02/20/2023 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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HB9 | |
HB31 | |
HB65 | |
Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
*+ | HB 9 | TELECONFERENCED | |
*+ | HB 31 | TELECONFERENCED | |
*+ | HB 65 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE February 20, 2023 8:00 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Jamie Allard, Co-Chair Representative Justin Ruffridge, Co-Chair Representative Mike Prax Representative CJ McCormick Representative Tom McKay Representative Rebecca Himschoot Representative Andi Story MEMBERS ABSENT All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR HOUSE BILL NO. 9 "An Act relating to the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska." - HEARD & HELD HOUSE BILL NO. 31 "An Act relating to the Alaska performance scholarship program." - HEARD & HELD HOUSE BILL NO. 65 "An Act relating to education; increasing the base student allocation; and providing for an effective date." - HEARD & HELD PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION BILL: HB 9 SHORT TITLE: ADD FACULTY MEMBER UNIV BOARD OF REGENTS SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) CARRICK 01/19/23 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/2301/19/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/19/23 (H) EDC, JUD 02/20/23 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106 BILL: HB 31 SHORT TITLE: AK PERFORMANCE SCHOLARSHIP; ELIGIBILITY SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) STORY
01/19/23 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/23
01/19/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/19/23 (H) EDC, FIN 02/20/23 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106 BILL: HB 65 SHORT TITLE: INCREASE BASE STUDENT ALLOCATION SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) ORTIZ 02/08/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/08/23 (H) EDC, FIN 02/20/23 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106 WITNESS REGISTER REPRESENTATIVE ASHLEY CARRICK Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented HB 9. STUART RELAY, Staff Representative Ashley Carrick Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Gave the sectional analysis for HB 9 on behalf of Representative Ashley Carrick, prime sponsor. NELTA EDWARDS, Professor of Sociology University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony in support of HB 9. ABEL BULT-ITO, Professor of Neurobiology and Neurophysiology University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony in support of HB 9. JILL DUMESNIL, Professor of Mathematics University of Alaska Southeast Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony in support of HB 9. REPRESENTATIVE ANDI STORY Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented HB 31. MIRANDA WORL, Staff Representative Andi Story Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Gave the sectional analysis for HB 31 on behalf of Representative Story, prime sponsor. REBECCA BRAUN, Consultant McKinley Research Group, LLC Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony in support of HB 31. JENNIFER KNAGGS, School Counselor Juneau-Douglas High School Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony in support of HB 31. PATRICIA ZUGG, CTE Program Administrator Mat-Su Borough School District Palmer, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony in support of HB 31. REPRESENTATIVE DAN ORTIZ Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented HB 65. LON GARRISON, Executive Director Association of Alaska School Boards Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony in support of HB 65. ACTION NARRATIVE 8:00:17 AM CO-CHAIR JUSTIN RUFFRIDGE called the House Education Standing Committee meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. Representatives Prax, McCormick, McKay, Story, Allard, and Ruffridge were present at the call to order. Representative Himschoot arrived as the meeting was in progress. HB 9-ADD FACULTY MEMBER UNIV BOARD OF REGENTS 8:01:23 AM CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 9, "An Act relating to the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska." 8:02:11 AM REPRESENTATIVE ASHLEY CARRICK, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, gave a brief overview and explained why HB 9, which would add a faculty member to the University of Alaska Board of Regents, is being brought forward again for consideration. She explained that HB 9 brings greater representation to the Board of Regents, and noted there are also three invited testifiers today from each of the main campuses in Alaska. 8:05:57 AM REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK impressed on the committee that there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to governing bodies for state university systems around the country, and every state has a different approach. She provided brief examples of the makeup of other states' voting memberships. 8:08:05 AM REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK explained that HB 9 is a fairly straightforward process, which somewhat mirrors the current process used to select a student regent. The number of regents would be increased from 11 to 12, and the faculty senate [the governing body for faculty at the three major universities in Alaska] would each put forward two nominees, making a list of six. She noted that there is the extra step of the governor choosing an appointee and the legislature offering confirmation. The faculty must be tenured to be considered and, if confirmed, serve a two-year term. She explained that over the years, she had heard consistently that there is a need for an inside perspective and for stakeholders to have input at the board of regents. 