SB 204-SUB. TEACHING; SCHOOL BOARD ELIGIBILITY  3:31:53 PM CHAIR TOBIN announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 204 "An Act relating to substitute teaching; and relating to the qualifications of school board members." 3:32:48 PM CHAIR TOBIN stated Senator Bjorkman joined the meeting. 3:33:08 PM SENATOR MIKE CRONK, District R, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SB 204, provided the following statement: [Original punctuation provided.] Sponsor Statement for SB 204  "An Act relating to substitute teaching; and relating  to the qualifications of school board members."  The number one priority in education should always be our children and our families. In the conversation about how to improve our state's education system, simple, yet meaningful, reforms need to be thoroughly examined in the Legislature. Senate Bill 204 accomplishes two things. First, this bill allows for members of regional and municipal school boards to substitute teach in their schools. Second, it prevents anyone convicted of a felony, under both state and federal law, from serving as a member of a school board. Our students deserve to be surrounded by the best individuals Alaska has to offer. In Alaska, it is nearly impossible for a convicted felon to be hired as a teacher and parity should be the minimum standard for a school board member. SB 204 would deem all convicted felons ineligible from serving on a school board. Secondly, schools nationwide are dealing with teacher shortages. SB 204 would provide a common-sense provision to make our schools more adaptable by allowing school board members to substitute teach in the schools they oversee. 3:34:31 PM PAUL MENKE, Staff, Senator Mike Cronk, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, offered the sectional analysis for SB 204: [Original punctuation provided.] Sectional Analysis for SB 204  "An Act relating to substitute teaching; and relating  to the qualifications of school board members."  Section 1: Amends AS 14.08.041 to allow regional school board members to substitute teach at a school. Section 2: Amends AS 14.12.080 to add a statutory ineligibility for convicted felons to serve as a member of a school board. Section 3: Amends AS 14.14.140 to allow school board members to substitute teach at a school. 3:35:12 PM SENATOR STEVENS opined that a conflict of interest is created when a school board member also works for the district. He referenced his time as president of the Kodiak school board and chairing labor negotiations. The governor had cut budgets in half and finding funding was a struggle. He stated he was independent of the administration and could do his best as a member of the board, but said he doubts the same is true if a person on the board is also an employee of the district. He advised against having a school board member that is dependent on the administration for a job. 3:36:40 PM SENATOR CRONK explained that he raised the issue based on personal experience after retiring in 2017. He stated that he had planned to substitute teach part-time while serving on the regional school board, but rules prohibited board members from substituting once elected. He noted that in a small district with seven board members, including two retired teachers, the restriction prevented qualified individuals from filling long- term substitute roles during extended teacher absences. He argued that the policy created a disservice to students because less-qualified substitutes replaced experienced, certified teachers who could have effectively maintained instruction continuity. 3:38:15 PM SENATOR STEVENS acknowledged Senator Cronk's point on how SB 204 could benefit smaller districts but expressed concern that a board member employed by the district could appear overly influenced by the superintendent rather than making independent decisions. He emphasized that maintaining independence in decision-making remained his primary concern. 3:38:49 PM SENATOR BJORKMAN suggested creating a separate fund through a local school district, Regional Educational Attendance Area (REAA), or the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED). He stated that districts could opt into the fund and set aside a designated amount, with DEED administering payments. He explained that this structure could provide a layer of separation to prevent board members from directly influencing compensation decisions involving themselves if they were substitute teachers. 3:40:05 PM SENATOR CRONK suggested that a school board member who served as a substitute teacher could abstain from voting on substitute teacher pay to avoid conflicts of interest. He emphasized that this approach could provide a fair solution while allowing qualified individuals to help address staffing shortages. He reiterated that smaller districts often struggled to find substitute teachers, particularly certified educators. He stated that preventing board members from substituting limited the ability of experienced teachers to support their communities and maintain instructional quality. 