DEED report will need to include
categories of administrative employees and the
ratio of the employees in each category compared to
the number of teachers and students in the
district, as well as the ratio of teachers to
students.
Section 6 (Page 4): Amends AS 14.03.078 to require
each school district to post the portion of
the report that pertains to the public through an
easily accessible method. Defines the term
"administrative employee" as any employee not directly
involved in classroom instruction.
Section 7 (Page 4-5): Amends AS 14.09.030(b) to
require DEED to conduct one inspection for
each school bus rather than two each year.
9:52:38 AM
Senator von Imhof // Senator Hughes //
9:54:06 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon //
9:54:58 AM
Mr. Banks continued to discuss the Sectional Analysis:
Section 8 (Page 5): Amends AS 14.14.110(a) to amend
the definition of "administrative
services" to include student nutrition, student
transportation, and shared facilities. This section
also adds to the definition of "educational services"
to include professional teacher development
and the use of technology to teach students such as
the use of virtual education.
9:55:26 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon / Mr. Banks.
9:56:10 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon continued to discuss the Sectional
Analysis:
Section 9 (Page 5): Amends AS 14.14.115(a) to allow
school districts to partner with
businesses, nonprofit organizations, and state or
local government agencies to qualify for the one-time
grant under this section. This section also increase
the maximum grant amount and
requires that the school district demonstrate how the
grant will reduce costs for the district.
Section 10 (Page 5-6): Adds new subsections to AS
14.14.115 to give further directions for the
cooperative grants under this section.
• Subsection (d) requires that if two school districts
enter into a cooperative grant, one
must be a rural district.
9:58:00 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon // Mr. Banks //
9:58:28 AM
Senator Hughes furthered //
9:58:47 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon queried an effective date, because some
districts // Ms. Hughes replied that //
10:00:11 AM
Mr. Banks continued to discuss the Sectional Analysis:
• Subsection (e) establishes that if a cooperative
grant is used for health insurance pooling with the
State, the grant can only be used to pay for the costs
of transferring district employees to the State
insurance plan.
• Subsection (f) allows a school district to carry
forward the savings realized during the first three
years after a grant is awarded. The savings will not
be counted towards the fund balance limit established
in AS 14.17.505(a).
• Subsection (g) defines "rural school district" as a
regional educational attendance area or a small
municipal school district defined in AS 14.11.025(c)
as a district with less than 300 Average Daily
Membership (ADM) and a district full value per ADM
less than $500,000.
Section 11 (Page 6): Amends AS 14.17.505(a) to
increase the limit that a school district is allowed
to retain in its unreserved fund balance from 10
percent to 25 percent of district expenditures. This
section also allows for savings realized from a
cooperative grant under AS 14.14.115 to not count
towards the 25 percent limit.
Section 12 (Page 6-7): Amends AS 14.20.020(i) to
require the State School Board to periodically adjust
the minimum score needed to pass the Praxis exam so
that Alaska has the highest testing standards for
teacher certification.
10:02:52 AM
Senator von Imhof // Mr. Banks //
10:03:41 AM
Senator Hughes furthered //
10:05:09 AM
Vice-Chair Bishop //
10:07:02 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon //
10:08:42 AM
Senator Hughes replied that //
10:11:26 AM
Mr. Banks continued to discuss the Sectional Analysis:
Section 13 (Page 7): Adds a new subsection to AS
14.20.380 to require DEED to provide administrative
support services to the Professional Teaching
Practices Commission (PTPC).
Section 14 (Page 7): Amends AS 14.20.460 to require
the PTPC to use administrative support services
provided by DEED.
Section 15 (Pages 7-9): Creates a new section under AS
14.30 titled Virtual education consortium which also
creates a new article titled Article 15. Virtual
Education. The subsections that AS 14.30.760 consists
of are:
• Subsection (a) establishes the virtual education
consortium under DEED. The consortium will have a
database of virtual education courses available to all
districts for students in grades 6-12. The consortium
will also provide training for teachers instructing in
virtual settings and professional development for all
teachers in the state. A school district or third-
party vendor may offer courses for students or for
teachers on the database if it is approved by DEED.
