04/09/2025 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION

              SB 143-MUNICIPAL SCHOOL BOARD TERMS                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:42:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   TOBIN   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."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:43:06 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  ROBERT  YUNDT,  District N,  Alaska  State  Legislature,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska,  sponsor of  SB  143  paraphrased the  following                                                               
statement:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                       Sponsor Statement                                                                                      
                             SB 143                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Currently  Boroughs and  Municipalities are  allowed to                                                                    
     set lengths for Assembly and  Mayoral terms but are not                                                                    
     granted  the same  ability to  decide the  term lengths                                                                    
     for School Board seats.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     SB 143  would grant  Municipalities and  Boroughs those                                                                    
     abilities. The  Mat-Su Borough  for example  have moved                                                                    
     their Assembly seats to 4-year  terms, which will see a                                                                    
     cost savings to the Borough,  since they no longer must                                                                    
     host elections in the off years.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     However, this legislation would  not mandate that terms                                                                    
     are changed,  but instead make  this an  option, should                                                                    
     local  governments want  to change  the terms  of their                                                                    
     school board seats,  as they are already  allowed to do                                                                    
     for Assembly and Mayoral seats.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     I urge your support for SB 143.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:44:20 PM                                                                                                                    
RYAN MCKEE, Staff, Senator Robert Yundt, Alaska State                                                                           
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, offered the sectional analysis for                                                                 
SB 143:                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
                       Sectional Analysis                                                                                     
                             SB 143                                                                                           
                                                                                                                              
     Section 1 AS 14.12.050 adds  a new subsection (d) which                                                                  
     gives municipalities by ordinance  the ability to alter                                                                    
     terms of office.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Section  2  AS 29.20.300(a)  adds  a  new section,  (c)                                                                  
     which is exempt from a 3-year term requirement.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Section  3  AS  29.20.300  adds a  new  subsection  (c)                                                                  
     giving a  municipality the ability  to alter  the terms                                                                    
     of office in (a) of this section.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Section 4 sets an immediate effective date.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:45:10 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR TOBIN announced invited testimony on SB 143.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:45:26 PM                                                                                                                    
GEORGE  HAYS, Deputy  Manager,  Mat-Su  Borough, Palmer,  Alaska,                                                               
testified by  invitation on SB 143.  He stated that SB  143 would                                                               
allow  a municipality's  governing body,  by ordinance,  to alter                                                               
the terms of  office for municipal school board  members. He said                                                               
the  borough  supports  the bill  because  it  strengthens  local                                                               
control, promotes  flexibility, and allows communities  to tailor                                                               
governance structures to local needs.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. HAYES explained that state  law already allows municipalities                                                               
to amend  terms for  mayors and assembly  members. He  noted that                                                               
the  Mat-Su Borough  Assembly previously  adjusted terms  to four                                                               
years for both  the mayor and assembly members,  and that borough                                                               
elections  now  coincide  with state  and  federal  elections  in                                                               
November. He stated  that moving to four-year  school board terms                                                               
would place  those elections in even-numbered  years, which would                                                               
significantly enhance voter turnout.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. HAYES  outlined three  primary reasons  the bill  matters for                                                               
local   governments:  first,   it  enhances   local  control   by                                                               
recognizing differences in  population, geography, and priorities                                                               
across municipalities;  second, it supports  community engagement                                                               
by  potentially improving  voter turnout  and interest  in school                                                               
board service;  and third, it promotes  administrative efficiency                                                               
by  aligning school  board elections  with  other local  election                                                               
schedules, thereby reducing costs and administrative burdens.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. HAYES  emphasized that  SB 143 does  not mandate  changes but                                                               
simply provides  an option to  municipalities. He noted  that any                                                               
changes  would still  require passage  of a  local ordinance  and                                                               
remain    subject   to    public    input,   transparency,    and                                                               
accountability.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:48:22 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BJORKMAN  asked  about  voter  participation  after  the                                                               
borough  aligned  its  local elections  with  state  and  federal                                                               
elections. He inquired about the  rate of drop-off between voters                                                               
participating  in top-of-the-ticket  races  and  those voting  in                                                               
local assembly and other local races.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:49:05 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR YUNDT responded that the  borough has now conducted three                                                               
aligned  elections2020,  2022,  and 2024.  He stated  that during                                                               
the first  aligned election,  the drop-off rate  was close  to 10                                                               
percentage points, largely  due to voter confusion.  He said that                                                               
in subsequent elections the  drop-off decreased significantly and                                                               
is now almost  nonexistent. He reported that turnout  in the most                                                               
recent  local election  reached  48 percent,  with  only a  small                                                               
number  of voters  declining to  participate in  local races.  He                                                               
attributed the  improvement to voters becoming  accustomed to the                                                               
new system.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:49:50 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS  asked if SB  143 affects  the number of  terms a                                                               
person  can serve,  as some  people run  for several  consecutive                                                               
terms.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  YUNDT replied  no and  clarified that  there remains  no                                                               
limit on  the number of  terms a person  may serve on  the school                                                               
board.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:50:25 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KIEHL  said he  found SB 143  intriguing. He  stated that                                                               
