Legislature(2011 - 2012)HOUSE FINANCE 519
01/27/2011 01:30 PM House FINANCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Budget Overview: Department of Fish and Game | |
| Budget Overview: Department of Education and Early Development | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
January 27, 2011
1:33 p.m.
1:33:36 PM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Stoltze called the House Finance Committee meeting
to order at 1:33 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bill Stoltze, Co-Chair
Representative Bill Thomas Jr., Co-Chair
Representative Anna Fairclough, Vice-Chair
Representative Mia Costello
Representative Mike Doogan
Representative Bryce Edgmon
Representative David Guttenberg
Representative Mark Neuman
Representative Tammie Wilson
Representative Les Gara (via teleconference)
Representative Reggie Joule
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
Cora Campbell, Commissioner, Department of Fish and Game;
Kevin Brooks, Director, Division of Administrative
Services, Department of Fish and Game; Les Morse, Acting
Commissioner, Department of Education and Early
Development; Elizabeth Nudelman, Director, School Finance
and Facilities, Department of Education and Early
Development; Anna Kim, Director, Division of Administrative
Services, Department of Education and Early Development;
Representative Alan Austerman.
SUMMARY
Budget Overviews:
Department of Fish and Game
Department of Education and Early Development
1:34:33 PM
^BUDGET OVERVIEW: DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
CORA CAMPBELL, COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
(DFG), introduced staff from the department. She presented
a PowerPoint presentation titled "Alaska Department of Fish
and Game Overview." Slide 1 highlighted the department's
mission statement, which was based on Article 8 of the
Alaska State Constitution and Title 16 of the Alaska
statutes. She relayed that DFG had six core services (slide
3): (1) Harvest management was measured by commercial
harvests, the purchase of hunting and fishing licenses,
angler days, and user success; the service provided
individuals with the opportunity to utilize fish and
wildlife resources. (2) Stock assessment ensured
sustainability and the harvestable surplus of fish and
wildlife; the service was measured by escapement goals,
threshold harvest and catch levels, and through wildlife
surveys. (3) Customer service provided accurate and
meaningful information to all customers.
Commissioner Campbell continued to discuss the core
services of the department: (4) Public involvement included
the public in the management of fish and wildlife
resources; the service was primarily measured by the
participation of Alaskans in the Board of Fisheries and
Board of Game process. (5) State sovereignty protected the
state's ability to manage its fish and wildlife resources.
The department worked to maintain the state's sovereignty
through its participation in federal land management
processes, the Endangered Species Act, critical habitat
designations, federal subsistence board processes, and
other. (6) Habitat Protection provided fish and wildlife
protection during permit and project review; DFG worked to
ensure that developers were in compliance with the permits
it issued.
Commissioner Campbell addressed a list of commissioner's
office responsibilities on slide 4. Many of the items were
federal or international and related to the management of
federal fisheries off Alaska's shores and of fish and
wildlife stocks that crossed boarders. Slide 5 included a
DFG organizational chart. The chart included the
commissioner, two deputy commissioners, six divisions,
board support, the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission,
and the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council.
Co-Chair Thomas asked where Kelly Hepler could be found on
the DFG organizational chart (slide 5). Commissioner
Campbell responded that Mr. Hepler's position was not shown
on the chart. She explained that the position resided under
the commissioner with the deputy commissioners.
Commissioner Campbell listed the DFG divisions on slide 6:
ƒCommissioner's Office
ƒDivision of Commercial Fisheries
ƒDivision of Sport Fish
ƒDivision of Wildlife Conservation
ƒDivision of Subsistence
ƒDivision of Habitat
ƒDivision of Administrative Services
ƒBoards Support Section
ƒIndependent Agencies
o Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
o Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Council
Commissioner Campbell added that the Division of
Subsistence focused on research and the Division of Habitat
was primarily responsible for permitting. Slide 7 provided
a look at where the department's permanent regional offices
were located throughout the state. She noted that the slide
did not include all summer field camps or research
locations. The chart was color coded to indicate the
divisions present at each location.
1:40:33 PM
Commissioner Campbell provided additional detail for each
section within the department, beginning with the
commissioner's office (slide 8). There were 10 full-time
commissioner's office positions, which were funded with
approximately 1 percent of the department's operating
budget. The Commercial Fisheries Division was the largest
and had 314 full-time and 450 seasonal positions and made
up 34 percent of the operating budget. The division was
responsible for commercial fisheries research and
management, some subsistence fisheries, permitting for
aquaculture projects, and participation and support for the
Board of Fisheries.
Co-Chair Thomas queried the whereabouts of Sue Aspelund,
Director of the Commercial Fisheries Division. Commissioner
Campbell replied that Ms. Aspelund was attending the
division leadership meeting in Anchorage.
Representative Guttenberg wondered whether DFG conducted
research in anticipation of legislation that was
continuously introduced each session. He referenced a bill
that would have allowed gooey ducks to be introduced west
of Yakutat, which the department had opposed two years in a
row based on the unknown effects the species would have on
the environment. He felt that it was unhelpful when answers
from the scientific community had not been researched and
were uninformed.
Commissioner Campbell responded that DFG was cautious about
introducing species outside of their naturally occurring
habitat. She had met with the bill sponsor Representative
Paul Seaton and explained to the committee that the bill
had an economic development element. She discussed that it
was difficult to conduct comprehensive research on
unanticipated impacts; however, DFG was reviewing what was
known about the species in order to provide reasonable
information regarding potential risks.
