03/06/2003 11:05 AM House EDU

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
              HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION                                                                            
                         March 6, 2003                                                                                          
                           11:05 a.m.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carl Gatto, Chair                                                                                                
Representative Paul Seaton, Vice Chair                                                                                          
Representative Peggy Wilson                                                                                                     
Representative Kelly Wolf                                                                                                       
Representative John Coghill                                                                                                     
Representative Les Gara                                                                                                         
Representative Mary Kapsner                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Education Funding                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
TAPES                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                              
03-07 SIDE (A & B)                                                                                                              
03-08 SIDE (A)                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CARL  GATTO convened  the  meeting  of the  House  Special                                                             
Committee on  Education at  11:05 a.m.   Present  at the  call to                                                               
order  were Representatives  Gatto, Seaton,  Wilson, Wolf,  Gara,                                                               
and Kapsner.   Representative Coghill arrived as  the meeting was                                                               
in progress.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
EDDY  JEANS,  Manager,  School Finance  and  Facilities  Section,                                                               
Education  Support Services,  Department of  Education and  Early                                                               
Development, responded to  a variety of questions  by the members                                                               
on  the foundation  funding formula,  LOGS (Learning  Opportunity                                                               
Grant), pupil  transportation costs, and the  problems associated                                                               
with budget cuts.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
JOHN  ALCANTRA,  Political Organizer/Government  Relations,  NEA-                                                               
Alaska, responded to  questions from the members  with respect to                                                               
the   impact  budget   cuts  will   have   on  education,   pupil                                                               
transportation  contract agreements,  and  the budget  reductions                                                               
that  will  be necessary  for  school  districts to  honor  these                                                               
contracts.    He expressed  the  hope  that federal  funding  for                                                               
education would be increased with  the implementation of the NCLB                                                               
Act (No Child Left Behind).                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
There were no announcements.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
No committee action was taken.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Special Committee on Education was adjourned at 12:55 p.m.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:   The meeting was  recorded and handwritten log  notes were                                                               
taken.  A  copy of the tape(s)  and log notes may  be obtained by                                                               
contacting the  House Records  Office at  State Capitol,  Room 3,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska  99801  (mailing address),  (907)  465-2214,  and                                                               
after  adjournment  of the  second  session  of the  Twenty-Third                                                               
Alaska  State Legislature  this  information may  be obtained  by                                                               
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.