05/15/2025 01:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

              SB 143-MUNICIPAL SCHOOL BOARD TERMS                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
           [CSSB 143(EDC) was before the committee.]                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:04:52 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   MERRICK  reconvened   the   meeting   and  announced   the                                                              
consideration  of SENATE  BILL NO.  143  "An Act  relating to  the                                                              
terms of office  of municipal school board members;  and providing                                                              
for an effective date."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:05:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  YUNDT,  speaking  as sponsor,  said  SB  143 is  a  local                                                              
control issue  addressing school  board term length.  He explained                                                              
that currently,  Alaskan  communities can  choose terms of  office                                                              
(3- or 4-year  terms) for mayor and assembly;  however, the school                                                              
board is  limited to 3  years. SB 143  would change extend  the 3-                                                              
or  4-year option  to  school board  terms.  This would  eliminate                                                              
off-year elections  in communities  that have chosen  4-year terms                                                              
for  local assembly  and mayoral  elections. He  stated that  this                                                              
would provide  a financial  savings and  streamline the  electoral                                                              
process.  He emphasized that  this would  allow local  communities                                                              
to choose the  term length. He noted that local  governments could                                                              
not change the term length without ballot approval.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:06:34 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MERRICK announced invited testimony on SB 143.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:06:49 PM                                                                                                                    
GEORGE  HAYS,  Deputy Borough  Manager,  Mat-Su  Borough,  Palmer,                                                              
Alaska, said SB  143 proposes a simple, yet significant  change by                                                              
allowing  municipal governments  to determine  (by ordinance)  the                                                              
terms  of  office   for  municipal  school  board   members.  This                                                              
strengthens  local  control,  promotes   flexibility,  and  allows                                                              
municipalities   to  tailor  governance   to  the  needs   of  the                                                              
community.  He  noted  that state  law  allows  municipalities  to                                                              
change mayoral  and assembly  term length.  He explained  that the                                                              
Mat-Su Borough  recently  changed its mayoral  and assembly  terms                                                              
to  coincide  with  the state  and  federal  elections.  A  4-year                                                              
school board term  would match up with these,  which would greatly                                                              
improve voter  turnout. He  outlined the  following three  reasons                                                              
why SB 143 matters for local governments:                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
        1. SB 143 would significantly enhance local control.                                                                    
             • Municipalities across the state vary greatly                                                                     
               in    population,    geography,   and    local                                                                   
               priorities.  SB 143  provides local  governing                                                                   
               bodies  to set local  school terms that  align                                                                   
               with local needs and electoral cycles.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
        2. SB 143 supports community engagement.                                                                                
             • In some cases, adjusting term lengths may                                                                        
               improve  voter turnout, streamline  elections,                                                                   
               and/or  increase   interest  in  school  board                                                                   
               service.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
        3. SB 143 promotes administrative efficiency.                                                                           
             • Aligning school board terms with other local                                                                     
               election  cycles has the potential  to greatly                                                                   
               reduce   costs  and  administrative   burdens.                                                                   
               This  would create  more efficient  government                                                                   
               operations.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. HAYS  noted that  SB 143  gives municipalities  the option  of                                                              
changing  school  board  term  length.   He  emphasized  that  the                                                              
changes made by  this legislation would still be  subject to local                                                              
ordinance  processes, including  public  input, transparency,  and                                                              
accountability.  He stated  that trusting  municipalities to  make                                                              
these decisions  reinforces the  value of local governments  while                                                              
empowering   communities  to  build   stronger,  more   responsive                                                              
institutions.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
2:09:53 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MERRICK  opened public  testimony on  SB 143; finding  none,                                                              
she closed public testimony.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:10:15 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR YUNDT explained  the impetus for SB 143. He  said that [in                                                              
the Mat-Su  Borough] odd-year  elections  have seen voter  turnout                                                              
rates  of 9-14  percent.  Shifting  to even-year  elections  (i.e.                                                              
holding all  elections on the  same 4-year cycle)  increased voter                                                              
turnout  to 48  percent. He  said  that holding  all elections  on                                                              
even  years would  create more  ease for  voters (thus  increasing                                                              
voter turnout) and would save municipalities money.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:10:53 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MERRICK held SB 143 in committee.