Representative Guttenberg believed the first step involved
establishing a baseline for the location that would be
impacted.
1:44:34 PM
Co-Chair Stoltze remarked that he would be happy to hear a
variety of bills in committee including fisheries
management and policy legislation.
Commissioner Campbell pointed to the Division of Sport Fish
on slide 10. The division worked to protect and improve the
state's recreational fisheries resources including, sport,
personal-use, and some subsistence fisheries. Additionally,
the division provided support to the Board of Fish process.
Operational funding was derived primarily from federal
excise taxes that were matched from the sale of fishing
licenses, stamps, and other. There were 231 full-time and
204 part-time positions, which represented 25 percent of
the DFG budget. She noted there was a disparity between the
number of full-time positions and total positions due to
the seasonal field work research and technician jobs.
Representative Wilson asked how much revenue came from
fishing licenses.
KEVIN BROOKS, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE
SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME, responded that the
total revenue from fishing and hunting licenses was
approximately $23 million per year. The department would
follow up with a breakdown of fishing license revenue.
Co-Chair Thomas asked whether the Division of Sport Fish
had more than two hatcheries. Commissioner Campbell
responded that the division had a bond for the construction
of a hatchery in Fairbanks and Anchorage. The hatcheries
would provide recreational fishing opportunities and the
construction was funded by a license surcharge.
Commissioner Campbell pointed to slide 11 related to the
Division of Wildlife Conservation, which was responsible
for the management of wildlife, the wildlife survey,
hunting opportunities, hunter safety education, and Board
of Game support. The division housed 186 full-time
positions and represented approximately 22 percent of the
DFG operating budget.
Commissioner Campbell provided detail on the Subsistence
Division (slide 12). The division conducted research on the
customary and traditional uses of Alaska's resources and
provided the information to DFG and the Boards of Fisheries
and Game. The division had 22 full-time employees and
represented approximately 3 percent of the department's
operating budget. She discussed the Habitat Division
featured on slide 13. The division was responsible for
issuing permits for activities in anadromous waters and
represented approximately 3 percent of the DFG budget.
Commissioner Campbell addressed the Division of
Administrative Services on slide 14, which was directed by
Kevin Brooks and was responsible for logistical support and
the development of the DFG capital and operating budgets.
She discussed the Board Support Section shown on slide 15.
The section provided logistical support to the Boards of
Fisheries and Game and to the 82 local advisory committees
throughout the state that provided input to the boards. A
significant amount of support work was required, given that
the Board of Fish met approximately 5 times per year (with
additional teleconferences) and the Board of Game met 3
times per year (with additional teleconferences).
Co-Chair Stoltze wondered whether the large public
participation in the Mat-Su advisory committee election
meetings (approximately 1000 attendees) was similar to
participation throughout the state. He asked whether
increased support was provided for committees with high
public participation.
Commissioner Campbell responded that 1000 public attendees
did not represent a typical level of participation. She
expounded that large turnouts were more common in areas
near large populations and were a more recent phenomenon;
therefore, the division was working to adjust its support
for the advisory committee election meetings in the
relevant areas.
Co-Chair Stoltze thought people were generally supportive
of department policies.
1:51:17 PM
Representative Neuman believed that many of the advisory
committees had members with up to 30 years of relevant
experience; however, he thought that some of their advice
was ignored at the departmental level. He wondered whether
the commissioner intended to solicit and utilize the advice
of advisory committee members.
Commissioner Campbell responded that the advisory
committees represented an important part of the board
process, given their local expertise and knowledge of their
specific geographical area. She agreed that the advisory
committees were a tremendous resource, which she hoped to
utilize.
Commissioner Campbell directed attention to slide 16
related to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission and
the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Council. Each independent agency
represented approximately 2 percent of the department's
operating budget. Slide 17 represented the numerous
increments received by the department in FY 11. She
referenced a detailed handout titled "Status of FY 11
Increments for the Department of Fish and Game" (copy on
file). She moved to slide 18, which included two graphs
that showed the FY 12 budget breakdown by division and fund
source. The budget graph (left graph) illustrated that the
management divisions (commercial fisheries, sport
fisheries, and wildlife conservation) represented the
largest portion of the DFG budget. The largest fund sources
included the general fund, federal funds, and fish and game
fund (right graph).
Co-Chair Stoltze referenced current legislation, which
would impose a fee on an Alaska resident personal-use
fishery or subsistence activity. He did not like the idea
and wondered whether the department was looking at the
proposed fee as a potential revenue source. He asked
whether DFG thought an access fee for personal use or
subsistence should be implemented for all Alaskans.
Commissioner Campbell answered that it was up to the
legislature to decide whether it wanted to implement a fee.
She added that the department could provide fiscal notes to
show the bill's impact if it was heard.
Co-Chair Stoltze believed that the question was a values
question. He emphasized the importance of the issue and
communicated that 27,000 to 28,000 Alaskan families
participated in the personal use and subsistence fisheries.
He expressed intent to pursue the question at a later time
if the commissioner did not have a comment.
Commissioner Campbell continued on slide 19: "FY 12
Budgeted Positions." She discussed the large difference
between the full-time positions and total positions within
the department. She added that the management divisions
housed the bulk of the positions. She concluded the
presentation with a department contact list (slide 20).
