Legislature(2021 - 2022)BUTROVICH 205
02/07/2022 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s) | |
| Presentation(s): Deed Covid-19 Federal Relief Funding Overview | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 7, 2022
9:05 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Roger Holland, Chair
Senator Gary Stevens, Vice Chair
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Tom Begich
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Shelley Hughes
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Kali Spencer - Juneau
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
PRESENTATION(S): DEED COVID-19 FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDING OVERVIEW
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
KALI SPENCER, Governor's Appointee
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as the governor's appointee to the
University of Alaska Board of Regents.
LACEY SANDERS, Administrative Services Director
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the DEED update: COVID-19 Federal
Relief Funding.
ACTION NARRATIVE
9:05:47 AM
CHAIR ROGER HOLLAND called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 9:05 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Begich, Micciche, Stevens, and Chair
Holland.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA BOARD OF REGENTS
9:06:25 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND announced the consideration of a governor
appointee to the University of Alaska Board of Regents.
9:06:53 AM
KALI SPENCER, Governor's Appointee, University of Alaska Board
of Regents, Juneau, Alaska, said she grew up in Eagle River, now
lives in Juneau, and attends the University of Alaska Southeast
(UAS) where she is earning a bachelor's degree. She has a
passion for student advocacy and values quality education.
9:07:43 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked what the role of the University of Alaska
(UA) is in the continuum of education. He stated that President
Pitney would be transiting from the interim president to
president and asked what a board member's oversight role is.
MS. SPENCER replied that the university's role is to harbor
space conducive to learning for all students and provide a
better life for students through education. It also provides the
future workforce for Alaska. She stated that the vote to change
President Pitney's role from the interim president to the
president would occur next week. She looked forward to
discussing whether a search for a president should be conducted,
as many students voiced a desire for recruitment.
SENATOR BEGICH stated it was his understanding that recruitment
had been done. He asked for an explanation of the conflict.
9:10:03 AM
MS. SPENCER replied that the students were looking for a
traditional search.
9:10:27 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked if the students were engaged in the search
process.
MS. SPENCER stated that she provided feedback to the board from
students; most were confident in President Pitney's ability to
fulfill the role of acting president.
9:11:00 AM
SENATOR STEVENS stated he is glad students are on the university
board and wished more district school boards had a student seat.
He asked what forums were available to learn about student
concerns.
MS. SPENCER answered that she was involved in the Alaska
Association of Student Governments for seven years. The
organization consists of 150 high schools. She was also elected
to be the Anchorage School District's student representative.
The University of Alaska (UA) Coalition of Student Leaders is
her primary means of information. It brings student leaders
together to discuss issues in their communities.
SENATOR STEVENS commented that Ms. Spencer is unintimidated by
age differences and is articulate. He expressed his belief that
she would be a good student representative to the Board of
Regents.
SENATOR MICCICHE stated he was impressed by her resume.
9:14:15 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked if confirmations require public comment and
was told no.
9:14:31 AM
At ease.
9:14:52 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting.
9:14:59 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND solicited a motion.
9:15:03 AM
SENATOR STEVENS moved that Kali Spencer, appointee to the
University of Alaska Board of Regents, be forwarded to a joint
session of the legislature for consideration.
9:15:16 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND stated that in accordance with AS 39.05.080, the
Senate Education Standing Committee reviewed the following and
recommends the appointments be forwarded to a joint session for
consideration:
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Kali Spencer Juneau, Alaska
CHAIR HOLLAND reminded members that signing the reports
regarding appointments to boards and commissions in no way
reflects individual members' approval or disapproval of the
appointees; the nominations are merely forwarded to the full
legislature for confirmation or rejection.
9:15:27 AM
At ease.
^PRESENTATION(S): DEED COVID-19 Federal Relief Funding Overview
PRESENTATION(S): DEED COVID-19 Federal Relief Funding Overview
9:17:39 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and announced an update on
COVID-19 Federal Relief Funding from the Department of Education
and Early Development (DEED).
