Legislature(1999 - 2000)
03/22/1999 01:45 PM Senate HES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SB 95-SCHOOL GRADE LEVELS
VICE-CHAIRMAN KELLY brought up SB 95.
SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS, sponsor of SB 95, asked if Larry Wiget was
on line. Mr. Wiget responded that he was, as well as school board
members Debbie Ossiander and Kathi Gillespie who wish to testify.
Number 437
SENATOR PHILLIPS discussed the school overcrowding problem facing
Anchorage. Currently Chugiak High School is badly overcrowded,
with space for 1750 students and attendance at 2100 students. The
dilemma is whether to add more rooms or build a new high school.
The wish of the community is to have a second high school, but
DOE's regulations don't allow for that. There are two middle
schools, Gruening at capacity, and Mirror Lake under capacity.
This bill was recommended by the Anchorage School District in order
to adjust the overcrowding situation with the middle/junior high
school, but more importantly, with the high school. SENATOR
PHILLIPS pointed out that the three committee members present are
experiencing expanding high school populations. He stated this
legislation is one option to maintain student levels and still
deliver a quality high school.
MS. DEBBIE OSSIANDER, Anchorage School Board member, testified in
support of SB 95. It would allow school districts necessary
flexibility in order to maximize student achievement. National
research shows that grouping the middle school configuration of
6th, 7th and 8th grades has academic and social benefits by
promoting achievement and dealing more effectively with student
discipline matters. This configuration of grades is a trend in
urban districts in Alaska.
Right now regulations penalize school districts if they decide to
house 6th-7th and 8th grades in middle schools, by considering 6th
graders as elementary students who qualify for a smaller square
footage. MS. OSSIANDER said the logic of housing these grades in
one building and saying one group of kids needs less room than
another totally escapes her.
The DOE fiscal note appears to assume that all 6th graders will be
moved into the middle school model, but that's not the Anchorage
school board's expectation. The fiscal note also appears to assume
the state will reimburse all school construction. The regulations
penalize districts if they have housed 6th-7th and 8th grades
together in the past by not qualifying for the additional school
construction they will need in the future. The school district
believes SB 95 would be very helpful.
Number 489
MS. KATHI GILLESPIE, Anchorage School Board member, repeated that
instructionally school districts in Kenai, Juneau, Anchorage and
Mat-Su are moving toward the 6th-7th-8th middle school model. Last
year in the Foundation Formula re-write, the per-pupil allocation
did away with the designation between elementary and secondary
students. Operating cost is not the problem; it is the amount of
square footage these kids have when they are still designated as
elementary or secondary students. The school board wants
flexibility to decide if 6th graders are more appropriately put in
an elementary or a secondary school, and to be allowed by the state
to deliver a secondary program with more square footage, several
teachers, and more music and P.E. MS. GILLESPIE concluded that
the issue is statewide in scope and there are schools out of
compliance with DOE regulations.
Number 510
MR. CARL ROSE, Executive Director, Alaska Association of School
Boards, stated the association supports SB 95 and feels the
flexibility and provision of local control in determining if a
school district wants to use a 6-7-8 model is appropriate.
SENATOR ELTON asked Mr. Rose if the schools now having the 6-7-8
model are illegal, and if they aren't, why the bill is needed. Is
it just an issue of square footage for students?
MR. ROSE replied that clarification may give school districts the
opportunity to exercise a choice that may be restricted right now.
School districts may be hindered in moving in this direction, and
those already employing these strategies may be in noncompliance.
The association would like assurance that the square foot advantage
for the 6-7-8 model would be recognized. Currently if a new school
is being built including a 6-7-8 model, the district does not
receive credit for those 6th grade students because they're not
included in the secondary classification.
Number 531
MR. MICHAEL MORGAN, Facilities Manager for the Department of
Education, responded to a couple earlier comments. Currently the
school districts have the choice to combine grades almost any way
they choose. From the department's perspective it's strictly a
square footage issue. If they do a combination of 6th-7th and 8th
graders, they get credit for the 6th graders, but not at the same
rate as the 7th and 8th graders. There is a differential on the
amount of square footage between the two.
