SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS brought SB 78 (DEADLINES FOR FUNDING EDUCATION) before the committee as the next order of business. SENATOR SUZANNE LITTLE, prime sponsor of SB 78, noted the legislation has the support of NEA-Alaska and the Association of Alaska School Boards. It will require early funding of education by the legislature. Having served on a borough assembly, she has seen school boards struggle putting forward four or five budgets based on what might happen in Juneau, which she believes is a waste of time, energy and money. Senator Little said having the legislation in place would make a big difference in the way that we plan for our school expenditures, and it would put rationality back into the process. She urged the committee's support for SB 78. Number 265 SENATOR LEMAN commented that he was in support of early funding of schools and would like to see early funding applied to the rest of the budget process. Number 293 CLAUDIA DOUGLAS, President, NEA-Alaska, voiced NEA's appreciation for the introduction of the bill, and their support for it. Ms. Douglas said it always causes so much confusion when the funding piece doesn't finalize itself until the very last days of school, and it causes school districts to have lay- off language and give people letters of termination. Number 305 DUANE GUILEY, Director, School Finance, Department of Education, stated the department's support for the early appropriation of funds in support of the K-12 public school foundation program, the pupil transportation program and all the related K-12 support programs mentioned in SB 78. Mr. Guiley said the department has no objection to the delay from April 1 through April 30 for submittal of the school district budget to the borough assembly. They believe the delay may, in fact, improve the budget submissions and reduce the administrative burden associated with the preparation of multiple drafts of the operating budget. Mr. Guiley further said that early funding does not increase the cost of the programs, nor does it impact the administration of the program, but it does provide critical financial information to the school districts at the time when they are making their staffing decisions and making their educational programing decisions. Number 345 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS closed the public hearing on SB 78.