Representative Doogan wondered why the Division of
Commercial Fisheries had more employees than the Division
of Sport Fish, given his belief that more people
participated in sport fisheries.
Commissioner Campbell answered that the resources required
to manage fisheries were not always proportional to the
number of individuals who participated in the respective
fishery. Commercial fisheries involved a wide variety of
species throughout the state and sometimes required more
intensive stock assessment and management. The higher
number of employees within the commercial fisheries
division was not reflective of the number of participants
or the importance of the fishery.
Representative Doogan asked whether specific job
classifications required more employees in one fishery
compared to another. He thought that the difference in the
number of employees between the two divisions was oddly
disparate.
Commissioner Campbell responded that DFG would provide a
detailed staff breakdown between the two divisions. She
added that there were certain jobs within one division that
did not necessarily have a counterpart in another division
(e.g. commercial fisheries had employees tasked with
managing a scallop fishery; however, sport fish did not).
2:01:14 PM
Representative Edgmon recalled testimony from the prior
commissioner who had discussed the occurrence of "brain-
drain" or loss of experience within some agencies. He
wondered whether the agencies were experiencing the
problem.
Commissioner Campbell responded that the concern was still
relevant; there was a significant portion of the workforce
that was retirement eligible in the next few years. There
was a substantial pay disparity between a state biologist
position and a federal biologist position. In recent years
the department had committed to a focus on workforce
development, recruitment, and retention.
Representative Edgmon asked whether the department had
addressed the problem in a formal way. He wondered whether
there had been studies or assessments to better understand
the impact on the department's ability to carry out its
missions.
Commissioner Campbell responded that recent work had been
conducted on the salary comparison and the department would
work with the administration on the issue. She furthered
that the development of an internship program was underway,
which would help recruit college students interested in
working for DFG. She discussed non-salary related ways to
address the problem including, knowledge transfer and
mentoring programs within the department and an effort to
provide professional development opportunities for
department staff.
Representative Joule wondered how successful the joint
state and federal management of subsistence had been. He
asked whether the entities had been collaborating or
conflicting and whether efforts had been duplicated or
pooled.
2:05:03 PM
Commissioner Campbell answered that DFG did participate
with the federal managers and subsistence board process to
ensure that state fishery and wildlife managers had the
appropriate data. The department worked to coordinate with
the programs to prevent the duplication of effort. She
noted that the divergent regulations between the state and
federal programs were still a source of confusion for
people wanting to take advantage of the opportunities.
Representative Gara wondered whether the department had a
role in enhancing public access with the cooperation of
private land owners. He discussed that the department had
not actively maintained or enhanced the public's access to
fishing streams. He cited Montana Creek and Willow Creek in
the Mat-Su Valley, Deep Creek and the Anchor as examples
and explained that the sites all had large amounts of
undeveloped, privately held land. He believed that public
access would be lost in the future if an easement was not
negotiated with the land owners. He added that fishing
guides on the Kenai River had been advocating for a permit
requirement to float the upper portion of the river. He
explained that guides would receive half the permits and
the remaining permits would be for Alaskan residents. He
asked whether DFG was concerned that access would be
limited for public users if permits became required.
Commissioner Campbell responded that the Division of Sport
Fish had a section tasked with access issues. She believed
that the preservation of public access to fishing was an
important departmental function and DFG worked with the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to secure the access.
She offered to discuss the Kenai River issue after she
learned more about the subject.
Representative Neuman asked how the department planned to
pursue active game management.
Commissioner Campbell replied that the department had
received funding in the past for the intensive management
programs. There were currently a number of the resource
intensive programs, which had shown successful results. The
wildlife increment in the governor's FY 12 budget was
focused on the completion of the new Region 4; a large
region that had included most of Southcentral and Southwest
Alaska had been divided in order to provide both areas with
adequate resources and attention.
Representative Neuman wondered whether DFG intended to
pursue funding to help the Alaska Moose Federation with the
grooming of trails away from highways in order to reduce
moose-car collisions and to increase moose habitat.
Commissioner Campbell answered that there was not a
designated increment in the FY 12 budget specific to the
Alaska Moose Federation's efforts. She appreciated the
federation's work towards improved moose populations and
highway safety.
2:11:21 PM
Co-Chair Stoltze commended the department on its work on
the intensive management and had heard positive feedback
from user groups. His concerns had been primarily related
to fish management.
Co-Chair Thomas discussed that DFG had transplanted 600 sea
otters in Southeast Alaska in the 1960s. He communicated
that the number had increased to 3000 in 2003 and 10,000 in
2010. He noted that the state's attorney general was suing
the federal government for its designation of endangered
species protective areas, but Alaska was responsible for
the creation of the sea otter issue. He explained that
subsistence divers throughout Southeast were all in
competition with the otters for clams and other. He
wondered how the state would get out of the predicament
that it had created. He added that the department could
follow up on the question at a later time.
Representative Guttenberg referenced the bison's
introduction to the Interior and wondered about current
efforts that would change its designation from endangered
to experimental.
Commissioner Campbell replied that DFG was still working on
the designation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife. She explained
that DFG was progressing on plans for the areas where the
bison could be introduced. She vocalized that Alaska had
enough issues with endangered species and DFG wanted to
obtain assurances that the introduction of a species would
not create impediments to development projects.
