HB 165-COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Number 2050 CHAIR GATTO announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 165, "An Act relating to community schools; and providing for an effective date." Number 2113 KATHLEEN FLEMIN, Community Schools Monitor for Talkeetna, Matanuska-Susitna School District, testified via teleconference in opposition to HB 165. She told the committee that Talkeetna has about 350 residents, with an additional 500 on the road system. The town has very dedicated community school participants. She told the committee she keeps yearly statistics for both the fall and spring semesters. These number may reflect people who participate more than once. Last year community schools had 44 volunteers who gave a total of 890 hours to the program, and 43 activities were offered, with 432 people, both kids and adults, enrolled. She told the committee that all that was accomplished and she is just a half-time employee. She told the members they were getting a lot of bang for the buck for Talkeetna community schools. Talkeetna is only one of two schools in the Matanuska-Susitna area with a monitor and an active community schools program. Matanuska-Susitna used to have eight community schools programs, and the program is already at a bare-bones level. A lot of people feel that they are paying for the schools with property taxes, although many do not have children in the schools, but by being able to use the facilities they develop a much more positive sense of their role in education. MS. FLEMIN said the school in a small town becomes the center of the community. It has the town's only gym, classrooms, and meeting space. It is a safe, wholesome place to learn, have fun, network with other families, and make new friends. If the committee needs proof of Talkeetna's support of community schools, she could get 50 letters of support to members' offices within a week, she said. Number 2239 MS. FLEMIN gave a brief summary of the programs offered. They are after-school programs for kids, including roller-skating, art, and singing, which are provided by all-volunteer leaders. Other programs include many health and safety classes such as babysitting, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, nutrition, and cooking. Some classes are taught by local health professionals. Ms. Flemin said with the long winters the crafts and gym activities help people to have fun with their neighbors and expand their circle of friends, and even develop new moneymaking skills. Community schools offer do-it-yourself classes such as woodworking and auto maintenance. Tapping some of the very well-educated local folks, she said she has been able to work with the University of Alaska system to offer classes with optional college credit, since the nearest campus is 75 miles away. The computer classes have been very popular with the school's wonderful computer lab, and the school staff agrees this resource should be made available to the public. MS. FLEMIN said local individuals and businesses have directly benefited by these low-cost local classes. The theme of lifelong learning is alive and well, thanks to the community schools program. With a small, extra expenditure, the legislature makes it possible for kids and adults to have the opportunities to utilize the buildings after the K-12 program is over. She said it provides a very good message to students that adults are coming into their school to take classes voluntarily. This is a win-win situation. Number 2304 CHAIR GATTO asked if Talkeetna community school is part of the Matanuska-Susitna School District. He told Ms. Flemin that the funding for Matanuska-Susitna community schools would be reduced 25 percent, and while it does not eliminate community schools, it does reduce the funding. Representative Gatto told her he believes that Matanuska-Susitna will be able to keep community schools but must find funds to make up the difference in the reduction. He commented that in some areas of the state the funds were reduced 100 percent, because the state was handling 100 percent of the community schools' costs. MS. FLEMIN asked if Chair Gatto believed that school districts would increase their budgets to cover community schools, when everyone seems to be cutting budgets. CHAIR GATTO responded that is why there are school board meetings. It is certainly something that she could ask for. MS. FLEMIN said that she fears the program will be lost. Number 2363 DEE HUBBARD, a resident of Sterling, testified via teleconference on HB 165. She asked the committee not to cut funding to community schools programming. She said when she lived in Anchorage her entire family participated in community schools, and she even taught classes. Previous years' discussions have highlighted that this small amount of money affects so many people. A lot of people cannot afford to take classes if the fees go up. She said she sees this as another cut in educational programming. CHAIR GATTO commented that the state and school districts supply the building, heat, lights, and snow removal. He pointed out that there is a fairly large investment from the districts and the state already. He said the state is asking community schools to pick up a little more in the cost of running the program. He suggested going to school board meetings to see what else could be done to help keep community school programs operating. Number 2466 REPRESENTATIVE WILSON moved to report HB 165 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. REPRESENTATIVE KAPSNER objected. She said that she has already commented on her objection at previous meetings. REPRESENTATIVE GARA said he believes it is poor public policy and sloppy educational policy to take away educational opportunities on the grounds that it is an efficiency measure, and then put nothing in its place. The efficiencies need to be thoughtful. Representative Gara said there is no analysis from the administration on what impact this will have on community schools. The committee does not know how many community schools will close as a result of this bill. He noted that the chart the Department of Education and Early Development provided the committee shows that 15 to 20 schools rely completely on grant funding received from the state. Eradicating this program will have a big impact. He pointed out that in some communities the only programs for at risk-kids and GED [general equivalency diploma] programs are run by community schools. Number 2582 EDDY JEANS, Manager, School Finance and Facilities Section Education Support Services, Department of Education and Early Development, testified on HB 165. Mr. Jeans told the committee that the schedule provided to the committee shows the community schools grant allocations and what has been reported in the school districts' financial statement. He said that as Representative Gara pointed out, the committee may note that in some districts there is 100 percent in a number of these districts, but what that represents is that the districts have to account for that in a special revenue fund outside the school operating fund. In many of these cases, districts are providing funding for community schools after hours that exceed what is reflected. The district just is not showing that expenditure over in the community schools grant side. It is just showing up in its operating budget to keep the school open, heated, and lit. REPRESENTATIVE GARA pointed out that this does not show the expenses of the school that is there, and therefore the amount of money allocated and provided for community schools. He said, for example, if 100 percent of Alaska Gateway Schools comes from the state grant program, then that means that 100 percent of the staffing comes from the state grant program. He asked if that is correct. MR. JEANS responded that what he is saying is that a number of the communities have head teachers who live right in the community and go over and open up the gym to have the gym open for after-hours basketball under the community school allocation. It is simply a function of that person's job that is showing up in the school's operating budget. CHAIR GATTO said the issue is pretty clear as to whether or not the committee wants to vote to eliminate the $500,000 from community schools. He said this debate can be very extended, with the same issues being revisited. Chair Gatto commented that he knows Representative Gara wants to spend the money some other way and the governor wants to save the money. The issue is not that complicated. Chair Gatto told the committee he would entertain new questions. Number 2733 REPRESENTATIVE GARA asked how many community schools will be closed because the state is withdrawing the grant money. He told the committee that the grant money is used to go out into the community and find more grant money. He asked Mr. Jeans if he knows how great a ripple effect this will have on community schools. How much will community schools lose in leveraging these funds to obtain more funds? CHAIR GATTO responded that he does not believe Mr. Jeans will be able to answer how many community schools will close until the event occurs and does not believe it is a fair question. Chair Gatto said the question about a ripple effect through community schools on leveraging funds is questionable, since the state does not even know if there is a ripple effect or a savings. He told Representative Gara that no one there is equipped to answer these questions because they are theoretical questions. Number 2854 REPRESENTATIVE GARA told the committee that if the members do not know the answers to these questions, this bill should not pass out of the committee because he believes it is bad public policy. A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Gatto, Seaton, Coghill, Wilson, and Wolf voted in favor of reporting HB 165 from committee. Representatives Gara and Kapsner voted against it. Therefore, HB 165 was reported out of the House Special Committee on Education by a vote of 5-2.