Legislature(2011 - 2012)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
01/27/2012 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB171 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 139 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 171 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 171-INCREASE BASE STUDENT ALLOCATION
8:04:44 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER announced the consideration of SB 171.
8:06:18 AM
MURRAY RICHMOND, staff to Senator Thomas, co-aide for the Senate
Education Committee, SB 171 sponsor, said the bill gives
districts the ability to craft responsible and conservative
budgets with a three year plan of modest increases so districts
know how to plan. He said the bill changes the effective date
for the base student allocation (BSA) and raises the amounts to
$5805 on July 1, 2012, $5935 on July 1, 2013 and $6070 on July
1, 2014. He noted that annual BSA increases amount to $125 for
the first year, $130 for the second year and $135 for the third
year.
8:08:09 AM
MR. RICHMOND said the Alaska Council of School Administrators
(ACSA) FY13 Funding Review reported that districts would require
a $320 BSA increase to keep pace with expected cost increases,
excluding energy costs. He said many districts were facing
budget cuts and layoffs even with a BSA increase. Academic Year
2012-13 (AY13) projections include Fairbanks with a $14.6
million shortfall, Anchorage with a $6.2 million budget
reduction, Juneau with a $3.6 to $5.9 million budget cut and
Kodiak with a $1.2 million to $1.3 million reduction.
He noted that Haines was one of 12 districts which met Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP) standards in 2011 with an 88 percent
graduation rate and 50 percent of its graduates qualifying for
the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS). He said the Haines
School District voiced concerns that budget cuts could have a
negative impact on positive gains made in academic performance.
8:10:46 AM
MR. RICHMOND reviewed a report from the Economic Policy
Institute (EPI) titled "Where Has The Money Been Going" to
address spending levels and program compositional change in
elementary and secondary education from 1967 to 2005. He said
the report concluded that conventional views of the rise of
education spending were exaggerated because inflation in
educational services was more rapid than inflation in the
economy overall due to a high percentage of labor cost in
education versus other industries. He said the real increase in
school spending has been on special education rather than on
regular academic programs. He said federally mandated special
education spending increased from 3.7 percent in 1967 to 21.0
percent in 2005 and regular education spending decreased from
79.6 percent in 1967 to 55.0 percent in 2005.
SENATOR STEVENS asked if federal funding on special education
has increased.
8:12:32 AM
MR. RICHMOND answered that federal funding was decreasing for
special education.
8:13:06 AM
MR. RICHMOND addressed an assumption that Alaska spends more per
student than any other state in the U.S. He said a report from
the National Education Association (NEA) shows the state does
not lead the U.S. in per student spending and spending continues
to decrease, down from tenth in AY04 to twenty second in AY10.
He noted that Alaska was at one time as high as third in the
U.S. for per student spending.
He reviewed 2011 academic achievement assessment of elementary
and secondary students in Alaska from The Nation's Report Card
via the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). He
said for average test results in reading, the state's fourth-
grade students ranked lower than those in 46
states/jurisdictions and eighth-grade students ranked lower than
33 states/jurisdictions. He said in mathematics, the state's
fourth-grade students ranked lower than those in 33
states/jurisdictions and eighth-grade students ranked lower than
those in 22 states/jurisdictions. He noted that achievement
level percentages and average score results have steadily
increased for eighth-grade students.
8:17:38 AM
He said Alaska's dropout rate has steadily declined from
slightly above 6 percent in 2000 to below 5 percent in 2010.
8:18:25 AM
SENATOR FRENCH asked to verify NAEP test results that fourth-
grade reading scores declined while fourth-grade math, eighth-
grade reading and eighth-grade math improved.
MR. RICHMOND answered correct.
SENATOR FRENCH commented that the dropout rate reduction was
positive and noted that he was under the impression that the
dropout rate was 40 percent. He asked how the lower dropout rate
was measured.
MR. RICHMOND answered that the dropout rate submitted was based
on an annual percentage and Senator French may be referring to
the cumulative dropout rate. He noted that the cumulative
dropout rate has declined from 40 percent to 32 percent.
8:20:18 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER commented on the Crime Summit recently presented
by Senator French and education's indirect effect on crime. He
said the recent Pre-Kindergarten Task Force and the Moore case
settlement both emphasized the importance of early childhood
education.
8:21:16 AM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS commented that reports presented were helpful
and showed positive progress. He noted the importance of
documentation to support how educational data was derived, e.g.,
how and when the dropout rate was calculated for an annual or
graduation class percentage.