The fiscal note is the most conservative estimate and does not
assume that all square footage will immediately become eligible for
replacement for 6th graders; if that were the case, the fiscal note
would double.
VICE-CHAIRMAN KELLY asked if the fiscal note is $126 million
dollars.
MR. MORGAN replied it is. The fiscal note doesn't take into
account the on-going future increases, only the immediate need
based on district populations. It doesn't consider the increase in
future maintenance costs at the larger facilities, or the increase
in maintenance and operation costs that will accrue to districts.
Last year the department gave the Anchorage School District more
flexibility through a regulation change passed by the State Board
of Education allowing communities the choice to 100% fund
facilities. There is a provision to not have that square footage
counted against them as the department looks at eligibility for
additional state-funded square footage.
Number 554
SENATOR WILKEN asked if Mr. Morgan is saying 6th graders are
counted as one head each, but only get 106 square feet instead of
150 square feet. MR. MORGAN answered yes.
VICE-CHAIRMAN KELLY asked if the fiscal note refers to $126 million
extra dollars for the new schools that would be built under the new
scenario in the next fiscal year.
MR. MORGAN replied yes, if the projects were funded.
MS. OSSIANDER admitted she did not clearly understand Mr. Morgan's
comments. In reference to the chart, she asked if he said the
state would 100% fund all projects submitted to it.
MR. MORGAN responded that the chart assumes the state would fund
these projects at the 70% level.
SENATOR PHILLIPS added that it assumes the local government votes
for the bonds, as well. MR. MORGAN clarified it looks at either of
two programs: funding local bonds, or grants to municipalities
which are funded at the 70% level.
Chugiak needs to put the proposed new high school on the ballot in
the Anchorage area with a 70%-30% funding split. The community
cannot support a super large high school, because the 600 extra
students now overcrowding the Chugiak H.S. are not enough to
warrant another high school. Consequently, he is looking for
another configuration, which DOE's regulations prohibit. The
intent is to let the local voters vote on the bond package.
VICE-CHAIRMAN KELLY asked how many schools the $126 million fiscal
note assumes would be going to bond election next year. MR. MORGAN
said they only looked at the number of students that would qualify
for the square footage.
TAPE 99-13, SIDE B
Number 583
MS. GILLESPIE repeated the school district needs flexibility in how
it applies the dollars funded by the Legislature to a local
project.
MR. MORGAN explained the department looks at the total area in
evaluating square footage. The Eagle River-Chugiak area has
elementary school capacity for about 600 students. The Mirror Lake
middle school has capacity for 400 students. The high school has
an overcapacity of 100 students. He asserted they have an
overcrowding problem because they put the 6th graders in the middle
school.
SENATOR PHILLIPS disagreed with Mr. Morgan, stating the high school
is way overcapacity and it's more than 100 students.
MS. OSSIANDER said the focus should be that the Legislature has
control over funding, and the school district believes
instructionally a middle school program is better for the 6th
graders than a traditional elementary program. In other words,
build to meet the instructional needs of the kids.
SENATOR WILKEN asked why the fiscal note refers to 150 square feet
while the others list 43.75 square feet. Mr. Morgan replied that
currently they show no eligibility for additional square footage
for 6th graders. If 6th graders are to be secondary students, none
of the elementary space would be counted that is currently counted.
If no elementary space is counted, these 6th graders would qualify
for the full 150 square feet.
SENATOR ELTON asked if Juneau, which has the 6-7-8 configuration
was built under the existing square footage rules. MR. MORGAN said
he didn't know. The current regulations came into effect in early
1996. Prior to that time, the space guidelines were not in
regulation. The department took the existing guidelines for
elementary, secondary, and K-12 schools for different sized schools
with a high, medium and low range. The medium guidelines were put
into regulation.
VICE-CHAIRMAN KELLY stated the committee would hold SB 95 until
Senator Miller returns.
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