03/13/1996 09:40 AM Senate HES

              SCR 25 ALASKA HOME EDUCATION WEEK                              
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN GREEN introduced  SCR 25  as the next order of business.             
                                                                               
 SENATOR MILLER, Prime Sponsor, explained that SCR 25 would                    
 establish a Home Education Week, October 13-19, 1996.  He pointed             
 out that there are letters of support in the committee packets.               
 This would ask the departments, school districts, and home                    
 educating parents to work together.  The Fairbanks area has been              
 very supportive of home educators.  Senator Miller noted that both            
 of his children had been home educated through the Fairbanks North            
 Star Borough District.                                                        
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN GREEN mentioned that in her district, if all the home                
 schooled children returned to public school, three new buildings              
 would be needed.                                                              
                                                                               
 SENATOR MILLER said that Rick Cross has estimated that about a                
 third of the students in Senator Miller's district are either in              
 home schooling or other private education situations.                         
                                                                               
 SENATOR ELLIS did not have a problem with the resolution.  He                 
 supported the ability for a parent to chooses to home school their            
 children.  Senator Ellis expressed concern with page 2, lines 12              
 and 17; is there currently a problem that the resolution would                
 correct?  SENATOR MILLER clarified that the language attempted to             
 ensure that a problem would not occur.  In Senator Miller's                   
 experience, the school districts have been very helpful in                    
 accommodating home schooling.                                                 
                                                                               
 Number 152                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR MILLER moved that SCR 25 be moved out of committee with               
 individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note.             
 Hearing no objections, it was so ordered.