Legislature(2023 - 2024)DAVIS 106
02/20/2023 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB9 | |
| HB31 | |
| HB65 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 9 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 31 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 65 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
HB 65-INCREASE BASE STUDENT ALLOCATION
9:35:58 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that the final order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 65, "An Act relating to education;
increasing the base student allocation; and providing for an
effective date."
9:36:21 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DAN ORTIZ, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, explained that HB 65 would increase the BSA as
summarized in the sponsor statement which read as follows,
[original punctuation provided]:
House Bill 65 increases Alaska's Base Student
Allocation (BSA) by $1,250 to a total of $7,210 per
eligible student.
Alaskan students, parents, and teachers are dealing
with underfunded schools. Between flat funding from
the state and inflation, education funding has not
kept up with increased costs. It has resulted in fewer
education programs, staff shortages, and even school
closures.
University of Alaska's Institute of Social and
Economic Research conducted a study that found that
Alaska spent less per pupil on public education than
the national average in 2019 when spending was
adjusted for inflation and indexed to the cost of
living. Since 2012, Alaska's urban consumer price
index increased by 24.6% while Alaska's BSA only
increased by 4.2%.
Increasing the BSA by $1,250, or almost 21%, is a
significant investment in Alaska's K-12 public
education system. It would allow school districts to
recruit and retain good teachers, reduce class sizes,
and ultimately give Alaska's children the education
and tools they need and deserve.
REPRESENTATIVE ORTIZ further summarized HB 65 by providing a
brief PowerPoint, titled "House Bill 65 Increase the Base
Student Allocation."
9:40:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ORTIZ stated if the State of Alaska continues to
fund education at the current BSA level, schools will have huge
budgetary shortfalls. He provided examples of shortfalls from
Anchorage, Alaska, and Kenai, Alaska. He moved to a slide,
titled "Despite the decreased services, [school districts are]
still prioritizing funding instruction," which showed pie charts
that break down expenditure budgets by category. He thanked the
committee for thinking critically about Alaska's education
system and offered to answer questions on HB 65.
9:42:53 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX commented it would be helpful to hear
invited testimony before posing questions.
9:43:46 AM
LON GARRISON, Executive Director, Association of Alaska School
Boards (AASB), stated AASB strongly supports HB 65. He
explained that the AASB board of directors had adopted three
legislative priorities for the year: sufficient, sustainable,
and predictable education funding; retention and recruitment of
staff; and student wellness and safety. He established that his
testimony would focus on sufficient education funding, which is
a critical factor affecting student outcomes.
9:46:40 AM
MR. GARRISON explained that in November, the AASB delegate
assembly unanimously approved Resolution [2.2] that specified an
increase in the BSA, but the amount did not "meet the mark." He
noted that the $1,250 BSA increase proposed under HB 65 would
provide the greatest chance to even the score with inflation.
He clarified that Alaska schoolboards have no taxing authority,
and therefore must solely rely upon the revenue of the state,
the federal government, and a minimal contribution to the local
education fund.
9:50:39 AM
MR. GARRISON explained support for HB 65 is imperative and meets
the request of ASB's Resolution 2.2. He reiterated that locally
elected schoolboards rely on state, local, and federal
government for revenue. School boards implement the local
control model that has served Alaska well.
9:51:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked for clarity whether the verbiage in
the Alaska State Constitution is "establish a fund" or
"establish a system".
MR. GARRISON replied it is "establish a system".
9:52:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked if it made sense to keep throwing
money at a funding system, and if the current method of funding
the state education system is fundamentally flawed.
MR. GARRISON replied no, and through the system of local control
and the support of the Department of Education the state has the
ability to create innovation. The challenge is to use funding
effectively.
9:55:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked Mr. Garrison if he is familiar with
the situation in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School
District where over the years other districts, mainly that in
Galena, Alaska, came up with a completely different service
delivery model.
MR. GARRISON answered he was somewhat familiar with the
Fairbanks model, and it is not unusual; he explained he had seen
the model with other districts as well. He noted the Galena
correspondence program has been around for a long time and has
been successful.
9:58:20 AM
CO-CHAIR ALLARD expressed concerns with the formula, and she
stated she would like to see more dollars staying in the
classroom. She asked where all the funds are going because
"it's not following the child."
MR. GARRISON explained when school districts are funded, there
is a count period that happens in October - and this number is
used for the following year.
10:02:04 AM
CO-CHAIR ALLARD asked Mr. Garrison to get back to the committee
and elaborate on accountability and what the system is going to
do, specifically if a child moves to another district.
10:03:30 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY commented on the BSA after all the
adjustments and stated there needs to be a lot of examination of
the formula.
10:06:02 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that HB 65 was held over.