Legislature(2017 - 2018)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/10/2017 01:30 PM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB102 || SB103 || SB104 | |
| SB102 | |
| SB104 | |
| SB103 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 102 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 103 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 104 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SENATE BILL NO. 102
"An Act relating to funding for Internet services for
school districts; and relating to the Alaska higher
education investment fund."
SENATE BILL NO. 103
"An Act establishing the Alaska education innovation
grant program; eliminating the Alaska education grant
program and the Alaska performance scholarship
program; redesignating the Alaska higher education
investment fund as the Alaska education innovation
grant fund; and providing for an effective date."
SENATE BILL NO. 104
"An Act relating to the duties of the state Board of
Education and Early Development; and relating to
school curriculum."
1:45:03 PM
BRITTANY HUTCHISON, STAFF, SENATOR ANNA MACKINNON,
offered an overview about why the suite of bills were being
introduced. She asserted that SB 102, 103, and 104 had been
crafted out of the need for major improvements in Alaska's
educational system. She said that the needs addressed in
the legislation were threefold: the prioritization of K-12
education as a constitutional responsibility, the
improvement of outcomes for Alaskan students, and providing
for efficient and streamlined delivery of education
processes and procedures.
1:46:50 PM
Ms. Hutchison provided a sponsor statement for SB 102:
The goal of this legislation is to improve educational
outcomes for Alaskan students. The graduation rate for
high school in Alaska for 2016 is 76%. Of the amount
of students who go to the University of Alaska, 52% of
incoming Alaska freshman need remediation classes. Our
children and workforce deserve better. This bill seeks
to improve outcomes by providing students with
additional internet access and increased opportunity
for virtual education, even in the most remote places
in Alaska. This will provide access to the best
teachers in our state to teach in multiple areas of
our state, via the internet.
It is the Legislature's primary constitutional
requirement to provide for an education system in
Alaska. It is time to refocus and prioritize our state
money on improved deliveries of education. SB 102 will
provide assistance to districts with high technology
costs and technological disadvantages, by increasing
the minimum requirement of megabits per second from 10
to 25. It will direct monies from the higher education
fund to increase the amount of Broadband Assistance
Grants (BAG) that the state can pay to school
districts and will allow schools the flexibility to
direct additional dollars to the classroom.
Currently, 137 schools, in 29 school districts,
receive a BAG award. SB 102 will bring 197 schools up
to the new floor of 25Mbps and provide funding to help
those schools reach 25Mbps.
The total cost of internet services in FY16 was
approximately $92.6 million. The Federal E-Rate
program discount covered approximately $79.1 million.
The School BAG awards covered $3.4 million. School
Districts across the state only had to pay a
cumulative sum of approximately $10 million in FY16.
The value of E-Rate and BAG for our schools is
tremendous. This bill will leverage between 70- 90%
federal dollars. For every state dollar, we receive
about $7 from the federal government.
I urge your support of this legislation to help
improve educational outcomes for Alaskan students.
Ms. Hutchison relayed that the bill would not provide
funding for infrastructure, personal computers,
microphones, or software.
1:48:35 PM
Ms. Hutchison discussed the sectional analysis for SB 102
(copy on file):
Section 1 AS 14.03.127(a)
Increases the floor of internet download speed from 10
megabits per second (Mbps) to 25 megabits per second
(Mbps) for every school in Alaska.
Section 2 AS 37.14.750(a)
Puts into statute that the legislature may pay for
internet services through the Higher Education
Fund.
Section 3 AS 37.14.750
Conforming language that allows the legislature to pay
for internet services through the Higher Education
Fund.
1:49:01 PM
Co-Chair MacKinnon OPENED public testimony.
JACK WALSH, SUPERINTENDENT, CRAIG SCHOOLS, CRAIG, testified
in support of the bill. He believed that the expanded
internet access would help to provide additional vocational
programs.
1:50:46 PM
TONY HABRA, HAINES BOROUGH SCHOOLS, HAINES, spoke in
support of the legislation. He noted that the internet
access in Haines was good, but that it would be beneficial
to connect with other districts that currently had limited
access.
1:52:10 PM
TIM PARKER, PRESIDENT, NEA ALASKA, JUNEAU, spoke in support
of the legislation. He lamented the proposed 5 percent cut
to education funding.
Co-Chair MacKinnon reminded the testifier that the bill
before the committee was SB 102.
Mr. Parker spoke to SB 102. He stated that additional
broadband was definitely needed, but that there were some
fiber optic cable issues as well as satellite data
transmittal struggles. He stressed that a long term fiscal
solution to the budget crisis was necessary to provide
stable, forward funding for Alaska schools.
