Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/25/2024 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB178 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 178 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
SB 178-SCHOOL TERMS
3:33:13 PM
CHAIR TOBIN announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 178
"An Act relating to school terms."
3:33:24 PM
SENATOR JESSE BJORKMAN testified as the sponsor of SB 178 and
paraphrased the following statement discussing the reasons for
changing the start date of schools to September.
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 178 School Terms
Sponsor Statement
The creation of a school calendar that supports the
character and culture of Alaska is essential to
building thriving communities surrounding our public
schools. A commons sense calendar should allow
students and families to take advantage of school
terms," would establish the earliest start time for K-
12 public schools in Alaska as the first Tuesday in
September.
In recent decades, school calendars have shifted
earlier into August to maximize the number of
instructional days before high stakes testing occurs
in April. With more flexibility in testing dates, the
time is right to realign school calendars. August is
Alaska is a time up abundant economic and outdoor
opportunities. Starting K-12 classes in August
severely reduces a family's ability to fish, hunt,
pick berries, and travel within Alaska. Going back to
school in September will allow families to
meaningfully engage in subsistence activities and pass
down our cultural heritage of natural harvest to the
next generation of Alaskans.
Currently, many students are forced out of summer
employment because of August school start dates. High
school students are less desirable job candidates when
they can only work for part of the season before
needing to be replaced. Beginning school in September
would allow high school students to remain at their
summer jobs during the peak construction and tourism
season. States such as Michigan have implemented
similar school start date laws based on studies of the
economic benefits to their intrastate tourism
industry.
September school start dates allow for families go to
state and local fairs with 4H projects and Junior
Market Livestock animals, travel, hunt, hike, camp,
fish and take in the beauty of late August and the
first few days of September. Moving the start date to
September does not mean that school would have to be
in session after Memorial Day. Districts have the
flexibility within state law to meet the required
amount of student contact time between Labor Day and
Memorial Day.
3:37:07 PM
SENATOR STEVENS asked for clarification on the current rules for
school start and end dates. He shared his experience growing up
in Oregon, where school never started until after August. He
expressed concern about different districts facing varying
issues, such as his own district needing to release students
early to help with the fishing season in May. He questioned why
districts cannot decide their own schedules.
SENATOR BJORKMAN explained that the current system requires at
least 180 school days, and historically, Alaska schools started
in September. He noted that the shift to an earlier start date
was driven by the federal No Child Left Behind legislation,
which required more instructional time before mandatory testing
in April. He emphasized that there is no current rule preventing
districts from starting later, but inertia and the preferences
of a small group of bureaucrats maintain the earlier calendar.
He shared that many Alaskans, especially those who value outdoor
activities like hunting and fishing, support a return to a later
start date.
3:39:54 PM
SENATOR STEVENS confirmed that districts could adjust their
school calendars if they chose to, with no restrictions in
place.
3:40:19 PM
CHAIR TOBIN mentioned conversations with colleagues in the
Anchorage School District who have observed significant learning
loss and are exploring ways to address it. She shared that one
idea discussed informally is transitioning to a year-round
school model, with shorter breaks of six to eight weeks while
maintaining a continuous learning schedule. She questioned why
the current approach is favored over such a model.
SENATOR BJORKMAN suggested that Anchorage's experience might
differ from the rest of Alaska regarding the connection to the
land. He acknowledged that while there have been discussions
about year-round schooling summer is an economically important
time for many educators who take on summer jobs in industries
like construction, tourism, and commercial fishing. He noted
that if year-round school were implemented, districts would need
to significantly increase compensation to retain staff, as many
rely on summer employment. He also pointed out that year-round
school would limit outdoor activities for both students and
families during the summer, fundamentally changing the education
system.
CHAIR TOBIN stated that, based on the recent Institute of Social
and Economic Research (ISSER) report, there is agreement that
teachers across the state are severely underpaid.
3:42:51 PM
SENATOR KIEHL raised a question about how different regions of
the state have varying harvest times. He noted that three of the
four districts he represents would have to change their start
dates under SB 178, and only one of those districts aligns with
a moose hunting season that begins on September 15. He pointed
out that in Southeast, the salmon berries are picked by July,
with blueberries peaking in August. He asked if a regional or
seasonal approach had been considered to allow flexibility for
each district's unique harvest schedule.
3:43:53 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN stated that a waiver process could be
considered, similar to what other states have done, allowing
schools to start a week earlier with specific criteria for
receiving the waiver. He acknowledged that, while some
harvesting activities in Southeast might be diminished, the
tourism industry remains strong in August, providing job and
travel opportunities. He expressed openness to a waiver process
and noted that certain collective bargaining agreements, like in
Dillingham, have even restricted school during the first week of
moose season. He added that such flexibility could be available,
with the potential for a waiver to adjust the start date by a
week.
3:45:24 PM
SENATOR STEVENS asked how many districts across the state would
be affected by the proposed changes to the start date. He
mentioned that it would be helpful to have that information,
noting that three of the four districts represented by Senator
Kiehl would have to change their dates.