8:11:56 AM STUART RELAY, Staff, Representative Ashley Carrick, Alaska State Legislature, gave the sectional analysis for HB 9 [included in the committee packet], on behalf of Representative Carrick, prime sponsor. The sectional analysis read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Section 1. (Page 1) Amends AS 14.40.120 to change the number of regents on the University of Alaska Board of Regents from eleven (11) to twelve (12). Section 2. (Page 1) Amends AS 14.40.130 to require one of the twelve regents to be a current, fulltime, tenured faculty member within the University of Alaska system and requires that faculty regent to forfeit their position as a regent if during their term they are no longer tenured, employed full time, or are no longer employed within the UA system. It also requires the Governor to appoint a faculty regent from a list of nominees within 60 days of the forfeiture or vacancy of the seat. Section 3. (Page 2) Amends AS 14.40.140 to establish the term length of a faculty regent as two-years. Section 4 (Page 2) Amends AS 14.40.150 to establish that the faculty regent will be appointed by the Governor from a list of six nominees and that the faculty senate of each University of Alaska institution shall elect two nominees for this list. It also confirms that the term for the faculty regent is two-years. Section 5 (Page 2) Amends AS 14.40.200 to specify that a quorum for the Board of Regents is seven members and that a majority vote of the board is required to approve a motion. Section 6 (Page 2) requires the University of Alaska to hold elections for faculty regent nominees on or before Feb 1, 2024. MR. RELAY also drew the committee's attention to a support letter [included in the committee packet], from 384 United Academic faculty members that "signed on," and the letter illustrated how important HB 9 is for faculty members at the University of Alaska. 8:15:17 AM CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE invited questions from the committee before proceeding to invited testimony. 8:15:31 AM REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked if the current Board of Regents struggled to make quorum without adding an additional member. REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK stated she was almost certain they have not struggled, but noted the invited testifiers may better speak to that. 8:15:56 AM REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY inquired if a list of current regent members with their occupations and backgrounds could be provided. REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK confirmed that can be provided to the committee. 8:16:25 AM REPRESENTATIVE STORY reflected on the examples of other states having a faculty representative and questioned how those states handle major decisions with their representative - such as negotiations for salaries. REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK replied that she learned it is a non- issue after having conversations with other states. 8:18:52 AM NELTA EDWARDS, Professor of Sociology, University of Alaska Anchorage, gave invited testimony in support of HB 9 and noted that an insider on the board would be very helpful, especially for logistics questions about how universities work. She urged the committee to vote in favor of HB 9. 8:19:46 AM CO-CHAIR ALLARD asked Ms. Edwards if she is presenting as a member of the university or as a private citizen. MS. EDWARDS replied as a private citizen, but she is affiliated with the university. 8:20:30 AM ABEL BULT-ITO, Professor of Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, gave invited testimony as a faculty member in support of HB 9. He explained it would be beneficial to the Board of Regents to have a faculty member not only for added academic perspective, but for discussions ranging from academic issues to a whole host of other issues that the Board of Regents addresses. He noted he will remain for any questions. 8:22:50 AM CO-CHAIR ALLARD asked whether there is a problem with meeting quorum. MR. BULT-ITO responded there have always been at least nine or ten board members present, and that adding an additional member and increasing the quorum by one should not be an issue. 8:24:02 AM JILL DUMESNIL, Professor of Mathematics, University of Alaska Southeast, gave invited testimony in support of having a faculty member added to the board of regents. She explained the addition would complement the existing student regent and would help make sure the educational missions of the university are taken into consideration when government decisions are made. She noted the broad support among faculty and said she believed the addition would foster better collaboration between faculty and the University of Alaska administration. 8:25:40 AM CO-CHAIR ALLARD requested examples of not having a faculty member being detrimental to the university. MS. DUMESNIL responded that a faculty perspective would have been very useful in reference to programs being cut or not, and how the implementation may better serve students. 8:27:25 AM CO-CHAIR ALLARD asked for confirmation that the faculty has the ability to testify if there are issues or concerns. MS. DUMESNIL replied yes, it is done through a one-hour call-in testimony, and faculty is allotted two minutes [each] to speak. 8:27:56 AM REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT thought of other governing bodies, such as the Alaska Board of Fish, and asked if the board has area expertise. REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK responded she does not know the composition of the Board of Fish, but that it is a good example to use being that there is an effort on the part of the administration to make sure there is a regional balance. She explained the great value of having different industry perspectives, and having stakeholder representation is extremely important as part of the overall function. 8:30:46 AM CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that HB 9 was held over. The committee took an at-ease from 8:30 a.m. to 8:32 a.m. HB 31-AK PERFORMANCE SCHOLARSHIP; ELIGIBILITY 8:32:09 AM CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 31, "An Act relating to the Alaska performance scholarship program." 