Co-Chair MacKinnon understood that Mr. Parker supported SB
102.
Mr. Parker stated that he was in support of the bill. He
said that slow running computers were detrimental to
classroom learning. He opined that teachers had to have two
lesson plans in place: one that used the computer, and
another for when the computer did not work.
1:56:59 PM
DAVID BRIGHTON, KENAI EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, KENAI, spoke
in support of SB 102. He spoke of the Alaska Performance
Scholarship. He said that his son would not be able to go
to college without the scholarship.
Co-Chair MacKinnon requested that testifiers keep their
comments to the bill before the committee.
1:59:10 PM
Senator Micciche clarified that the committee would be
hearing public testimony for the other bills on the agenda.
1:59:55 PM
JEFF HEBARD, FAIRBANKS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, FAIRBANKS,
expressed support for the bill. He was concerned about the
funding source.
Co-Chair MacKinnon stressed that individual public
testimony would be taken for each bill.
Mr. Hebard urged support for local control of decision
making for school funding issues. He testified against SB
103. He lamented the various struggles faced by students in
Alaska's school system. He argued that educators could not
build necessary relationships with students when classrooms
were overcrowded.
2:02:58 PM
Vice-Chair Bishop asked whether Mr. Hebard wanted broadband
to be optional.
Mr. Hebard answered in the affirmative.
Co-Chair MacKinnon surmised that the school districts would
pick up the cost of the broadband.
Mr. Hebard responded that he was encouraging that the
decision making be at the local level.
2:03:30 PM
LISA PARADY, ALASKA COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS,
JUNEAU, testified in support of the bill. She stressed that
expanding internet speed in rural Alaska was a critical
piece in moving forward with virtual learning. She believed
that the effort to maximize federal dollars was prudent.
2:06:25 PM
Co-Chair MacKinnon remarked that Senator Olson had been the
original carrier of a broadband assistance bill for
communities outside of the Railbelt.
2:07:13 PM
AT EASE
2:07:36 PM
RECONVENED
ALYSE GALVIN, GREAT ALASKA SCHOOLS, JUNEAU, testified in
support of SB 102. She acknowledged the importance of
broadband in rural Alaska, but added that actual teachers
in classrooms was the ultimate goal of her organization.
2:09:41 PM
AT EASE
2:11:38 PM
RECONVENED
PJ FORD SLACK, SUPERINTENDENT, HOONAH CITY SCHOOLS, HOONAH,
spoke in support of the bill. She thought it was very
important to achieve connectivity to other schools in real
time. She hoped that the legislature could offer support in
talking to local providers about providing support for
infrastructure.
2:13:02 PM
Vice-Chair Bishop asked whether her district would be able
to build the infrastructure necessary to implement the
legislation.
Ms. Ford Slack replied that her district would not be able
to afford the necessary cable without help from providers.
Co-Chair MacKinnon commented that the bill did not offer
cable, satellite, or other amenities. She clarified that
only addressed existing schools that had the capacity to
step up to 25 megabits. She said that there were projects
in motion that could provide additional infrastructure that
would provide tie-ins for other communities.
2:14:47 PM
Senator Micciche asked for a clarification on the dollar
amount for the first leg of infrastructure in Ms. Ford's
district.
Ms. Ford Slack replied $6.6 million for the first leg of
cable.
Co-Chair MacKinnon hoped that the administration could
provide the numbers for schools that needed additional
help.
2:15:13 PM
Senator von Imhof queried the distance of the first leg of
cable.
Ms. Ford Slack was unsure about the amount of miles, and
clarified that the route was from Juneau to Hoonah. That
route was the shortest leg before going out to Pelican or
up to Yakutat.
Senator von Imhof referred to the sponsor statement. She
believed that the state should take advantage of the
federal match dollars. She thought that the bill could be
more effective by including fiber optic cable.
2:17:02 PM
Co-Chair MacKinnon shared that there was an "Alaska Plan"
crafted by the federal delegation currently in process that
would provide support for infrastructure advancement.
2:17:28 PM
PAUL KENDALL, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
expressed frustration for the public testimony process and
the decline of the moral foundation in the state.
2:21:35 PM
Co-Chair MacKinnon CLOSED public testimony.
PATIENCE FREDRIKSON, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF LIBRARIES,
ARCHIVES AND MUSEUMS, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY
DEVELOPMENT, testified in favor of the legislation.
2:22:46 PM
SB 102 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
2:23:28 PM
Ms. Hutchison commented that the Alaska Telephone
Association had written that the current technology and
infrastructure was able to deliver 25 megabits, per second,
to all schools in the state. The bill would not require any
additional infrastructure.