Vice-chair Fairclough told a joke related to fishing. She
referenced the proximity of bear habitat near Eagle River
and along the Rover's Run trail in Anchorage and asked
about the conflict between wildlife and public access to
trails.
2:15:57 PM
Commissioner Campbell responded that in recent years there
had been many discussions about the appropriate balance
between public access to recreational areas and safety as a
result of negative interactions between humans and
wildlife. The department had a role in the issue, but the
right to public access was generally the decision of the
land owner or manager. She explained that the department
provided land managers with risk reduction advice related
to trail construction.
Vice-chair Fairclough discussed that close-up images of
wildlife in advertisements targeting tourists did not help
them to understand that the animals were dangerous. She
wondered whether the state had considered a program that
would notify tourists about the dangers of wildlife. She
referenced constituents who were interested in walking a
trail, which DFG may have issued advice on. She wondered
how to simultaneously mitigate risk and increase the safety
of individuals while providing opportunities and access to
Alaska's outdoors.
Commissioner Campbell responded that the department made an
effort to educate people about wildlife safety; it posted
materials at trailheads and provided brochures in visitor
centers. She did not know whether there were other
opportunities to expand the educational program. She noted
that the department would be interested in any ideas on how
to better distribute the materials.
Vice-chair Fairclough asked whether there was a standard
formal process for posting trail closures at trail heads.
Commissioner Campbell replied that the department had an
internal document that it referred to for recommended
measures on the issue of trail closures. She explained that
it was not the department's decision to allow access to a
trail because DFG operated in an advisory role to land
managers; however, the department took the responsibility
of providing advice very seriously, given that in many
cases the advice was taken seriously. She emphasized the
importance of departmental follow up in the days or weeks
subsequent to a negative interaction to ensure that the
closures did not remain in place indefinitely.
2:21:13 PM
Co-Chair Stoltze opined that Craig Fleener [DFG Deputy
Commissioner] and Rick Rydell could help solve some of the
problems. He deemphasized the public opinion and special
interest aspect and explained that Mr. Fleener had an
effective common sense approach to game issues, wildlife
encroachments, and problem solving prioritization.
Representative Edgmon commented that he would speak to Mr.
Fleener about the bear problem in Kokhanok. He thanked
Bruce Twomley for his service to the Commercial Fisheries
Entry Commission.
Co-Chair Thomas discussed that Haines had a problem with
bears becoming tourist attractions in state parks. He had
met with DNR to discuss the installation of a $1 million
bear-viewing platform and parking lot. He explained that
bear safety was the state's responsibility and could cost
it a significant amount of money if a person was mauled;
the state had been lucky and no accidents had occurred thus
far. He thanked the commissioner and asked DFG to send any
requested information to the finance staff email with a
copy to the co-chairs.
2:25:32 PM
AT EASE
2:36:36 PM
RECONVENED
^BUDGET OVERVIEW: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY
DEVELOPMENT
LES MORSE, ACTING COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND
EARLY DEVELOPMENT (DEED), introduced department staff. He
began a PowerPoint presentation titled "FY 2012 Operating
and Capital Budget" and noted the state education policy
statute on slide 2. He detailed that the department's
purpose was to ensure that students would succeed in their
education and their work, shape worthwhile lives for
themselves, exemplify the best societal values, and help
them to be effective in making the world a better place
(slide 3). The statute took a broad approach to education
and included more than just the general focus on reading,
writing, math, and science. He read a DEED mission
statement in the budget document, which was "to provide a
quality standards-based instruction to improve academic
achievement for all students." Several years earlier DEED
had a group of stakeholders build a broader education plan
mission statement, which included how students would
contribute to their communities upon graduation.
Acting Commissioner Morse highlighted core services of the
department on slide 4:
ƒProvide and evaluate a comprehensive student and
school standards, assessment and accountability system
based on student, school, educator, and culturally
responsive standards
ƒProvide and support standards-based professional
development and mentoring for Alaska's educators
ƒProvide a statewide program to ensure all students
have the foundational skills required for success
ƒSecure and award educational funding to school
districts and other educational organizations
ƒProviding high quality [performance] data to school
districts and stakeholders
Acting Commissioner Morse elaborated that a significant
part of the department's work was to ensure that education
standards were outlined. Local districts developed
curriculum and put forward the instruction to make certain
that students met the standards. He discussed that the
statewide mentoring program was offered to teachers and
principals who were new to the state.
Acting Commissioner Morse highlighted that DEED priority
programs fell under three groupings (slide 5):
1. Education Accountability: Implement an Education
Accountability system that ensures Alaska students
achieve high academic standards at quality schools
through the implementation of departmental programs
and operational support
2. Quality Schools: Ensure schools develop and maintain
their capacity to increase student achievement by
providing professional development; providing a
statewide system of support; and, provide a Work
Ready/College Ready program so that students have the
skills necessary to be adequately prepared after high
school
3. Active Partnerships: Provide opportunities for, and
collaborate with governmental, private and faith-based
organizations to engage in Active Partnerships in
pursuit of state educational goals
Acting Commissioner Morse noted he would discuss the
Division of Teaching Learning Support, which fell under
grouping 1 (above). Grouping 2 related to schools that were
struggling or underperforming and utilized DEED staff and
retired teachers to help students with math, science, and
literacy. He relayed that a strong partnership had been
created with the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development (DLWD) and the University of Alaska to help
with Work and College Ready programs. He noted that other
active partnerships included those with local libraries
statewide.