one reason  communities in  his district  have not  aligned local                                                               
elections  with federal  and  state elections  is  to give  local                                                               
candidates  an  opportunity  to receive  attention,  rather  than                                                               
having it  overshadowed by large, expensive  statewide campaigns.                                                               
He  asked whether  there was  concern that  placing school  board                                                               
elections  on the  same  ballot as  major  statewide races  could                                                               
diminish focus on local contests.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:51:07 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  YUNDT responded  that the  borough  has already  aligned                                                               
school  board elections  in even-numbered  years, with  only some                                                               
seats falling in  odd-numbered years due to  three-year terms. He                                                               
acknowledged  that,  as  a  former  assembly  member,  there  had                                                               
initially  been concerns  about local  races being  overshadowed.                                                               
However, he stated  that in his experience,  the change increased                                                               
engagement.  He  noted  that   the  Mat-Su  Borough  historically                                                               
experienced  very  low  turnout in  standalone  local  elections,                                                               
sometimes  under   10  percent,  but  saw   significantly  higher                                                               
participation after aligning with state and federal elections.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR YUNDT said the combined  elections created a more engaged                                                               
electorate, with  residents more aware of  upcoming elections and                                                               
more willing  to ask questions  and interact with  candidates. In                                                               
his  view,  the alignment  improved  the  overall experience  for                                                               
candidates and  voters, and  he believed  local school  board and                                                               
assembly members shared that perspective.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:52:13 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. MCKEE  added that in  the Mat-Su Borough local  elections had                                                               
previously  occurred in  October, between  the state  primary and                                                               
general  elections.  He  said  that  timing  often  caused  local                                                               
elections to  be overlooked because  voters focused  primarily on                                                               
the larger  statewide races. Many  residents were unaware  that a                                                               
separate local election was taking  place between the primary and                                                               
general  elections. He  explained that  aligning local  elections                                                               
with  the  November  general  election  increased  awareness  and                                                               
participation.  While  statewide  campaigns  involve  significant                                                               
advertising  that  local  candidates cannot  match,  holding  all                                                               
elections on  the same day  ensured voters knew a  local election                                                               
was occurring.  He stated  that this  alignment contributed  to a                                                               
substantial increase in voter turnout.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:53:21 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  KIEHL noted  that, in  some  smaller communities,  voter                                                               
turnout is consistently high, and  in larger communities, turnout                                                               
has  improved  through  vote-by-mail  systems. He  then  asked  a                                                               
policy   question,  observing   that  certain   local  governance                                                               
changes, such  as altering  the size of  a school  board, require                                                               
voter approval. He questioned whether  changing school board term                                                               
lengths  should  similarly  require voter  approval  rather  than                                                               
action  solely  by  ordinance.  He  asked  whether  adding  voter                                                               
approval would serve as an  appropriate safeguard consistent with                                                               
other statutory provisions.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:54:19 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  YUNDT replied  that passing  SB 143  on the  state level                                                               
will  not force  communities to  change school  board terms  from                                                               
three to four years. It just provides the option.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:54:43 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR CRONK said  SB 143 created a win-win in  that it provides                                                               
local control and increases voter turnout.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:55:22 PM                                                                                                                    
KATHERINE GARDNER,  Deputy Superintendent, Mat-Su  Borough School                                                               
District,  Palmer, Alaska,  testified  by invitation  on SB  143.                                                               
She  stated that  the Mat-Su  School Board  passed a  legislative                                                               
priority  supporting the  option  to expand  school board  member                                                               
terms to four years if a  municipality chooses to do so. She said                                                               
the district's  primary interest  aligns with  earlier testimony:                                                               
enhancing  local control,  increasing voter  turnout by  aligning                                                               
elections with  even-numbered years, and improving  efficiency by                                                               
eliminating  the need  for the  borough to  conduct elections  in                                                               
odd-numbered years.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS.  GARDNER  added  that from  a  school  district  perspective,                                                               
extending terms  to four years  would provide  additional benefit                                                               
by giving  new school board members  more time to learn  and grow                                                               
into  their roles.  She noted  that  while many  members bring  a                                                               
strong  passion   for  education,  overseeing  a   school  system                                                               
involves  a  learning  curve. The  additional  year  would  allow                                                               
members  more  time  to gain  knowledge,  receive  training,  and                                                               
become  effective  in   their  governance  responsibilities.  She                                                               
concluded  by  stating  that the  Mat-Su  School  Board  supports                                                               
passage of SB 143.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:56:48 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR TOBIN asked DEED to present  an overview of the fiscal note                                                               
for SB 143.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:57:01 PM                                                                                                                    
DEB  RIDDLE,  Operations  Manager,  Division  of  Innovation  and                                                               
Education,  Department   of  Education  and   Early  Development,                                                               
Juneau, Alaska,  provided an  overview of  fiscal note  OMB 2796.                                                               
She  stated the  bill  affects the  Department  of Education  and                                                               
Early  Development.  The   appropriation  falls  under  Education                                                               
Support  and  Administration  Services, with  the  allocation  to                                                               
Student and School. She reported that the fiscal note is zero.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:57:34 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR TOBIN opened public testimony  on SB 143; finding none, she                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:57:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR TOBIN held [SB 143] in committee.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:58:00 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR YUNDT thanked the committee for hearing SB 143.