• Subsection (b) will require DEED to review each
course to ensure it meets state standards and is
appropriate for students in grades 6-12. This
subsection also requires that each course has the
following information: the title, subject, and
description of the course, the district or third party
vendor providing the course, method of virtual
education delivery, and samples of the course
curriculum and teacher instruction provided in the
course.
• Subsection (c) requires the consortium to provide
training for teachers before they are allowed to teach
a course that is included in the database. A waiver
may be granted if the consortium finds that the
teacher has the experience and skills necessary to
teach in a virtual setting.
• Subsection (d) requires that the consortium provide
professional development courses for all teachers in
the state. The consortium shall include in the
database courses provided by third party vendors. Any
district that has adequate broadband access to
participate in the trainings shall require its
teachers to participate in any necessary trainings.
The consortium may also require participating
districts to adopt the same in-service days for
training.
• Subsection (e) allows a school district that
provides a course to charge a fee to the home school
district of a student taking the course. The fee will
be the estimated cost that the district incurs for
providing the course. This subsection also sets a
ceiling for the fee which is calculated by multiplying
the base student allocation by the proportion of
classes that the student is taking in the district
offering the virtual course.
• In subsection (f), the consortium is allowed to
charge a fee to any school district that offers a
course in the database under (b) of this section. DEED
will be able to set the fee in regulation and can
adjust it as necessary annually. The fees must be set
in such a manner that by June 30, 2020, the fees paid
by districts will approximately equal any
administrative costs of the consortium.
• Subsection (g) allows the consortium to require
districts that provide courses or have students taking
courses through the consortium to adopt a shared
calendar and a shared bell schedule for at least a
portion of the school day.
10:16:36 AM
Mr. Banks explained that //
10:17:07 AM
Senator von Imhof // Mr. Banks replied that one of the //He
commented that the wording of the bill was to enable
increased technology use in the classroom. Additionally, //
He mentioned other grants and fund sources
10:18:22 AM
Senator Hughes stated that the e-rate program was intended
to help with internet bills, and would // There was also
another bill (SB 102) that would address the cost of
internet connectivity.
Senator von Imhof emphasized that the source of the funds
was important. She //
10:19:06 AM
Mr. Banks continued to discuss the Sectional Analysis:
• Subsection (h) creates definitions for the terms:
"asynchronous", "base student allocation", "blended",
"synchronous", and "virtual education" or "virtual
instruction".
Section 16 (Pages 10-12): Deletes a reference to AS
23.10.065(b) in AS 23.10.055(a) (Alaska
Wage and Hour Act) which is repealed in Section 22 of
this bill.
Section 17 (Page 12-13): Deletes the reference to AS
37.14.110(c) which is repealed in Section
22 of this bill, and rearranges the reference to AS
37.14.160.
Section 18 (Page 13): Deletes language in AS 37.14.130
that requires the Public School Fund
Advisory Board to prepare accounting specifically for
the principal and income of the Public
School Trust Fund.
Section 19 (Pages 13): Deletes language in AS
37.14.160 relating to separate accounting of the
principal and income of the Public School Trust Fund.
This section also requires the Department of Revenue
(DOR) to determine each year the monthly average
market value of fund for the last three fiscal years.
Section 20 (Page 13): Creates a new section in AS
37.14 to allow the Legislature to appropriate 4.75
percent of the market value established with the
changes made in Section 19 of the bill. The funds
shall be used to support public education in Alaska
and to cover the administrative costs of the fund.
Section 21 (Pages 13-14): Amends AS 37.14.170 to allow
the commissioner of DOR to invest the Public School
Trust Fund in order to provide increasing returns from
capital appreciation.