Acting Commissioner Morse moved on to discuss several pie
charts (slides 6-8). The first pie chart focused on the
DEED operating budget general fund: 5 percent of the budget
went to agency operations and 95 percent went to K-12
formula programs (slide 6). The second chart outlined FY 12
agency fund sources: 73 percent came from federal funding
and paid for agency and school operations (slide 7). For
example, 90 percent of the Division of Teaching and
Learning Support budget of $165 million went to directly
educating students. The third chart showed the overall
operations of K-12 by fund source for FY 12: 82 percent
came from general funds, 15 percent came from federal
funds, and 3 percent came from other.
Acting Commissioner Morse illustrated the department
structure on slide 9, which was headed by the State Board
of Education and Early Development. The board met four
times per year and had several audio conferences as well.
Mark Hanley would take over as commissioner the following
week. The Division of Teaching and Learning Support was the
largest division and represented the core of the
department's work with K-12 school districts. The division
included approximately 90 employees and was directed by
Cynthia Curran. The Division of School Finance and
Facilities received foundation program and major
maintenance capital and was headed by Elizabeth Nudelman.
Linda Thibodeau was the director of the Division of
Libraries, Archives and Museums, which was headquartered in
Juneau (there were smaller library facilities in Anchorage
and Sitka).
2:47:53 PM
Co-Chair Thomas asked whether a recent bond initiative
would completely fund the new archive facility.
Acting Commissioner Morse responded that the bonds
represented approximately 20 percent of the necessary
funding for the facility. The department was in the design
process, which had been funded by prior legislative
appropriation.
Co-Chair Stoltze observed that the Board of Education and
DFG commissioner selection process was different from that
of other departments. He wondered whether the board
solicited candidates or was given a name.
Acting Commissioner Morse answered that discussions with
the governor's office had led the board to interview Mr.
Hanley. Subsequently the governor accepted the board's
recommendation to appoint Mr. Hanley to the position.
Co-Chair Stoltze compared the board's selection process to
the process used by DFG.
Representative Edgmon remarked that there had been
solicitation process for the joint boards of DFG. He
wondered whether DEED had a similar solicitation
requirement or whether it was able to take the governor's
recommendation.
Acting Commissioner Morse replied that the board was not
required to conduct a solicitation; it was required to
interview a candidate, select a candidate, and forward a
name to the governor for approval. He was aware that the
chairman of the board had spoken with the governor's
office, but had no further details.
Co-Chair Stoltze commented on the solicitation process for
other agencies including the Board of Regents.
2:51:24 PM
Acting Commissioner Morse continued to discuss the DEED
structure (slide 9). The Division of Administrative
Services was directed by Anna Kim. The Division of Mt.
Edgecumbe High School was directed by Randy Hawk, which was
a boarding school in Sitka that housed approximately 400
students. He discussed the three DEED Commissions and
Boards (slide 10). The Professional Teaching Practices
Commission located in Anchorage was directed by Patricia
Truman and had two employees. The Alaska State Council on
the Arts was directed by Charlotte Fox and had 6 employees.
Co-Chair Stoltze asked about the composition of the
Professional Teaching Practices Commission and whether it
handled disciplinary and license suspensions.
Acting Commissioner Morse responded that the commission
handled any disciplinary actions against individuals who
had teacher or administrative certification in Alaska. The
commission met regularly and included a superintendent, a
principal, and six teachers. Violations of the Professional
Teaching Practices Ethics Act were investigated by the
commission's executive director and were heard by the
board, which would determine any disciplinary action or
dismissal of a case.
Co-Chair Stoltze wondered what types of disciplinary issues
the board handled (e.g. criminal, competency, or other).
Acting Commissioner Morse responded that a public report
was compiled annually, which DEED could provide to the
committee. He relayed that the types of complaints varied
and included illegal actions, helping students to cheat on
a test, inappropriate behavior with a student, and other.
Less serious offenses could result in a reprimand, but not
a loss in certificate.
Co-Chair Stoltze wondered whether a teacher would have to
break the law to have their license revoked in Alaska.
Acting Commissioner Morse clarified that a teacher did not
have to break the law to lose a license. He referred to a
case in which a teacher had lost her teaching certificate
after helping students on a statewide exam.
2:56:11 PM
Acting Commissioner Morse continued to discuss the
commissions and boards (slide 10). The Juneau-based Alaska
Commission on Postsecondary Education was directed by Diane
Barrans. He pointed to department line items from the
governor's FY 12 budget on slide 11:
ƒThe Executive Administration had five staff members.
ƒThe Administrative Services Division included
Administrative Services and Information Services and
had 16 staff.
ƒThe Division of School, Finance and Facilities had 13
staff.
ƒStudent and School Achievement, State System of
Support, Statewide Mentoring Program, Teacher
Certification, Child Nutrition, and Early Learning
Coordination were all included in one division and had
a staff of 94, which was the core of the department.
Student and School Achievement included slightly over
$10 million of which, $7.6 million went to the
department's assessment contracts and work. There was
$165 million in federal funds, 90 percent of which
went to school districts through special education
funds or Title 1 funds (money to support economically
disadvantaged students in schools).