8:32:43 AM REPRESENTATIVE ANDI STORY, Alaska State Legislature, provided a brief introduction, and began a PowerPoint, titled "HB 31: Improving the Alaska Performance Scholarship." She explained HB 31 proposes changes that were identified in the 10-year program review of the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) to improve the program with the goal of increasing student participation to help address Alaska's workforce shortage. She continued on slide 2, titled "The Alaska Performance Scholarship," where she reiterated past goals and that they still remain today. 8:34:49 AM REPRESENTATIVE STORY continued on slide 3, titled "Strengthening tomorrow's workforce," with a graphic showing 96.9 percent of working graduates are from the University of Alaska and are Alaska residents. She explained that in 2021, the McKinley Research Group, LLC published a report on APS, and that the changes proposed in HB 31 come directly from recommendations from this report. On slide 5, titled "Making APS more accessible," she summarized that the bill change requires that students get earlier notifications in their junior year that they qualify for APS. Another recommendation, she explained, is to increase the number of years the scholarships can be used after high school graduation from six to eight years. Another recommendation is to include Career Technical Education (CTE) courses, as shown on slide 6, titled "More flexibility in curriculum for CTE," where she reiterated the inclusion of CTE courses, and that in the past six years, CTE concentrators had a 19 percent higher graduation rate than their counterparts. She stated the courses must meet rigorous standards. She reminded the committee that the accompanying standards can be found in the committee packets. 8:39:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE STORY moved on to slide 7, titled "Increase award amount to keep APS competitive." She pointed out the levels of increases and that the amounts are "affordable for Alaska." She proceeded to slide 8, titled "Reduce barriers for eligibility," and explained that HB 31 would remove testing requirements as recommended by the report, highlighting that it is more fair to remote areas. In conclusion, she described APS as a powerful but underused tool at Alaska's disposal and urged the committee to support these policy changes to help make postsecondary education more affordable and accessible, and to revitalize student use of APS. 8:42:53 AM MIRANDA WORL, Staff, Representative Andi Story, Alaska State Legislature, gave the sectional analysis for HB 31, [included in the committee packet], on behalf of Representative Story, prime sponsor. The sectional analysis reads as follows [original punctuation provided]: Section 1: Amends AS 14.43.820(a)(2), allowing that a student may qualify for the Alaska Performance Scholarship 12 months prior to graduation from an Alaska state high school. Amends AS 14.43.820(a), Alaska Performance Scholarship eligibility requirement to allow career and technical education coursework in three different pathways: • AS 14.43.820 (a)(3)(A): Replace one year of social studies with one year of CTE coursework (within Math & Science Track) • AS 14.43.820 (a)(3)(B)(ii): Replace two years of world language with two years of CTE coursework, one year of which is sequentially more rigorous, within a career cluster. • AS 14.43.820 (a)(3)(C): Replace one year of social studies with one year of CTE coursework (within Social Studies & Language Track) Deletes AS 14.43.820 (a)(5), removing the college entrance exam requirement from the Alaska Performance Scholarship. Section 2: Amends AS 14.43.820(g), defining "career cluster" as a group of jobs and industries that are related by skills or products and renumbering the subsection accordingly. Section 3: Adds new subsections (h)(i) to AS 14.43.820, requiring students to be notified of their progress towards receiving the APS scholarship during their junior year, and notifying them of an award in the fall of their senior year. Adds new subsections (j)(k) to AS 14.43.820, establishing that an applicant must be signed up for any remaining course requirements and must have a qualifying GPA. The award would be revoked if an applicant fails to complete the requirements. The applicant's GPA upon graduation will be used to conclude the final award amount. Section 4: Amends AS 14.43.25(a) by increasing the awards and removing entrance exam requirements. • Level one: $7,000 (was previously $4,755) • Level two: $5,250 (was previously $3,566) Level three: $3,500 (was previously $2,378) Section 5: Amends AS 14.43.25(b) by increasing the number of years a student can use the scholarship after graduating high school from six to eight years. 8:46:08 AM CO-CHAIR ALLARD questioned how many dollars are "left on the table" not claimed by students. REPRESENTATIVE STORY replied the student scholarships are paid through investment earnings each year. She estimated approximately $100 million had been spent within the program, and noted the importance of keeping the fund high so the program can live through investment earnings. CO-CHAIR ALLARD commented on the $6 million that was left on the table last year for post-secondary education, and she questioned whether the problem was not unclaimed money, but the outreach program. REPRESENTATIVE STORY acknowledged the work that still needs to be done with "getting the word out," and she said the aforementioned report reflected that need. 8:48:53 AM REPRESENTATIVE PRAX brought up the amounts being amended in Section 4 of HB 31 and questioned whether more help is being given to "those who need it less" from the perspective of getting through college. REPRESENTATIVE STORY explained the students doing requirements for APS are very dedicated top students, and the award amounts are based on their grade point average (GPA) as well as their testing results. 8:52:35 AM REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY questioned step 4 of the foundation funding formula that included a step up for CTE instruction, and asked why a student needs a scholarship for something already in the formula. He stated there is a lot of reform [proposed] for one bill. REPRESENTATIVE STORY responded that this is for after students leave high school, so they are using the CTE classes that the districts fund while in high school, and when they go on to post-secondary their scholarship could be used for any vocational university degree they desire. 