HB 183-EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS  8:11:05 AM CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 183, "An Act relating to district-wide early education programs; and providing for an effective date." 8:11:44 AM REPRESENTATIVE ANDI STORY, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, presented HB 183 to the committee. She explained that the proposed legislation would change current funding for pre- kindergarten students from half full-time equivalent (FTE) to a whole and further explained how the Alaska Reads Act is causing for the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) to adapt to regulations through feedback its pre-kindergarten programs that it established. 8:15:30 AM REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE asked how a series of recommendations to the Alaska State Board of Education made by an unspecified group were being implemented. CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT replied that the recommendations Representative Schwanke was referring had been submitted to the DEED without any response. 8:16:28 AM REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE shared her belief that the early learning program application process was too great for small school districts and shared a series of recommendations to ease the administrative burden that the applications pose to certain school districts in Alaska. 8:23:07 AM HEATHER HEINEKEN, Director, Division of Finance & Support Services, Department of Education & Early Development, answered committee questions on HB 136. She explained that the original fiscal noted associated with HB 183 was based off of the current Base Student Allocation (BSA) of $5,960 and detailed how the proposed $700 increase to the BSA would be reflected in the newer fiscal note for HB 183. 8:26:36 AM MICHAEL MASON, Staff, Senator Loki Tobin, Alaska State Legislature, answered committee questions on HB 136. He contextualized Representative Schwanke's comments by detailing a change made to House Bill 148 of the 33rd Alaska State Legislature. 8:28:52 AM REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE asked why there was such a big difference between fiscal year 2026 and the following years. 8:29:55 AM The committee took an at-ease from 8:29 a.m. to 8:31 a.m. 8:31:28 AM MR. MASON clarified that the proposed legislation would remove the limit on the number of pre-kindergarten students in programs that can be funded as outlined by the Alaska Reads Act. 8:33:02 AM MS. HEINEKEN clarified that the expensive fiscal note for fiscal year 2026 was based off of a multi-million dollar appropriation made to the DEED. 8:34:42 AM REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT moved to report HB 183 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 183 was reported from the House Education Standing Committee.