ƒThere was slightly over $50 million in federal funding
budgeted to Child Nutrition Services of which, $49
million went to grants to directly fund child
nutrition services.
ƒThe Professional Teaching Practices Commission had two
staff.
ƒThe Alaska State Council on the Arts had six staff.
ƒMt. Edgecumbe Boarding School and State Facilities
Maintenance were part of Mt. Edgecumbe High School in
Sitka and had 53 staff.
ƒState Facilities Rent was department-wide.
ƒLibrary Operations, Archives, and Museum Operations
had a staff of 66.
ƒThe last three items on the slide related to the
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, which
had a staff of 101.
Co-Chair Thomas asked whether there had been any dropouts
in the WWAMI [Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and
Idaho] program. Acting Commissioner Morse responded that
Diane Barrans would provide the information to committee
members.
Co-Chair Thomas was interested in hearing about the success
of the program. Acting Commissioner Morse would ask Ms.
Barrans to follow up with the detailed information.
Representative Doogan asked how the budget allocation had
been derived for the Performance Scholarship Awards (slide
11). Acting Commissioner Morse answered that he would
follow up with the requested information. He noted that the
department worked very closely with the Alaska Commission
on Postsecondary Education and had modeled the program
after the experience of other states.
3:01:22 PM
Acting Commissioner Morse directed attention to slide 12,
which outlined FY 12 budget items for K-12 formula
programs. The Foundation Program represented the largest
of the budget items. Other programs included Boarding Home
Grants, Youth in Detention, Special Schools, Pupil
Transportation, the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy
(operated under a separate state agency), and School Debt
Reimbursement.
Acting Commissioner Morse highlighted FY 12 capital budget
items on slide 13. Capital budget items included deferred
maintenance at Mt. Edgecumbe High School and capital
projects including assessment work on abandoned school
sites, the Stratton library roof and side replacement, and
a school construction project. He noted that there had not
been a school construction in the capital budget for a
number of years and that the project included a renovation
and addition to the Quinhagak school. The budget also
included 14 major maintenance grants projects.
Representative Wilson asked what criteria were considered
when the maintenance list was developed and noted that
Fairbanks schools had not made the list despite their
maintenance needs.
Acting Commissioner Morse answered that there was specific
evaluation criteria. He could not speak to individual
districts, but could provide a list of submitted projects
and the evaluation criteria that were used. Slide 13 only
showed the top 14 maintenance projects on the state's list.
Representative Wilson wondered whether a borough's ability
to put its own funding towards maintenance projects was a
factor included on the criteria list.
ELIZABETH NUDELMAN, DIRECTOR, SCHOOL FINANCE AND
FACILITIES, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT,
answered that the department ranked projects submitted by
district's each fall. She explained that a district's
ability to receive bonding approved by voters was not a
criterion. She added that the division could follow up with
more detail.
Co-Chair Stoltze asked about the severity of the Sidney
Huntington School fire and whether it would be handled
immediately, through the Legislative Budget and Audit
Committee, or other.
Acting Commissioner Morse clarified that the department had
been in constant contact with the district following the
fire and DEED staff were scheduled to meet with the
superintendent the following day. The damage was estimated
between $2 million and $3 million and DEED was working to
determine how much insurance would cover. The damaged
building was designated for vocational education and was
separate from the other school facilities. The department
had been keeping the Office of Management and Budget
informed and was working to determine what was necessary to
move forward.
Representative Edgmon asked how past legislation (SB 237)
relating to energy standards in new schools would impact
the Quinhagak school construction. He also wondered whether
provisions in the bill related to major maintenance
projects.
Ms. Nudelman responded that the division would follow up
with detailed information.
Representative Edgmon had previously been on the House
Energy Committee and believed the bill's provision relating
to energy efficiency requirements in new schools was long
overdue.
3:08:53 PM
Representative Gara discussed that the FY 12 foundation
formula funding had not been increased from the prior year
and wondered how flat funding education would allow for any
improvements to the education system. He relayed concern
that without an increase there would be fewer teachers and
support staff in a system that was not working well. He
noted that due to underfunding in Anchorage the Kids in
Transition program, which helped homeless youth graduate,
would have to cut back its two-person staff down to one.
Acting Commissioner Morse answered that there was a $12.5
million increase in funding; however, because it was the
fourth year of a five-year cost differential, Anchorage
would not see the increase. He thought the Kids in
Transition program had potentially been paid for with
federal funds. He added that there were some federal funds
that districts still had access to, which were included in
the budget.
Representative Gara reiterated his concern about the flat
funding of education. He noted that rural districts in
their last year of cost differential would be forced to use
some of the money aimed at cost differential to keep up
with inflation. He believed that money intended to catch
districts up would have to be used for districts to stay
even.
Acting Commissioner Morse replied that school
superintendents would need to analyze their budgets to
become more targeted and to determine where efficiencies
could be created. He had worked in schools for 17 years and
believed it was important to target available resources in
order to make a difference in student achievement.
Representative Gara asked whether the commissioner had any
recommendations.
Acting Commissioner Morse answered that the department was
working on several ways to advance achievement statewide;
however, it was hard to make a broad statement about budget
recommendations without looking at specific issues and
districts.