3:40:50 PM SENATOR YUNDT asked about the size of Senator Cronk's district. He stated that he understood Senator Steven's concern and questioned whether a compromise existed. He suggested the possibility of amending SB 204 to allow school board members in smaller communities to serve as substitute teachers. SENATOR CRONK replied that the Alaska Gateway School District included seven schools, with Tok as the largest serving 180 students in grades K12. He stated that the remaining schools each had fewer than 50 students. He emphasized that rural schools faced significant difficulty finding substitute teachers, especially for long-term assignments. He noted that the district often sought to hire teachers to fill long-term positions despite the higher cost due to the shortage of substitutes. SENATOR YUNDT stated that he sought a potential compromise by allowing school board members in smaller districts to serve as substitute teachers based on district size. He emphasized that such members should recuse themselves from all financial and contractual negotiations to avoid conflicts of interest. He noted that school board members performed many responsibilities beyond contract negotiations and could still contribute in other areas. He added that he supported restrictions related to individuals with felony convictions serving on school boards. 3:42:54 PM SENATOR CRONK expressed willingness to work with the committee on a proposal addressing smaller or rural school districts. He reiterated that the issue significantly impacts those communities. He explained that the felony provision originated from students through the Alaska Association of Student Government Resolution No. 8 and noted that a letter would be distributed to members. He encouraged members to review the material and hear directly from students, who raised concerns based on real-life experiences. CHAIR TOBIN said the resolution is on the Association of Student Government's website and a copy would be posted to BASIS. The resolution is from the association's 2025 spring conference where students expressed support for the language that is included in SB 204, Section 2. 3:44:09 PM SENATOR KIEHL asked whether a felon could serve in a legislature, a council, or assembly. SENATOR CRONK replied he didn't know. SENATOR KIEHL recalled that felons can serve in those capacities and that it is up to voters to decide whether an individual is disqualified based on their actions. He opined that he could agree with some convictions excluding individuals from school yards and school boards while other convictions are less clear, such as guiding without a proper license. There are many types of felonies, and he questioned whether all of them should prevent a person from serving on a school board. He stated he is interested in hearing from the students, but the committee needs to give more thought to a felon's total exclusion from participation. 3:45:47 PM SENATOR CRONK replied that the committee could narrow the proposal to whatever it thinks is best. 3:46:02 PM CHAIR TOBIN noted that under Alaska law, individuals with permanent barrier offenses, such as sex offenses or certain serious crimes, could not work on school grounds, including after-hours maintenance roles. She stated that such individuals could still serve on school boards, which is what the student resolution aims to address. She added that the resolution would provide additional guidance on the issue. 3:47:14 PM CHAIR TOBIN opened public testimony on SB 204. 3:48:05 PM HOLLY BEEMAN, representing self, Tok, Alaska, testified in support of SB 204. She stated that she is testifying as a recent high school graduate with personal experience. She explained that in 2022, her school district elected an individual with a permanent barrier crime to the school board, despite that individual being legally prohibited from working on school grounds. She said the situation led to legal issues and community harm before removal. She said no laws prevent individuals with violent criminal histories from holding school board positions and this signals that student safety lacks priority. She noted that in April 2025, she and other students made a resolution through the Alaska Association of Student Government that passed unanimously. She urged legislators to prioritize student safety when considering the bill. 3:51:14 PM JEFFRY ALSUP, representing self, Tok, Alaska, testified in support of SB 204. He stated that in 2022, during his first year as a student representative, a community member with multiple felony convictions was elected to his district's school board. He explained that the individual's conduct led to legal action against the district and eventual removal from the position. He questioned why someone barred from working in a school could still make critical decisions for schools and noted that current law only required school board members to maintain voting eligibility, which could include individuals with serious criminal histories. He expressed support for SB 204 as a way to improve student safety and address teacher staffing shortages by allowing board members to serve as substitute teachers. 3:53:22 PM CHAIR TOBIN closed public testimony on SB 204. SENATOR CRONK thanked the committee for hearing SB 204 and said he looks forward to working on the bill with the committee. 3:53:44 PM CHAIR TOBIN held SB 204 in committee.