8:56:57 AM REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked about the $6 million that Alaska students did not collect from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and if more information can be given on why this is a requirement. REPRESENTATIVE STORY explained the FAFSA is offered to students based on their financial circumstances, and pointed out Alaska gets the lowest amount of free federal aid due to high school students not filling out the FAFSA. She noted it is critical that Alaska students know there are funds available to them. 9:00:04 AM CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE asked if there was an increase in the dollar amount for the scholarships, whether it would reduce the number of scholarships available. REPRESENTATIVE STORY replied that currently it would not because of the low number of students. 9:01:44 AM CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE thanked Representative Story and turned to invited testimony. 9:02:25 AM REBECCA BRAUN, Consultant, McKinley Research Group, LLC, joined for invited testimony in support of HB 31, and explained she was part of the 2021 APS program review team. She noted a result of the research is that the concept behind APS has been validated, but the program's reach is short of expectations. 9:06:49 AM MS. BRAUN turned the focus onto the positive results from the surveys and data. Participants say the scholarship motivated them in high school, it influenced their decision to stay in state, and it helped them access the postsecondary education they wanted while reducing financial stress. She explained the reports give examples of the reasons for falling short, and that there are statutory fixes that can help. The recommendations are in HB 31. The testing requirements and distinctions were highlighted, as well as increasing award levels. 9:11:31 AM MS. BRAUN recommended working with school districts to best balance rigor with fairness and access. In conclusion, the research indicated the program has real potential to increase Alaska's low rates of postsecondary training to help address the workforce shortage and slow "out migration." 9:13:01 AM CO-CHAIR ALLARD pointed out there are $6 million left on the table but additional funds are still being requested. She asked how the problem will be solved in regard to parents and students being notified to receive these funds. MS. BRAUN replied the answer is outside her area of expertise, but the question may be better directed to the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE). She stated making the scholarship come out earlier would be helpful, and she anticipates districts working to let parents know. She also noted sometimes "things are missed." CO-CHAIR ALLARD asked why the question of finding out how to access the scholarship funds was not included on the survey. MS. BRAUN responded that a version of the question was asked a few years ago but she does not remember the exact verbiage; she recalled there were a lot of "open ended" responses. She noted she can follow up with the committee on the results of past surveys. 9:16:11 AM REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY asked how much is currently in the higher education investment fund. He pointed out the fiscal note being $11 million for fiscal year 2024 (FY 24) and questioned whether this would be in addition to what is already there. REPRESENTATIVE STORY replied that the fiscal note is within the earnings of the higher education investment fund and there is a zero change in revenue - so the money reoccurs from the interest earnings of that total amount. She confirmed she will provide the committee with the information on what is currently in the investment fund at a later date. 9:18:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE PRAX referred to the CTE courses being provided through the high schools and not available through the university system. He asked Ms. Braun if there had been any research into putting more focus on high school CTE rather than university level CTE, resulting in a better return on investment. MS. BRAUN replied no, but stated she would support him on that. 9:22:22 AM JENNIFER KNAGGS, School Counselor, Juneau-Douglas High School, began by stating the APS has made a difference by being less quantitative and more qualitative. She pointed out the first proposed adjustment being the removing of testing requirements and brought up examples of the hardships accessing the tests in rural areas, and other states not utilizing the testing requirements, thus making it more attractive for students to seek education out of state. On the CTE inclusion, this is where, she explained, real world learning comes together in a practical way, and she provided examples of students who thrived from CTE. She noted that GPA is a much better predictor of success in the postsecondary world. 9:27:44 AM PATRICIA ZUGG, CTE Program Administrator, Matsu Borough School District, provided a brief introduction and pointed out her 30 years' experience serving in CTE. She noted CTE is not vocational education; CTE has rigor and relevance which makes a difference in today's education. She encouraged the committee to be data driven, and to support Representative Story's bill that modernizes APS. 9:32:54 AM MS. ZUGG stated that scholarships should be modernized with the goal of retaining all young Alaskans - not just the brightest and best. She said it is imperative to embrace and deploy some paradigm shifts, and she reiterated to the committee to be data driven and responsive and support HB 31. 9:34:41 AM CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that HB 31 was held over. 9:34:52 AM The committee took an at-ease from 9:34 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. 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. 10:06:25 AM ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the committee, the House Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 10:06 a.m.