ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS  January 16, 2004 8:05 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Mike Hawker, Chair Representative Bruce Weyhrauch, Vice Chair Representative Vic Kohring Representative Dan Ogg Representative Ralph Samuels Representative Peggy Wilson Representative Max Gruenberg MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Norman Rokeberg Representative Carl Moses COMMITTEE CALENDAR CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL FUNDING REFORM CONTROLLING STATE COSTS TAPES    04-01, SIDE(S) A & B CHAIR MIKE HAWKER convened the meeting of the House Special Committee on Ways and Means at 8:05 a.m. Representatives Hawker, Samuels, Kohring, Weyhrauch, Wilson, and Ogg were present at the call to order. Representative Gruenberg arrived as the meeting was in progress. SUMMARY OF INFORMATION  CHAIR MIKE HAWKER stated that the meeting today was in response to a December 29, 2003, ADN article that discussed concerns and complaints regarding school districts that operate statewide correspondence study schools. SHEILA PETERSON, Staff for Senator Gary Wilken, spoke on Senator Wilken's behalf about National Forest Receipts and how that federal funding source is related to correspondence schools. EDDIE JEANS, Manager, School Finance, Department of Education and Early Development (EED), summarized the chronology of district operated statewide correspondence programs and answered questions pertaining to the recent concern about questionable expenditures and recruitment of students. He stated that there is a process in place whereby schools, parents, and EED will dialogue in order to continue to develop guidelines and provide this information to the legislature. RONALD ERICKSON, Superintendent, Craig City Schools, described Craig School District's correspondence program and stated that he wanted to cooperate with EED and the legislature to correct some of the problems. BOB WICKER, Superintendent, Denali Borough Schools, explained how Denali School District's correspondence programs worked and stated that he had attended the EED meetings to help develop guidelines to address some of the concerns. STEVE MUSSER, Assistant Superintendent, Galena City Schools, described his school district's correspondence school and stated strong concerns about funding students due to the large number of correspondence students in his district. ERLING HOFSETH, Principal, Connections, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, stated that he wanted to see a distinction made between statewide and in-district correspondence schools. He expressed the need for educational allotments to be uniform and tied to the students' individual education plans. He also answered questions regarding the large increase in his program's enrollment. THOMAS KLEVER, Raven Correspondence School, Fairbanks North Star School District, explained that his school helped disenfranchised students by providing jobs. In response to questions, he stated that his school does provide service to students with disabilities. He agreed that more meetings were needed to set policies regarding correspondence schools. ANNOUNCEMENTS  There were no announcements. COMMITTEE ACTION  The committee took no action. ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Special Committee on Ways and Means meeting was adjourned at 9:25 a.m. NOTE: The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were taken. A copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by contacting the House Records Office at State Capitol, Room 3, Juneau, Alaska 99801 (mailing address), (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the second session of the Twenty-Third Alaska State Legislature this information may be obtained by contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.