02/26/2024 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION

            SJR 17-EXTEND DEADLINE FOR ARP-HCY FUNDS                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:38:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   TOBIN   reconvened   the  meeting   and   announced   the                                                               
consideration  of  SENATE  JOINT  RESOLUTION NO.  17  Urging  the                                                               
United States  Congress to extend  the deadline for the  state to                                                               
obligate  American Rescue  Plan Elementary  and Secondary  School                                                               
Emergency Relief - Homeless Children and Youth funds.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  TOBIN  stated  that  on   January  29,  2024,  the  Senate                                                               
Education  Standing  Committee held  a  meeting  that focused  on                                                               
youth  homelessness  and  education. Discussion  with  colleagues                                                               
following the meeting led to the creation of SJR 17.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:39:50 PM                                                                                                                    
MACKENZIE  POPE,   Staff,  Senator   Löki  Tobin,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, introduced SJR 17:                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     SJR  17  asks  Alaska's federal  level  delegation  and                                                                    
     their  colleagues to  extend the  deadline to  obligate                                                                    
     the remaining  American rescue plan homeless  child and                                                                    
     youth (ARP  HCY) funds to  at least September  2025. In                                                                    
     Alaska,  we have  seen  a 14  percent  increase in  the                                                                    
     number  of students  experiencing homelessness,  and of                                                                    
     the $2.3  million dedicated to  the state of  Alaska in                                                                    
     the  ARP  HCY  funds,   approximately  40  percent,  or                                                                    
     $800,080, of  those funds remain  to be  obligated, and                                                                    
     this  additional time  will give  the school  districts                                                                    
     ample time to plan and  apply for those grants from the                                                                    
     state  of Alaska.  As you  heard in  this committee  on                                                                    
     January  29,  these funds  have  already  been used  to                                                                    
     support  students  experiencing   homelessness  in  the                                                                    
     Anchorage  School District,  among  others, by  funding                                                                    
     English language learning support  positions in each of                                                                    
     the   largest   high   schools,  two   social   service                                                                    
     coordinators  in the  classroom nested  within Covenant                                                                    
     House, a  youth shelter  in Anchorage,  smartphones for                                                                    
     students  who needed  them to  coordinate school  work,                                                                    
     rides,  other  support  services, Wi  Fi  hotspots  for                                                                    
     students who  required them, and  even car  repairs for                                                                    
     families who  needed that vehicle to  get their student                                                                    
     to and from  the school. These are just  a few examples                                                                    
     of how  the Anchorage School District  used these funds                                                                    
     to   improve  outcomes   for  these   housing  insecure                                                                    
     students.   Supporting   this  resolution   will   show                                                                    
     Alaska's congressional  delegation that you  would like                                                                    
     to give our  schools more time to invest  in these much                                                                    
     needed interventions.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:41:49 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR TOBIN announced invited testimony for SJR 17.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:42:18 PM                                                                                                                    
BARBARA  DUFFIELD,  Executive Director,  SchoolHouse  Connection,                                                               
Washington D.C., said she has  worked in partnerships with school                                                               
districts  nationwide  for  nearly  30 years.  She  provided  the                                                               
following testimony on SJR 17:                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
   • SchoolHouse Connection strongly supports Senate Joint                                                                      
     Resolution  17, which  calls on  Alaska's Congressional                                                                    
     delegation to advocate for a  one-year extension in the                                                                    
     obligation  date  for  American  Rescue  Plan  Homeless                                                                    
     Children and Youth funds (ARP-HCY).                                                                                        
   • ARP-HCY funds were the result of a bipartisan                                                                              
     amendment supported  by both  of Alaska's  US Senators.                                                                    
     They have been incredibly impactful  and can be used to                                                                    
     directly   remove  the   barriers  to   regular  school                                                                    
     attendance    and   academic    success   created    by                                                                    
     homelessness  -   everything  from   transportation  to                                                                    
     school supplies to mentoring.  ARP-HCY funds are needed                                                                    
     now   more   than   ever  because   child   and   youth                                                                    
     homelessness  is  worse  now  than it  was  during  the                                                                    
     pandemic.  In fact,  the  number  of homeless  students                                                                    
     identified  by Alaskan  schools  is  14 percent  higher                                                                    
     than it was in the school year before the pandemic.                                                                        
   • Unfortunately, administrative restrictions, delays in                                                                      
     federal  guidance, lack  of staff  capacity, and  staff                                                                    
     turnover have created barriers  to using ARP-HCY funds.                                                                    
     In  addition,   our  many  educational   agencies  have                                                                    
     prioritized  spending the  much  larger ARP  Elementary                                                                    
     and  Secondary School  Emergency Relief  funds, at  the                                                                    
     expense of a focus on APR-HCY dollars.                                                                                     
   • An additional year costs nothing, but allows local                                                                         
     school district  homeless liaisons to be  good stewards                                                                    
     of  these  funds.  It  means   that  rather  than  just                                                                    
     spending for the sake of  spending to meet an arbitrary                                                                    
     deadline, schools can  use the funds as  needs arise in                                                                    
     their  communities -  as cars  break down,  as children                                                                    
     need shoes,  as an  emergency placement  in a  motel is                                                                    
     necessary for school stability.                                                                                            
   • An additional year also gives the school districts                                                                         
     time to  plan for  sustaining their  efforts, including                                                                    
     how to  fund staff positions or  community partnerships                                                                    
     that have been impactful.                                                                                                  
   • In sum, we urge swift passage of Senate Joint                                                                              
     Resolution  17 to  help ensure  that we  are maximizing                                                                    
     every federal dollar so  that today's homeless children                                                                    
     do not become tomorrow's homeless adults.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:45:08 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR TOBIN concluded invited testimony and opened public                                                                       
testimony on SJR 17; finding none, she closed public testimony.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:45:55 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR TOBIN solicited the will of the committee.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:45:58 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON moved to report SJR 17, work order 33-                                                                     
LS1382\B, from committee with individual recommendations and                                                                    
attached zero fiscal note(s).                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:46:12 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR TOBIN found no objection and SJR 17 was reported from the                                                                 
Senate Education Standing Committee.