03/20/1996 02:00 PM Senate CRA

 Number 001                                                                    
                                                                               
           SB 294 COMMUNITY MOVES TO DIFFERENT REAA                          
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN TORGERSON  called the Senate Community & Regional Affairs           
 Committee meeting to order at 2:00 p.m.  He brought SB 294 before             
 the committee as the first order of business.                                 
                                                                               
 Number 015                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR GEORGIANNA LINCOLN, prime sponsor of SB 294, explained the            
 legislation has been introduced to provide the communities within             
 one regional educational attendance area (REAA) the ability to                
 become part of a different educational service area in the same               
 regional corporation boundary with the approval of the commissioner           
 of the Department of Education.                                               
                                                                               
 Under existing law, a community within an REAA can only become part           
 of another REAA within the boundaries of a separate regional                  
 corporation.  SB 294 provides that a community could merge with an            
 REAA that has common interests, yet is in the same regional                   
 corporation.                                                                  
                                                                               
 Senator Lincoln said passage of the legislation would enable the              
 REAA's to become more cohesive and coordinated.  Some communities             
 in rural and bush Alaska feel special bonds with other communities            
 that are in other REAA's, for example, their language, culture,               
 family and friends are shared between them.  The ability to                   
 administer a school district between these types of communities               
 could be beneficial in both cultural and fiscal terms.                        
                                                                               
 Senator Lincoln said SB 294 will facilitate improvement in the                
 state's educational system by allowing schools to transfer to                 
 closely related, adjacent REAA's using stringent guidelines to                
 insure a responsible, consistent process.                                     
                                                                               
 Number 075                                                                    
                                                                               
 HUGH SHORT, student intern, directed attention to a map and the               
 village of Chistochina and the community of Gustavus, both which              
 have requested to move within a like regional corporation.                    
                                                                               
 Number 092                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR LINCOLN pointed out that in order for a community to become           
 part of a different educational service area, it must have a                  
 population of at least 25 residents; the majority of residents that           
 are qualified voters have to vote upon the move; and the                      
 commissioner of the Department of Education has 30 days in which              
 disapprove a move from one REAA into another.                                 
                                                                               
 Number 140                                                                    
                                                                               
 KIMBERLY HOMME, Special Assistant, Department of Education, stated            
 the department is in the process of reviewing SB 294 and they                 
 haven't assessed any of its costs to the state.  She added the                
 department recognizes there are a number of communities within                
 Alaska in REAA's that do feel that they are not properly aligned              
 with the proper school district, and the bill would give them an              
 opportunity to move where they feel they would be more culturally,            
 or economically, or linguistically aligned.                                   
                                                                               
 Number 155                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TORGERSON asked for the pleasure of the committee on SB
.                                                                          
                                                                               
 SENATOR ZHAROFF moved that SB 294 be moved out of committee with              
 individual recommendations.  Hearing no objection, it was so                  
 ordered.