8:23:21 AM
DAVID HERBERT, President, Alaska Council of School
Administrators (ACSA), said a recent ACSA report on the BSA
showed a $320 increase was required for school districts to meet
projected cost increases and noted that the BSA has not
increased during the past two fiscal years. He said ACSA has
determined that the primary focus was on increasing the FY13 BSA
by $320 to avoid staff reductions, program cuts and detrimental
effects on students.
8:26:45 AM
He noted the improvement made in the state's graduation rate and
work readiness in its graduates. He said the multi-year forward
funding would greatly assist districts for planning upcoming
budgets. He said costs continue to increase, federal funding
continues to decrease, student enrollment has declined in some
districts and the elimination of $20 million appropriated in
FY12 for higher energy costs.
8:30:35 AM
MR. HEBERT said he was the superintendent for the St. Mary's
school district; 99 percent Native Alaskan population, made AYP
nearly every year, 90 percent graduation rate and a recent
graduate was attending Stanford University on a scholarship.
8:31:55 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER commented that the Senate has made education
funding a top priority and the intent is to have funding
approved in time to assist districts with their FY13 budget
planning. He noted that a $320 BSA increase was doubtful, but
annual increases ranging from $125 to $135 over three years was
a start.
8:32:55 AM
SENATOR STEVENS stated that he appreciated the ACSA's
documentation to support a $320 increase in BSA funding, but
noted that it was up to the committee to submit a realistic
increase that had a chance to pass. He commended committee
members who came forward with a plan to address education
funding shortfalls and noted that the focus should be on how SB
171 would help rather than not being enough.
8:34:47 AM
SIERRA LLOYD, fourth-grade student, Harborview Elementary
School, Juneau, said an increase in the BSA would benefit her
school by providing more computers and teachers.
8:36:52 AM
ERIN HEYWOOD, representing herself, Juneau, said her sons were
special need students with hemophilia. She said proposed
cutbacks would eliminate school nurses who tend to her children.
8:41:53 AM
LILLIAN WORL, representing herself, Juneau, said the district
continues to augment school budgets with donations and fund-
raising activities. She said proposed budget cuts would
eliminate 66 staff members, reduce school nurses by 60 percent
and restrict needed technology upgrades.
8:46:32 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER commented that he has always been impressed with
parental involvement in Juneau and understands the high travel
expenses faced by the district due to attending activities in
Southcentral.
8:47:10 AM
MAUREEN HALL, School Nurse, Juneau School District, said schools
face additional challenges due to technology's impact on
behavior and rising obesity rates. She said underfunding school
budgets does not respond to the increased challenge it takes to
educate children in today's culture.
8:53:34 AM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS commented that "digital distraction" for
children would only get worse as the necessity for schools to
intervene increases.
MS. HALL said a balanced curriculum approach with physical
activity is important for children.
8:55:01 AM
DR. JOY NEYHART, Pediatrician, Juneau, said school nurses play
an important supportive role when caring for children,
especially with special needs patients. She said saving money by
replacing school nurses with health aides would put students at
risk.
8:57:09 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked what the difference was between a school
nurse and a health aide.
DR. NEYHART answered that she did not know.
SENATOR STEVENS asked if a health aide would be a certified
nurse.
DR. NEYHART answered no. She said a health aide could be an
individual with no postsecondary education.
8:57:46 AM
STEWART MCDONALD, Superintendent, Kodiak, said education
spending has not kept up with costs and the result has been
continued staff and program cuts. He said dropout rates would
increase if core curriculum was not balanced with developmental
activities. He said the district was trying to find new ways to
educate children with fewer resources.
9:02:45 AM
PETER HOEPFNER, Cordova School Board Member, Cordova, said an
increase in the BSA would help with continually rising expenses.
He noted that the district has aggressively worked on conserving
energy costs by cutting nearly $500,000 over the past five
years. He said forward-funding would help the district plan for
its future. He said continued flat-funding would lead to teacher
layoffs and create student performance concerns.
9:04:29 AM
SENATOR STEVENS commented that the Cordova School District has
the 2012 Teacher of the Year and the 2012 Superintendent of the
Year, a tribute to their success.
9:05:11 AM
ANNE KILKENNY, representing herself, Matanuska-Susitna, said the
bill should be amended to two years with a BSA increase in FY13
by $340 and FY14 by $170. She said federal funding has impacted
the district's budget, down from 10 to 12 percent to less than
one percent.
9:09:59 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER announced he would hold SB 171 in committee for
future consideration.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Packet 1-27-12.pdf |
SEDC 1/27/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 171 Bill Packet |
| SB171-EED-ACYA-1-20-12.pdf |
SEDC 1/27/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 171 |
| SB171-EED-ESS-1-20-12.pdf |
SEDC 1/27/2012 8:00:00 AM |
SB 171 |