HB 109-MILITARY CHILDREN SCHOOL RESIDENCY WAIVER  4:03:12 PM CHAIR REVAK reconvened the meeting and announced the consideration of CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 109(EDC) am, "An Act relating to residency requirements for public school enrollment for certain children of active duty military and National Guard members." 4:03:40 PM REPRESENTATIVE GABRIELLE LEDOUX Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of HB 109, stated that this bill allows military families to enroll their school-age children in school districts throughout the state once their parents have been issued orders to relocate to Alaska. This is particularly important to students in high school where classes required for graduation fill rapidly. It is also important when enrolling a student in a charter school, which is done through lotteries well before the start of school. HB 109 also gives parents 10 days after their children have started school to prove residency in the district. She noted that the Department of Defense (DoD) was trying to get similar legislation passed in all 50 states. 4:06:13 PM SENATOR COSTELLO asked what the enrollment timeline is in the Anchorage School District for charter schools and language immersion schools and how all districts would handle the first round of lotteries when some of the applicants were not in the state. She expressed interest in having one of the larger school districts or an education association comment on the bill at the next hearing. CHAIR REVAK asked Ms. Teshner to respond to the question. 4:07:22 PM HEIDI TESHNER, Director, Division of Finance and Support Services, Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), Juneau, Alaska, stated that she would work with the charter school coordinator and provide that information to the committee. SENATOR COSTELLO distinguished between a charter and a lottery. She expressed interest in the logistics of moving students on and off the waitlists as schools go through the process of putting a class together. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX opined that it would not be any more difficult to contact families that are out of state than if they were down the block because the communication would be via telephone or email. CHAIR REVAK said his concerns with the bill were quelled when he read that the military families would not enroll their students until their orders to relocate were issued. 4:09:48 PM SENATOR KAWASAKI noted that the packets have a May 14, 2019 letter from the Anchorage School District stating support for the bill but it does not mention charter schools or the lottery system. He asked how the average daily membership numbers are calculated and if this would have an impact on that calculation. MS. TESHNER advised that the four-week count period ends the fourth week in October. Those numbers fluctuate throughout the year as students move in and out and between school districts but the gains and losses tend to average out. All students counted during the October count period would be counted in the average daily membership (ADM) that is funded through the foundation formula. 4:11:45 PM SENATOR KAWASAKI asked if the student has to be in their seat in the district by the last day in the count period in October to be counted. MS. TESHNER responded it is a membership so the student only has to be enrolled during the count period. SENATOR KAWASAKI asked if a student would be counted if they were enrolled but not in the state on the last day of the count period in October. MS. TESHNER replied a student is counted if their enrollment paperwork is on file with the district. 4:12:50 PM SENATOR KAWASAKI said he and Senator Coghill have a large military contingent that will arrive in Fairbanks at an odd time next year so it is important to know how that will impact the average daily membership (ADM). SENATOR COGHILL said he believes this is a good policy call and many of the education questions will be addressed in the Education Committee. He added that it is clear that a student will be considered a resident when they apply and the family can submit the proof of residency 10 days after they [start school]. He said the Education Committee may discuss a true-up count during the year because villages and the military can have a very large impact on schools. CHAIR REVAK said it is a good point that the bill has a further referral. 4:15:21 PM SENATOR COSTELLO said she appreciates the intent of the legislation but she believes the residency question should be clarified because it could raise issues with the permanent fund dividend. CHAIR REVAK said his office was informed that this would not affect any other agencies. He opined that the operative language is that "a school district shall consider a student to be a resident." 4:16:58 PM At ease 4:18:41 PM CHAIR REVAK reconvened the meeting and asked Ms. Tuck to discuss the residency aspect of the bill. 4:18:48 PM DENEEN TUCK, Staff, Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, explained that the residency requirements for the permanent fund dividend would not affect SB 177 because the permanent fund rules are specific about when one has to be in the state to qualify for a PFD. For example, the school would count a student as a resident if they were here in October but they could not qualify for a dividend until they had lived in the state from January through December of the following year. The requirement is a full calendar year. 4:19:44 PM SENATOR COSTELLO suggested that a letter from the Permanent Fund Dividend Division that supports what was said in committee should travel with the bill. SENATOR KAWASAKI reviewed the residency requirements for a PFD in Title 43 and said he was comfortable with the residency issue in the bill. SENATOR WILSON said he would like to move to an average base count for schools instead of a date count. 4:22:03 PM MS. TUCK told Senator Coghill that she would give him the information the House Education Committee discussed about the ADM before the bill is heard in the Senate Education Committee. CHAIR REVAK advised that a response from the Permanent Fund Dividend Division was being distributed. Their perspective is that the bill does not present a residency issue for the PFD. 4:22:59 PM SENATOR COGHILL suggested the committee accept the offer from the sponsor to provide information about the ADM. 4:23:19 PM CHAIR REVAK asked the sponsor to send the ADM information to his office. He stated that he would hold HB 109 for future consideration.