9:18:01 AM
LACEY SANDERS, Administrative Services Director, Alaska
Department of Education and Early Development, Juneau, Alaska,
stated she would provide an update on the three funding packages
DEED received. Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security
(CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020 and awarded
the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) $74.5
million. Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER
I) funds received $38.4 million. CARES specified that 90 percent
of ESSER I funds would be allocated to school districts based on
the proportion of Title I-A funds received in the most recent
year. Each school district was responsible for creating a plan
and budget for their funds. As each federal act progressed,
allowable uses expanded and could be applied retroactively. Deed
provided close guidance and review to school districts. DEED
also assisted district staff with timeframe compliance.
9:20:55 AM
MS. SANDERS reported that under ESSER I, the remaining 10
percent was allocated to the state educational agency (SEA).
DEED called this the SEA Reserve. The SEA Reserve had an
allowable 0.5 percent of 1 percent use for administrative costs
associated with grant administration. She noted that the table
on slide 2 used the term "obligated" because districts have
until September 2022 to spend the funds. Examples of how DEED
utilized the state reserve include providing all school
districts access to the Canvas Learning Management System
(Canvas LMS) for two years. Also, a contract to make the teacher
certification process digital was made with the vendor Inlumin.
The digital process will be available in September 2022.
9:22:40 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked if the non-digital option for teacher
certification would still be available.
MS. SANDERS replied yes, and some confidential information, such
as fingerprints, would be held in hardcopy format for security
purposes.
SENATOR STEVENS asked how the department of administration used
$200,000.
MS. SANDERS replied that $180,000 went to the Department of Law
for advisement. The department also added a non-permanent
position to handle emergency assistance to non-public schools
and two positions to support the increase in grant workload.
9:25:16 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE commented that the total amount to
administration [slide 5] was relatively small, less than 1
percent.
MS. SANDERS replied that compared to the overall amount that
came to DEED, the amount to administration was less than one-
half of one percent. The ESSER relief funds had an appropriation
of 0.5 percent of 1 percent; not all Covid funding allowed for
administrative overhead.
9:26:07 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked if that amount represents typical pass-
through funding for education.
MS. SANDERS stated she did not know the typical pass-through
funding amount for education but would find out and provide it
to the committee.
9:26:25 AM
MS. SANDERS discussed the Governor's Emergency Education Relief
funds (GEER) on slide 2. GEER I gave the governor $6.5 million
in discretionary funds to be awarded to educational entities for
COVID-19 emergency assistance. The governor assisted the
University of Alaska with $1.5 million and the Alaska Native
Science and Engineering Program with $200,000. School districts
received $3.7 million, and $1 million was distributed through a
competitive grant program. Various grant recipients included
Juneau Arts Matter, Discovery Southeast, and Tundra Women's
Coalition.
9:27:38 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked why the governor gave $3.7 million to
school districts.
MS. SANDERS explained that the $3.7 million given to school
districts from GEER I funds adjusted for the deficit some school
districts experienced when $34 million in Title I-A funds did
not balance the loss incurred from the governor's veto of a $30
million education appropriation that was outside the K-12
formula.
9:29:01 AM
SENATOR BEGICH restated that the legislature had $30 million in
additional monies. The governor vetoed those monies, but the
amount was offset by the CARES money, which was $34 million. The
CARES Act used a distribution method that was based on Title I-
A. This distribution method meant some districts received more
while others received less than what they would have received if
the vetoed $30 million had been distributed. Therefore, the
governor used $3.7 million to account for the difference. Those
that received less from Title I-A, received money from the
governor's discretionary fund to level out the difference.
MS. SANDERS replied that is correct.
9:29:54 AM
SENATOR BEGICH inquired about accountability measures for the
$34 million ESSER I and $3.7 million GEER I funds.
9:30:17 AM
MS. SANDERS replied that the money was for addressing needs in
education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. School districts were
getting teachers set up with online education supplies and
materials to keep schooling moving forward. DEED ensured
allowable expenses were paid using the COVID-19 funds.
9:30:48 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked what accountability measures were submitted
to DEED to indicate COVID-19 money was spent appropriately by
school districts.
MS. SANDERS replied that school district plans and expenditures
were reviewed by DEED. Reimbursements were made when expenses
aligned with the purpose of the funds.