SENATOR BJORKMAN said it would affect the start dates of most
schools and that he would provide the committee with the exact
number.
CHAIR TOBIN stated her belief that a waiver process for school
calendars already existed and was used by the Yupiit School
District to follow a subsistence calendar.
3:46:12 PM
DEBORAH RIDDLE, Operations Manager, Division of Innovation and
Education Excellence, Department of Education and Early
Development (DEED), Juneau, Alaska, confirmed that a waiver
process is already in place. She explained that districts, such
as the Lake and Peninsula School District, follow a subsistence
calendar. This approach allows for longer school days with an
earlier start and end, aligning with regional subsistence
activities.
CHAIR TOBIN asked if schools could use the waiver process to
start later, or if that option is not permitted under statute.
MS. RIDDLE clarified that there is no set start date in statute.
The only requirement is that schools must be in session for 180
days.
CHAIR TOBIN shared that in her home community of Nome, many
local businesses offer subsistence leave, allowing employees to
take time off specifically for hunting, gathering, or preparing
food, separate from personal or sick leave. She questioned why a
similar structure couldn't be created within the school
calendar, not just for agrarian activities in the fall, but also
for winter subsistence activities like whale hunting, seal
hunting, or line crabbing.
3:47:50 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN stated that subsistence leave could work for
staff and could be negotiated through agreements, but it does
not address students' responsibility to be in school and engaged
in their lessons. He emphasized the importance of a school start
date that accommodates regional and cultural differences,
allowing students and families to participate in outdoor
activities or seasonal jobs. He argued that setting a start date
is essential to breaking the inertia of sticking to traditional
schedules and shifting to a calendar that aligns more with
Alaska's character and provides both economic and recreational
opportunities, such as fishing and hunting.
3:49:39 PM
MS. RIDDLE stated that the fiscal note from the OMB Component
2796, dated January 15, 2024, from the Department of Education
and Early Development, is for $6,000. This amount would cover
the cost of organizing regulations to enforce the statute.
3:50:15 PM
CHAIR TOBIN found no further questions from committee members
and asked that the sectional analysis for SB 178 be reviewed
independently.
3:50:22 PM
CHAIR TOBIN opened public testimony on SB 178.
3:51:02 PM
LON GARRISON, Executive Director, Association of Alaska School
Boards, Juneau, Alaska, testified with concerns on SB 178. He
paraphrased his following statement adding that schools in
Alaska can request waivers. He also mentioned in closing that
the school he attended growing up started before Labor Day
causing him to miss many events and activities, but it worked
out fine in the end:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Chair Tobin and members of the Senate Education
Committee, my name is Lon Garrison. I am the
Executive Director of the Association of Alaska
School Boards, a nonprofit association serving 52 of
Alaska's 54 school districts. I am testifying today
regarding SB 178 School Terms.
3:51:22 PM
MR. GARRISON continued:
AASB does not have a current resolution recommending
when and how long school terms should be. Because of
that, I cannot comment in favor or in opposition to
the proposed legislation, but I would like to offer
some perspective regarding local impacts on school
terms.
Presently, the school term is defined in AS
14.03.030 as "A school term begins and ends on the
dates fixed by the governing body of a school
district. A school term shall include not less than
180 days in session unless, with the approval of the
commissioner, ....". This particular language
preserves local control for school districts to
determine when is best for them to begin classes and
instruction. This broad language does not prohibit a
district from choosing a start date that may be more
appropriate for their district or region.
AASB recognizes that districts and regions may have
unique cultural and seasonal opportunities or
limitations that might affect a school term. A few
districts have adopted terms that permit subsistence
calendars that allow students to participate in
important community and cultural events. While
these still need to be approved by the Commissioner
of Education, this flexibility can be critically
important to improving student attendance and
engagement.
3:53:17 PM
MR. GARRISON continued:
AASB advocates that the committee consider carefully
the broad impacts that including the language (e.g.,
A school Term may not begin before the first Tuesday
in September) may have on the variety of school
districts across the state. AASB recognizes the
intent of the bill is to potentially have a positive
effect on both students and local businesses in
those areas that are more heavily impacted by a
tourism-based economy. AASB also recognizes this
committee's continued advocacy for maintaining local
control, and we hope that you will analyze this
proposal with that perspective in mind.
3:55:05 PM
CHAIR TOBIN closed public testimony on SB 178
3:55:14 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN emphasized that SB 178 can offer flexibility
and a framework to encourage school districts to start later. He
expressed concern that starting school on August 15 or 16
contradicts the Alaskan way of life, which values outdoor
activities and making the most of the summer light. He stated he
is open to suggestions for additional flexibility. He stated his
belief that guidance from the state legislature is necessary to
help local districts move past the inertia of maintaining
calendars that may benefit school bureaucrats but not Alaskan
families.
3:56:26 PM
CHAIR TOBIN held SB 178 in committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 178 Testimony - Lon Garrison with AASB 03.25.2024.pdf |
SEDC 3/25/2024 3:30:00 PM |
SB 3 SB 178 |