02/08/1994 03:00 PM House HES

  HB 359 - APPROPRIATION:  CONSTRUCT/UPGRADE ON-BASE SCHOOLS                   
                                                                               
  Number 103                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. ELDON MULDER, Prime Sponsor of HB 359, stated that last                 
  session a task force was created upon recommendations by                     
  General Ralston which addressed the problems of on-base                      
  military schools.  He stated that the existing condition of                  
  a base school would highly affect the evaluation and overall                 
  recommendations by the Base Realignment and Closure                          
  Commission.                                                                  
                                                                               
  REP. MULDER stated that HJR 47 is a resolution requesting                    
  that on-base schools be expeditiously transferred to the                     
  local school districts, and HB 359 is the appropriation bill                 
  which would fund $26 million, or half of the upgrades                        
  necessary.                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. MULDER stated there is no funding mechanism available                   
  to school districts and local communities to invest in on-                   
  base schools as they cannot bond for the schools because                     
  they do not own them.  He also said that because of federal                  
  entities involved in the oversight of the facilities, the                    
  situation is even more complex.                                              
                                                                               
  REP. MULDER urged that the base schools be transferred to                    
  local school districts as quickly as possible.  He stated                    
  that to accomplish that there must be reparations done to                    
  the facilities.  Rep. Mulder said it was the recommendation                  
  of the task force to have both the state and federal                         
  government fund the improvements necessary for the                           
  facilities involved.                                                         
                                                                               
  Number 234                                                                   
                                                                               
  CAPTAIN DENNIS PORTER, Legislative Liaison for the Military                  
  Schools Task Force, presented a slide show to the committee                  
  that summarized the findings and recommendations of the task                 
  force.  He stated that the on-base schools are owned by the                  
  U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DOE) and the land is                      
  owned by the U.S. Department of Defense (U.S. DOD).  It is                   
  the local school district's responsibility for construction.                 
                                                                               
  CAPT. PORTER said that the above arrangement caused inherent                 
  problems, citing the question of who would make repairs.  He                 
  noted that there was little or no funding for reparations of                 
  on-base schools.                                                             
                                                                               
  CAPT. PORTER stated that the local school districts have a                   
  $25,000 cap per year for repairs.  Any costs over that is                    
  the responsibility of the state.  He also said that some                     
  major maintenance issues are the responsibility of the U.S.                  
  DOE and cited that the U.S. DOD is prohibited by law to                      
  spend any operational maintenance dollars on school repairs.                 
                                                                               
  CAPT. PORTER stated that there were schools that had been                    
  upgraded by the U.S. DOE and later transferred to local                      
  school districts, and previously there had been a joint                      
  venture by the U.S. DOD and the State of Alaska that funded                  
  repairs of three on-base schools.  There are nine remaining                  
  schools in need of funding for repairs.  He noted that 50%                   
  of the students at Ben Eielson Junior/Senior High School                     
  come from off-base and the majority of on-base schools are                   
  attended by off-base students.                                               
                                                                               
  CAPT. PORTER told the committee that the cost to upgrade and                 
  repair the schools in the Anchorage bowl area was estimated                  
  to be over $27 million.  He said the total deficit for all                   
  schools was approximately $52 million.  The Americans with                   
  Disabilities Act, which ensures handicap access to all                       
  public buildings and the upgrades for fire and health and                    
  life safety codes, was responsible for increasing the                        
  estimated amount of funding originally projected in 1990.                    
                                                                               
  CAPT. PORTER stated that ownership would be transferred                      
  after the schools were upgraded and repaired.                                
                                                                               
  Number 491                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. TOOHEY asked if there would be any tax deferrals or any                 
  type of savings if the schools are transferred.                              
                                                                               
  Number 500                                                                   
                                                                               
  CAPT. PORTER said that the because of state statutes, local                  
  school districts cannot bond for the on-base schools.  He                    
  went on to say that the task force has utilized a cohesive                   
  united approach to market the proposal.  They felt it was                    
  important to increase awareness for everyone by involving                    
  parents through volunteerism.                                                
                                                                               
  CAPT. PORTER felt it was unrealistic to get $26 million                      
  dollars each from the government and the state, although he                  
  was confident that at least $10 million could be obtained                    
  from the federal government this year.  Also, the U.S. DOE                   
  may also come forth with some funding, he said.                              
                                                                               
  CAPT. PORTER distributed photos to the committee of a                        
  classroom at Aurora Elementary School.  The picture shows                    
  two support beams in the middle of the room, obviously                       
  obstructing children's view.  He stated that there were 70                   
  such support structures placed throughout the school as a                    
  result of warnings from engineers that the roof could                        
  collapse at anytime if there was more than two inches of                     
  snow fall.                                                                   
                                                                               
  Number 612                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. B. DAVIS asked if Ursa Major was recently transferred                   
  to the local school district and where the money came from                   
  to enable the transfer.                                                      
                                                                               
  Number 619                                                                   
                                                                               
  CAPT. PORTER answered that the U.S. DOE funded the transfer                  
  for $4.9 million.                                                            
                                                                               
  Number 623                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. B. DAVIS asked if the upgrades had been done.                           
                                                                               
  Number 624                                                                   
                                                                               
  CAPT. PORTER said that the upgrades would occur over the                     
  next few years.                                                              
                                                                               
  Number 636                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIR BUNDE introduced Duane Guiley to testify on HB 359 and                 
  HJR 47.