9:31:31 AM
SENATOR HUGHES stated that there are stories about students
struggling and failing during and after the pandemic. She
expressed concerned that the education of Alaska's children was
diminished. She stated that $500 million was given to school
districts. She would like details on how the school districts
used the funds and whether data was tracked to determine
success.
MS. SANDERS responded that reporting mechanisms for dollars
would be discussed later in the presentation. Measuring student
learning is not her expertise.
9:33:46 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE stated that the amount of money going to school
districts has been as high as $600 million, with some grants
ending in 2025. He expressed concern that school districts will
establish programs that need funding beyond 2025 since education
has been flat-funded for several years.
MS. SANDERS replied yes; however, DEED deliberately chose
improvements to the department that were finite. Commissioner
Johnson sent letters to superintendents warning against school
district programs that would hit a fiscal cliff in 2025. DEED
created webinars and other materials to assist schools in
selecting meaningful projects that would not have ongoing
expenditures.
9:36:15 AM
MS. SANDERS said the state received $42.2 million for Child
Nutrition Food Assistance which had a short window of
availability. Eligible entities used $28.3 million of the award.
As an existing grantee of the Center on Disease Control (CDC)
School Wellness Program, child nutrition also received a non-
competitive grant of $766,000. The purpose of the grant was to
provide training and technical assistance in responding to
COVID-19 in the workplace.
9:37:16 AM
MS. SANDERS said that the Division of Libraries, Archives &
Museums received a $66,102 award that ended with a remaining
balance $3,500. The National Endowment for the Arts provided the
Alaska State Council on the Arts with $421,500. The grant is
still in effect and has a remaining balance of $24,324 to be
awarded.
9:38:10 AM
MS. SANDERS moved to slide 3 and stated the Coronavirus Response
and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act was signed
into law in December 2020. It allocated $168 million to DEED.
The distribution of CRRSA ESSER II funds was similar to CARES;
90 percent to school districts and 10 percent to the SEA
Reserve, with 0.5 of 1 percent for administration costs. Most of
the CRRSA funds are obligated with projects still being
executed.
MS. SANDERS gave various examples of projects underway and said
a website containing a list of all projects and allocations
would be provided later in the presentation.
9:42:41 AM
MS. SANDERS advanced to slide 3 and said the governor gave $2.1
million of his $2.8 million GEER II funds to UA's School of
Health to increase the school's capacity to train registered
nurses. The Alaska Commission on Post-Secondary Education
received $115,000 to update the Alaska Career Information System
platform and continue work on the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) initiative. The Delta Career Advancement
Center was awarded funds to purchase a diesel generator as an
alternative power source. CRRSA allocated Emergency Assistance
for Non-Public Schools (EANS I). The total state allocation for
EANS I was $5.3 million. Six non-public schools participated and
received $826,000. She noted that DEED was responsible for
purchasing and owning the acquisitions of non-public schools.
The remaining balance of EANS I funds was converted to GEER
funds for the governor to allocate to educational entities.
9:45:51 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked how DEED promoted the availability of the
$5 million in EANS I funds and how the $826,000 in received
funds were spent.
MS. SANDERS replied that DEED has a list of non-public schools;
each was contacted and informed of how to apply for funding. A
federal System for Award Management (SAMS) or Dun & Bradstreet
(DUNS) identification number was a requirement for application.
9:47:22 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked how many non-public schools do not have the
identification number.
MS. SANDERS replied she did not know.
9:47:33 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked what was purchased for the six non-public
schools with the $826,000 and what conditions were placed on
non-public schools to receive funds.
MS. SANDERS recalled that purchased items included furniture and
electronics, such as laptops and tablets. DEED tagged the items
for tracking inventory and depreciation purposes. She commented
that many schools requested air purifiers, so DEED surveyed
public and non-public schools and used the converted EANS to
GEER funding to make the $350,000 purchase.
9:49:46 AM
SENATOR HUGHES questioned why the EANS money was converted
quickly to GEER when the grant did not end until September 2023.
MS. SANDERS stated non-public schools lacked interest in the
funds and could not be forced to use them.