3:14:43 PM
Acting Commissioner Morse pointed to slide 14, which
pertained to federal funding from the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The department had been
administering the numerous programs, which had been
challenging. Stimulus funding from the ARRA that had paid
for the majority of the programs was required to be used by
September 2011. Some of the funding had been spent and
other money had been encumbered by districts to spend prior
to the September deadline. The department was required to
provide the federal government with a report on jobs saved
and the most recent quarter was shown in the last column on
slide 14.
Representative Wilson wondered what would happen to the 359
jobs that had been created or saved after the federal
funding was gone. She thought there had been hopes against
using the money for jobs.
Acting Commissioner Morse responded that some of the jobs
were temporary and in other cases districts would
reprioritize their budgets if the new positions were
important. He explained that DEED had encouraged one-time
expenditures. Districts had also been required to sign a
document that included the legislature's intent language to
ensure that they understood that the legislature did not
intend to provide additional funding later.
Representative Doogan wondered how the Temporary Emergency
Food Assistance program had spent more than had been
received.
ANNA KIM, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES,
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT, responded
that the ARRA funding was also helping with the current
Temporary Emergency Food Assistance program; therefore,
expenditures may have been included by mistake.
Representative Guttenberg wondered why none of the money
available for the Broadband Technology Opportunity program
had been spent and how there were four temporary positions
listed under the program.
Ms. Kim answered that the broadband grant had recently been
authorized by the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee.
The four temporary positions were included because they
would be established for the duration of the grant.
Representative Guttenberg asked where the technology grants
would be used. Ms. Kim responded that DEED would provide
the information to the committee.
Acting Commissioner Morse furthered that the grant was for
state libraries to bring broadband access to local
libraries throughout the state. The state had worked with
the Rasmuson and Gates Foundations to secure the grant,
which began in December 2010 and would not expire in
September 2011 like the others.
3:20:48 PM
Representative Neuman thought that broadband grants had
been offered through public libraries and wondered why DEED
was involved. Acting Commissioner Morse answered that the
Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums provided
support for community libraries throughout the state.
Acting Commissioner Morse touched on key challenges going
forward (slide 15):
ƒContinuous academic growth for all students, including
closing the achievement gap in reading, writing, math
and science
ƒRefine state standards and assessments
Acting Commissioner Morse elaborated that DEED planned to
implement a strong literacy plan for students in the next
few months. The department was excited about work with DLWD
and the university. He expounded that DEED was working with
districts on underachievement issues and on the Moore
lawsuit. Standards had been revised in 2005 and if
revisions took place in the next year assessments would be
impacted in 2015 for 10 years.
Representative Joule asked whether the high school
qualifying exit exam was used as an assessment tool.
Acting Commissioner Morse answered that the exit exam did
fall under the state standard component. Specific standards
were assessed on the required exam that was given two times
per year.
Representative Joule believed that at one time the exam had
reflected material at the 8th grade-level; he wondered
whether that had changed.
Acting Commissioner Morse replied that the language arts
components were primarily at 9th and 10th grade-levels, the
math portion was currently a mixture of 8th, 9th, and 10th
grade. The department was working to increase the standards
from the 10th grade to 12th grade-level and was
coordinating with freshman-level teachers to determine what
should be included in the standards to prepare students for
vocational school, university, or other. He believed the
process of refining the standards would have an impact on
the exam material.
Co-Chair Stoltze discussed that in past years the tests had
not been required for graduation, but were testing beyond
the current level. He believed that DEED had spent
approximately $1 million designing a test that a
significant portion of the bureaucracy wanted to fail. He
thought the test had always been intended to be a basic
proficiency test and nothing more.
Representative Costello asked whether DEED knew Mr.
Hanley's vision for the department, specifically regarding
the high school drop-out rate. She believed that the
education system failed students who dropped out and
wondered about plans to engage the students in classrooms.
Acting Commissioner Morse responded that he had spoken with
Mr. Hanley and they agreed on the need to address issues
around literacy at a much younger age. He relayed that
there were clear and effective programs that the state
should utilize. Some of the programs were scripted and were
not fun to teach, but they worked. He believed Mr. Hanley
would be very interested in career and technical education
to ensure students would be prepared for the various types
of educational opportunities subsequent to high school. It
was important to provide students with a broader sense of
opportunity following high school in order to increase
their interest and engagement in the classroom.
3:30:01 PM
Representative Joule asked how many children were home
schooled or attended private school in Alaska and wondered
whether the number was an indication of the confidence
people had in the state system. He talked about how the
throughput of oil ultimately impacted the level of
education formula funding and wondered whether DEED or the
board had discussed what would happen if levels of funding
could not continue to be sustained.
Acting Commissioner Morse responded that he did not know
the number of students attending private schools because
the schools were not required to report their enrollment
numbers. He explained that there were families who
privately homeschooled their children and homeschool
families who registered through one of the 14 statewide
correspondence schools. He estimated that there were
approximately 6,500 to 7,000 homeschool students who fell
into the latter category, but the number did not account
for students taking correspondence classes within their own
districts. He believed that the question related to future
funding levels would require significant dialogue and
attention. He noted that the issue had been raised around
federal stimulus money that would not be continued in the
future. He believed it was important to determine what the
system did well and to do it in a focused way.
