03/03/2006 02:00 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

               SB 235-SCHOOL PERFORMANCE BONUSES                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON  called the meeting back  to order at 2:29:16  PM and                                                             
announced the committee would take up SB 235.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GREEN  moved to report  SB 235 and attached  fiscal notes                                                               
from committee with individual recommendations.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON objected.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  OLSON remarked  that  many  of the  people  who will  be                                                               
directly affected  by this  bill have told  him that  they oppose                                                               
it.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON  mentioned that parents  and teachers in  the Chugach                                                               
district  were very  enthusiastic  about a  similar measure  that                                                               
their district had instituted.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON  said that he  is concerned about initiating  a $10                                                               
million to $15 million program  whose effects are so difficult to                                                               
predict  and suggested  testing  the concept  in a  single-school                                                               
district  before trying  it across  the state.  He remarked  that                                                               
addressing  the  dropout  rate should  be  given  higher  funding                                                               
priority than  a reward program and  expressed reservations about                                                               
whether teachers  and administrators  could work any  harder than                                                               
they are already working now.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN said  that he is convinced  that properly designed                                                               
incentive pay will be beneficial to the state.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON  called for  a roll  call on the  motion to  move the                                                               
bill  from committee.  Senators  Green, Wilken,  and Chair  Dyson                                                               
voted  yea;  Senators  Elton  and Olson  voted  nay.  The  motion                                                               
passed.