9:51:08 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND asked how much it cost to purchase the Delta
Career Advancement Center's diesel generator and how the
purchase was justified using COVID-19 emergency funding.
MS. SANDERS replied that the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
provided guidelines to ensure funds were spent appropriately.
One guideline addressed students experiencing learning loss due
to limited accessibility. The power source at the center was
unreliable and caused frequent closure, resulting in learning
loss. DEED also used the Alaska Education Challenge to
prioritize spending.
9:52:54 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND asked what the total cost was for the project.
MS. SANDERS responded that she did not know but would get back
to the committee. She recollected that the generator also needed
housing.
9:53:17 AM
MS. SANDERS moved to slide 4 and said that the American Rescue
Plan (ARP) Act went into effect on March 11, 2021 and allocated
$379 million to DEED. ESSER III funds totaled $358 and went to
school districts, the SEA Reserve, and the administration with
the same allocation percentages as previously awarded; 90
percent for school districts and 10 percent for the department
to provide grants and service contracts. The federal government
outlined that school districts must reserve at least 20 percent
of the award to address learning loss. A plan for safe return to
in-person instruction and continuity of service was required to
be published on district websites.
MS. SANDERS said that a $2.3 million award benefited homeless
children and youth. Seventy-five percent [$1,770,507] was
obligated to school districts. The remaining $587,503 would be
awarded as grants. Grantees would identify homeless children and
provide them with wrap-around services that address the
challenges of COVID-19 and enable homeless youth to attend and
fully participate in school. Recipients of the award have not
been determined.
9:55:40 AM
MS. SANDERS stated DEED received two supplemental allocations of
pass-through funding for Part B of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The first allocation of $8.6
million was for school districts, and the second allocation of
$666,000 was for preschools. These funds supported the early
intervention of children with disabilities and their families.
DEED did not retain any portion of these funds.
MS. SANDERS referred to slide 4 and stated GEER funds were not
awarded under ARP. Instead, $5.9 million was made available to
non-public schools, with 25 percent of students from low-income
families. Non-public schools could submit data from the free and
reduced lunch, E-Rate, scholarships, or surveys to demonstrate
qualifying status.
9:57:44 AM
SENATOR HUGHES wondered why non-public schools did not choose to
participate and asked if there were requirements to access the
funds besides a federal ID and 25 percent low-income enrollment.
MS. SANDERS replied that the only other caveat was allowable
uses. She continued that EANS II funding opened for application
on January 21 and would close on February 21, 2022. DEED also
provided non-public schools with outreach webinars and materials
to help determine how best to use funds.
9:59:32 AM
MS. SANDERS said that the federal government outlined a formula
for allocating DEED's State Educational Agency (SEA) Reserve
under ESSER III. The formula awarded: $17.9 million for
activities that address learning loss, $3.6 million for summer
enrichment activities, $3.6 million for after-school activities,
$9 million for DEED with $1.8 million for administrative costs,
and a maximum of $2.5 million for other state activities. The
commissioner and state board of education will create a process
for determining how funds are spent.
MS. SANDERS stated ARP had two additional awards. The Institute
on Museum and Library Services awarded Library, Archives, and
Museums $2.2 million to provide grants to entities that offer
library and museum services. The National Endowment for the Arts
provided $749,000 to the Alaska State Council on the Arts for
grants to Alaskan artists statewide.
10:01:27 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked why so many art funds remained.
MS. SANDERS explained that the Alaska State Council on the Arts
decided to split the award and offer it over the next two fiscal
years. She stated her belief that there are no restrictions to
prevent grants from being awarded.
10:02:37 AM
MS. SANDERS stated slide 5 summarizes the Covid relief funding
DEED received. DEED received $621 million to spend on Covid
relief for students and education. She noted that the $512
million that school districts received does not include the
Governor's Education Relief funds for non-public schools.
MS. SANDERS stated that she provided two handouts to the
committee. The first handout was a snapshot of ESSER funding by
school districts that included CARES, CRRSA, and ARPA
allocations; HCY and IDEA allocations were omitted. The second
handout was an Excel document showing all funding packages. Of
the $517 million packages given to school districts, $77 million
has been requested for reimbursement, leaving an unspent balance
of $439 million.