Section 22 (Page 14): Repeals AS 14.20.470(a)(7) so
that the PTPC is no longer able to appoint an
executive secretary. This section also repeals AS
23.10.065(b) and (c) which requires an employer to pay
a public school bus driver at a rate two times the
Alaska minimum wage, and which allows for wage
adjustments to only occur when a contract begins or is
renewed. This section also repeals AS 37.14.110(c)
which sets how the commissioner of DOR will calculate
the net income of the Public School Trust Fund and AS
37.14.140 which requires that net income from the fund
only go towards funding public education which is
unnecessary due to the changes made in Section 20 of
this bill.
Section 23 (Page 14-15): Creates a new section in the
uncodified law of the State of Alaska to require DEED
to analyze the feasibility of merging schools within a
district that are at less than 70 percent capacity and
within 25 miles from each other by road, and submit a
report to the legislature on the department's
conclusions. Factors that DEED will need to consider
is whether merging schools would result in schools
being over capacity, if the design of the facilities
are built for all grade levels within the schools
being considered for a merger, the estimated savings
and costs for the district, and any legal and
financial liabilities that could be incurred by the
district or state because of the closure of a school.
Section 24 (Page 15): Creates applicability language
for the repeal of AS 23.10.065(b) and (c) so that this
bill will only effect contracts made on or after the
effective date of this bill.
Section 25 (Page 15): Creates an effective date for
this bill to be June 30, 2017.
10:23:40 AM
Senator Olson // Mr. Banks replied //
10:24:26 AM
Senator Olson // Senator Hughes //
10:24:55 AM
Senator Olson // Senator Hughes replied that //
10:26:39 AM
Senator Hughes remarked that //
10:28:36 AM
MIKE ILLG, KENAI PENINSULA SCHOOL DISTRICT, HOMER (via
teleconference),
10:31:28 AM
BARBARA HUFF TUCKNESS, TEAMSTERS LOCAL 939, JUNEAU,
10:38:22 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon remarked that // Ms. Tuckness
10:38:32 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon // Ms. Huff Tuckness
10:38:45 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon // Ms. Huff Tuckness //
10:38:53 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon wondered whether there was a safety
check required for drivers. Ms. Huff Tuckness //
10:40:21 AM
Vice-Chair Bishop //
10:41:11 AM
Senator von Imhof // Ms. Huff Tuckness //
10:43:11 AM
Senator Olson // Ms. Huff Tuckness //
10:44:02 AM
DEENA MITCHELL, MEMBER, GREAT ALASKA SCHOOLS, JUNEAU,
remarked that the bill was complicated //
10:46:09 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon //
10:46:33 AM
ALYSE GALVIN, MEMBER, GREAT ALASKA SCHOOLS, JUNEAU, echoed
the remarks of Ms. Mitchell.
10:51:05 AM
DAVID NEES, ALASKA POLICY FORUM, ANCHORAGE (via
teleconference), spoke to //
10:53:49 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon CLOSED public testimony.
10:54:04 AM
Co-Chair MacKinnon pointed to //
10:54:32 AM
AT EASE
10:54:50 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair MacKinnon stated that amendments were due Friday
at 5pm.
SB 96 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 87 - Letter of Opposition Architects Alaska, Inc..pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 87 |
| SB 87 A4LE Position Letter.pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 87 |
| SB 87 2017 School Capacity.pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 87 |
| SB 87 Climate Zones.pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 87 |
| SB 87 DEED Capital Improvement Projects 15 year analysis.pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 87 |
| SB 87 DEED Energy Data FY02 - FY17.pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 87 |
| SB 87 Sectional Analysis Changes.pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 87 |
| SB 87 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 87 |
| SB 87 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 87 |
| SB 96 public testimony Poumagoux.pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 96 |
| CSSB 96(EDC) - Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 96 |
| SB 96 CSSB 96(EDC) - Supporting Document - Response to SFIN Questions - 4-6-17.pdf |
SFIN 4/6/2017 9:00:00 AM |
SB 96 |