Legislature(2015 - 2016)BUTROVICH 205
04/14/2015 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB37 | |
| SB84 | |
| SB102 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 84 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 102 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 37 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 102-UNFUNDED ED. MANDATES; TRAINING; TEACHERS
CHAIR DUNLEAVY reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SB 102.
4:50:08 PM
SHEILA PETERSON, Staff, Senator Mike Dunleavy, introduced SB 102
on behalf of the sponsor. She said it is a collaborative effort
between many people and a response to school districts' pleas
for relief from unfunded mandates.
She provided the following sectional analysis:
Section 1. Limits AS 14.03.073, which allows students
to challenge courses for credit, to apply only to
students in grades nine through 12.
Section 2. Clarifies that school districts do not have
to establish assessment tools for all courses offered
in grades nine through 12.
Section 3. Requires the state Board of Education and
Early Development (the board) to adopt regulations
that include a list of approved organizations that
offer assessment tools meeting the requirements of AS
14.03.075(b).
SENATOR GARDNER suggested only providing a list of approved
assessment tools because an organization might provide both good
and poor assessments.
MS. PETERSON said they may want to look at that to see if there
might be a better term to use. The intent is that school
districts would not need to do independent research to find the
best assessment tools, nor create their own assessment tool.
Section 4. Requires the Department of Education and
Early Development (the department) to provide an
annual report that includes a summary of school
district revenues and estimated funding for each
school district. The intent is to put the "five-pager"
information on the web.
SENATOR GARDNER asked if this document already exists and the
bill would require it to be published on the web.
MS. PETERSON said yes.
Section 5. Requires the board, before adopting,
amending, or repealing a regulation, to prepare a
fiscal note estimating the effect of the action on
school district budgets for the next fiscal year.
Section 6. Requires regional school boards to
establish procedures to provide required training for
school employees.
Section 7. Requires borough and city school boards to
establish procedures to provide required training for
school employees.
Section 8. Requires the board to establish procedures
for training employees of state boarding schools.
SENATOR HUGGINS asked which training programs are not included.
MS. PETERSON said the intent was to include all training
programs, however, suicide training wasn't included because it
sunsets in 2016; it may be put back in.
SENATOR HUGGINS said he was asking whether some school districts
weren't included.
MS. PETERSON replied she didn't believe so.
SENATOR GARDNER asked for the reason behind the five-year cycle.
4:59:11 PM
MS. PETERSON said the five-year cycle was recommended by a
variety of organizations and it seemed reasonable.
SENATOR STEVENS added that a district could include additional
training programs if they wished to.
MS. PETERSON agreed. It allows for flexibility within the school
districts.
Section 9. Allows school districts to determine how
frequently to provide training related to selection of
nondiscriminatory textbook and educational materials.
Section 10. Allows school districts to determine how
frequently to provide employee evaluation training for
certificated school employees.
Section 11. Allows a school district to implement a
layoff plan for tenured teachers without a decrease in
school attendance or a decrease in the school
district's basic need.
SENATOR GARDNER asked if the layoff plan is needed because there
isn't enough funding to retain the tenured teachers.
MS. PETERSON said this idea came from one school district that
was unable to implement the layoff plan. Responding to a
further question, she said it was the Mat-Su School District.
Section 12. Allows a school district to determine how
frequently to provide alcohol and drug related
disabilities training for school teachers,
administrators, counselors, and specialists.
Section 13. Allows school districts to determine how
frequently to provide school crisis response training.
Section 14. Requires continuing education related to
domestic violence and sexual assault to be provided
once every five years for state or local public
employees.
Section 15. Requires the department to prepare a
fiscal note describing the effect of a bill or
resolution on each school district in the state, if
the bill or resolution would affect schools.
Section 16. Requires agencies to describe the effect
of a proposed action on each school district in the
state, if the proposed action will affect schools.
Section 17. Modifies state agency training intervals
for recognition and reporting of child abuse for
mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect and
allows school districts to determine how frequently to
provide the training.
Section 18. Repeals AS 14.17.520, relating to the
minimum expenditure for instruction required for
school districts.
5:06:42 PM
SENATOR STEVENS expressed concern with the clause in Section 18.
He thought it was reasonable that 70 percent of school funds go
to instruction and 30 percent to administration. It is saying
the established educational goals aren't valuable.
MS. PETERSON said the waiver request is mostly due to fuel and
maintenance costs.