10:04:57 AM
MS. SANDERS advanced to slide 6 and introduced a Covid dashboard
created on January 28, 2022. It is accessible through the DEED
website and brings entities' information, resources, and
spending details to one location.
10:07:17 AM
SENATOR BEGICH stated the dashboard offers accountability and
asked how long it took to create.
MS. SANDERS replied that it took several months to create the
dashboard. The dashboard allows viewers to see how school
districts, DEED, the Office of the Governor, and non-public
schools used COVID-19 funds. Graphics for each school district
have been added, and more improvements will be forthcoming. she
noted that categories for spending are broad, and school
districts would need to be contacted for particulars.
10:08:45 AM
SENATOR BEGICH commented that the dashboard makes information
accessible to the public.
SENATOR HUGHES commented that the ultimate goal of school
districts is to teach Alaska's children. The dashboard is
impressive and shows how money is spent, but it doesn't
correlate with how students are faring. School districts have
not posted report cards. Having a dashboard that correlated
funding with student academic outcomes would help determine the
best use of funds for the future. She stated her belief that the
20 percent of funding for learning loss should have been 80
percent.
10:10:29 AM
MS. SANDERS remarked that the commissioner had allocated funds
to create a predictive outcomes dashboard. It is in the
procurement process. She stated she would report back to the
committee on the status of district report cards.
10:11:03 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE stated that the handout on COVID-19 Federal
Relief Funding for Alaska School Districts shows that funding
was not distributed based on student population. ESSER III funds
appear to have favored rural communities. He asked for an
explanation of differential.
MS. SANDERS stated that federal guidance required the funds be
distributed based on Title I-A, not the average daily membership
(ADM), using the foundation formula. She offered to follow up
with additional information for the committee.
10:12:44 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE stated that the challenges Alaskan schools face
vary depending on location. It would be beneficial to understand
how rural schools received increased financial support because
it might be possible to apply that method to future long-term
projects.
10:14:21 AM
MS. SANDERS moved to slide 7 and explained that the commissioner
and state board of education are using the top five priorities
of Alaska's Education Challenge to allocate funds allotted to
the department. The commissioner will consider how the remaining
funds can be used to create excellence in education while
avoiding a fiscal cliff. He has encouraged school districts to
be conscientious in their decision-making.
10:16:10 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked if DEED could provide more details on how
funding matches the five priorities and the associated projects.
MS. SANDERS stated the department could provide dollar amounts
for the projects highlighted on slide 7.
SENATOR MICCICHE replied that $600 million in funding is a once-
in-a-lifetime opportunity. He would like to know how the money,
priorities, and projects connect to school districts because it
could help the legislature supplement efforts.
MS. SANDERS replied that the department could only speak to its
projects; it cannot speak to each school districts' projects.
She recommended school districts be contacted directly.
10:19:03 AM
SENATOR BEGICH commented on opinion piece in the Anchorage Daily
News written by several House members. The article concerned SB
111 and HB 164, also known as the Alaska Reads Act. He refuted
statements and concluded that letting Alaskan children go
another year without evidence-based early education reading
opportunities condemns them to potential failure.
10:27:35 AM
SENATOR HUGHES stated that the comments in the article grieved
her. Having lived in numerous rural communities, she has seen
children not reach their full potential. SB 111 is designed to
meet the needs of the individual child. The authors of the
article do not understand the bill.
CHAIR HOLLAND commented that he could see the effort that has
been put into the bill over the past years. He stated his belief
that SB 111 needs to pass this year.
10:30:15 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Holland adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
meeting at 10:30 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 2.7.2022 (S) EDU DEED COVID-19 Federal Relief Funds Update.pdf |
SEDC 2/7/2022 9:00:00 AM |
|
| Handout #1 - 9.1.2021 COVID Relief Funds - School District Allocations.pdf |
SEDC 2/7/2022 9:00:00 AM |
|
| Handout #2 - District COVID Relief Expenditures as of 1.26.2022 FINAL.pdf |
SEDC 2/7/2022 9:00:00 AM |
|
| Kali Spencer Redacted.pdf |
SEDC 2/7/2022 9:00:00 AM |