Representative Joule remarked on the tendency for people to
believe that things would continue to happen as they always
had. An increase in boarding school enrollment throughout
the state and potential future budget constraints could
result in the need for change. He wondered whether there
was a dialogue with school districts or with the department
about how the state delivered education in a way that could
resemble a boarding school format. He believed continued
discussion about alternatives was necessary and would help
people to realize that change was not always as bad as they
may have initially thought.
Acting Commissioner Morse replied that there were currently
three boarding schools in Alaska including, Mt. Edgecumbe
High School, Galena, and Nenana. He did not know how close
the schools were to their capacity, but believed the
schools offered a good alternative for some students. He
had visited the schools in Mt. Edgecumbe and Galena and was
impressed by programs including the career and technology
educational programs at Galena. He noted that the
discussion had occurred; however, there had not been a
conversation about the long-term direction of the issues.
He agreed that the conversation needed to occur and would
follow up with Mr. Hanley.
3:38:08 PM
Representative Wilson was concerned that the exit exam
included a 10th grade standard and that students who passed
the test were led to believe they were ready for college.
She thought the test should include 11th and 12th grade
standards and believed that limiting the test to a lower
standard was sending the wrong message to students. She
emphasized the importance of a focus on K-12 education.
Acting Commissioner Morse answered that statutory language
outlined that the purpose of the test was "to give a basic
competency test of essential skills." Historically there
had been extensive community dialogue about what a
competency test of essential skills was. He believed
whether the test was appropriate for current students was a
different question.
Co-Chair Thomas wondered whether an effort to improve the
38 percent to 40 percent failure rate was included in the
department's key challenges.
Acting Commissioner Morse responded that the effort to
improve the failure rate was included in the continuous
academic growth and effective use of instructional time
categories. He relayed that the improved use of
instructional time would increase students' opportunity for
instruction by qualified teachers.
Co-Chair Thomas wanted to make certain that the reduction
of the failure rate had been included on the department's
list of goals.
Acting Commissioner Morse responded in the affirmative. The
department believed the graduation rate needed improvement.
He pointed to small improvements, but agreed that a
graduation rate of 66 percent meant that 34 percent of
students were failing.
Co-Chair Thomas remarked that the state could not continue
to award failure. He discussed concern that the 40 percent
who failed could end up in prison. He had talked with DLWD
and had learned that the department was working to
encourage those individuals to look at vocational education
as an option.
3:43:15 PM
Acting Commissioner Morse addressed the last of the
department's key challenges related to the implementation
of federal laws such as No Child Left Behind and ARRA
(slide 15). He noted that No Child Left Behind would most
likely be reauthorized sometime in the next one to three
years. He highlighted the DEED accomplishments (slide 16),
which included its work with the Alaska Commission on
Postsecondary Education and DLWD on the Alaska Performance
Scholarship, continued implementation of statewide teacher
mentoring and administrator coaching, formative or practice
assessments to track student skill levels throughout the
year, implementation of the technical assistance program
that helped districts facing challenges with students, and
an implementation plan with DLWD and the university on
college and career preparedness. He added that he had met
with DLWD and university representatives earlier in the
week regarding college preparedness.
Vice-chair Fairclough asked whether the state was working
with the university to pursue the possibility of the
assignment of an ID number to students that they would have
throughout their entire school experience within Alaska,
which would allow the state to see where inadequate
education had been received. She asked for a job
description of the $200,000 budgeted position for a school
health and safety coordinator, which would address family
health and domestic violence (page 88 of the department
short forms). She discussed a $400,000 budget item aimed at
providing positions to support students with reading,
science and math. She detailed that similar, less expensive
budget items had been included the past few years and
requested an update on the success of the efforts. The
legislature had been told the budget item had been to
address the Moore case the prior year and to support No
Child Left Behind during the current year. She noted that
the department could get back to her with its response.
Representative Gara wondered whether the department had
considered applying for federal Race to the Top funds that
rewarded states for thinking outside of the box to
encourage educational achievement. He noted that 40 states
had applied for the funds and believed there did not seem
to be specific places that the department was thinking
outside of the box with the exception of the boarding
school discussion. He wondered when the state would
permanently implement the pre-K program that was currently
a pilot program. He emphasized that 40 other states had
pre-K programs that included both classrooms and parents as
teachers. He stressed that the success of the program was
seen in better job and income rates, lower jail rates,
higher graduation rates, et cetera.
Acting Commissioner Morse responded that 35 to 40 states
had applied for Race to the Top funds and approximately 18
states had received funds from the program. The state had
believed its chance for receiving the funding was low and
the application cost was approximately $250,000 to
$500,000; therefore, it had not applied. The availability
of Race to the Top funds in the future depended on federal
appropriation and the state would reassess whether to apply
if funds became available. It appeared that states with
strong local control had a more difficult time receiving
the funds and that many states in the western U.S. had not
received the federal money. The department was prepared to
discuss work it had conducted over the past several years
on pre-K and had included a budget component related to the
issue. The department had brought data forward for the
education subcommittee to review based on successful work
that had been done. He thought that making pre-K available
to all children required a broader policy conversation.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 3:53 PM.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| DEED Overview HFIN 012711.pdf |
HFIN 1/27/2011 1:30:00 PM |
|
| HFIN Overview DFG 012711 PDF.pdf |
HFIN 1/27/2011 1:30:00 PM |
|
| FY11 Increment Background DF&G.pdf |
HFIN 1/27/2011 1:30:00 PM |