03/29/2010 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

           HB 393-CHARTER/ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL FUNDING                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON announced the next  order of business would be HOUSE                                                               
BILL NO.  393, "An  Act relating to  charter school  approval and                                                               
funding."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:16:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER expressed his interest  in a "recap" of [HB
].   He related that  supporters of the bill  are disappointed                                                               
in  its progress,  and  asked about  the  possibility looking  at                                                               
charter school issues, one by one, next session.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:17:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON replied  that the bill has not  been rescheduled for                                                               
hearing as further  information was needed.  He  reviewed some of                                                               
the unanswered questions regarding provisions of the bill.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:18:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KELLER  clarified  that  a charter  school  is  a                                                               
public  school, thus  it is  housed in  a building  owned by  the                                                               
school district.   The bill  calls for additional funding  in the                                                               
amount of $1,000,  or up to $1 per participating  student, into a                                                               
program that will  allow any charter school to  request a federal                                                               
grant.  This is necessary because  one of the scoring criteria of                                                               
a federal  grant is whether  the state is supportive  for charter                                                               
school  facilities; therefore,  the  intent of  the  bill was  to                                                               
"just get  that grant in place."   However, EED advised  the cost                                                               
of  administering and  distributing  the funding  would be  high.                                                               
Representative Keller opined this issue  does not have to do with                                                               
the ownership of the building,  although charter schools can meet                                                               
in private buildings.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:19:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON observed  that the main aspect of  the bill included                                                               
a  reimbursement  schedule  that  would raise  costs  for  school                                                               
districts  in  five years.    Furthermore,  the bill  mandated  a                                                               
financial commitment from schools  districts and EED for matching                                                               
grants, without  a clearly designated  source of funding.   Also,                                                               
because  the  grants  were  going to  the  charter  schools,  the                                                               
question  of the  ownership  and liability  of  the building  was                                                               
raised.    Additional hearings  on  HB  393 were  not  scheduled,                                                               
awaiting  a   response  to  the  questions   from  Representative                                                               
Keller's staff.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KELLER stated  he will  provide answers  to Chair                                                               
Seaton's  questions from  the drafter  of the  bill, and  further                                                               
information on the intent of the bill from its original sponsor.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:23:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON  concluded that federal funding  for charter schools                                                               
may be  limited, "since they've  committed all of their  money to                                                               
two states for five years."   In addition, states are required to                                                               
participate in  the federal  Race to the  Top grant  program, but                                                               
Alaska is not participating.  On  the other hand, he surmised the                                                               
elimination of  the "60  cap" was not  influencing any  member of                                                               
the committee.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
[HB 393 was held over.]                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH  acknowledged the  gallery and  suggested the                                                               
participants may wish to address the committee.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:24:08 AM