5:08:57 PM
ELIZABETH NUDELMAN, Director, School Finance and Facilities
Section, Department of Education and Early Development (DEED),
answered questions related to SB 102.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY asked if the superintendent's salary is included
in the 70 percent.
MS. NUDELMAN answered no. Included in the 70 percent calculation
are five categories of instruction. There are three categories
of non-instruction.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY asked if most schools that apply for a waiver are
rural schools.
MS. NUDELMAN replied that many are rural. Responding to a
further question, she explained that some have a road system and
are categorized as rural.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY said the concern was that 70/30 should be a tool
for funneling money to instruction. He asked for the
department's opinion on the 70/30 and whether a waiver has ever
been denied.
MS. NUDELMAN explained that the waivers go to the State Board of
Education and zero waivers have been denied over the years.
Sometimes districts have been asked to explain expenditures
outside of instruction.
SENATOR STEVENS asked what controls there would be if the 70/30
split is removed.
MS. NUDELMAN replied that those decisions are made at the local
level. The split provides an opportunity for the Board to hear
from districts that are not able to meet those percentages.
5:13:57 PM
SENATOR HUGGINS recalled that in the five largest school
districts about 90 percent is spent on salary and benefits.
MS. NUDELMAN agreed that has been a reference number.
SENATOR HUGGINS recalled that the superintendent at Adak was
paid for several years after the school shut down.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY noted that in rural Alaska instructional dollars
had to be used for teacher housing. He asked if they have to
prove why they're asking for a waiver.
MS. NUDELMAN said even without the requirement for the waiver,
the department has a statutory requirement to review the
operating budgets for reasonableness. Additionally, if a waiver
is requested they look at the reasons to see if they're
supported by facts.
5:17:56 PM
SENATOR STEVENS suggested taking fuel oil out of the equation if
it's the biggest problem and the goal is to ease the pressure on
small school districts.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY asked if the department has taken a position on
this section addressing the 70/30 rule.
LES MORRIS, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Education and
Early Development (DEED), answered questions related to SB 102.
He said several years ago the Board asked that the 70/30 rule be
repealed, and then changed their minds after learning more about
it. There have been varying positions over time, but the
department hasn't taken a position on this recently.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY concluded that SB 102 is a result of discussions
with school districts and he views it as a tool to help give
school districts breathing room so they can teach kids. He used
several analogies to make his point.
SENATOR GARDNER asked, in the 70/30 rule, what part of the
application process would go away if schools still have to do
the accounting.
MS. NUDELMAN said they would no longer need to write a letter to
the Board explaining why they're below the 70 percent.
SENATOR GARDNER countered that the bookkeeping would remain the
same.
MS. NUDELMAN said correct.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY noted the $1.2 million fiscal note. He asked if
there was a fiscal note to implement the mandates discussed in
the bill.
MS. NUDELMAN explained that the fiscal note is related to the
language in Section 4 and applies to the department, not the
unfunded mandates. It relates to the department providing a tool
on the website with raw data and formulas to manipulate and
estimate the foundation program funding. There is a difference
between providing a detailed report (the five-pager), and a
calculating tool, which is not currently available.
MR. MORRIS noted there are two fiscal notes.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY said this bill will require ongoing conversations
and meetings on unfunded mandates throughout the Interim.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY held SB 102 in committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 1. SB 37 Legislation.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 37 |
| 2. SB 37 Fiscal Note.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 37 |
| 3. CS for SB 37 - Legislation.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 37 |
| 4. CS for SB 37 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 37 |
| 5. CS for SB 37 - Explanation of Changes.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 37 |
| 6. CS for SB 37 - Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 37 |
| 1. SB 84 Legislation.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 84 |
| 2. SB 84 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 84 |
| 3. SB 84 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 84 |
| 4. SB 84 Fiscal Note.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 84 |
| 5. SB 84 Support Letter.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
|
| 6. SB 84 Research.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 84 |
| 7. SB 84 supporting documents- Navajo Nation.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 84 |
| 8. SB 84 Utah Immersion Prog.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 84 |
| SB 102 Legislation.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 102 |
| SB 102 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 102 |
| SB 102 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 102 |
| SB 102 Fiscal Note School Finance.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 102 |
| SB 102 Fiscal Note Teaching Learning.pdf |
SEDC 4/14/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 102 |