Finance committee backs expanding REAA fund to cover Mount Edgecumbe maintenance and teacher housing

Liz Harpold, staff to Senator Olson, told the Senate Finance Committee that Senate Bill 146 would amend the Regional Education Attendance Area (REAA) Fund to include major maintenance and construction at Mount Edgecumbe High School and major maintenance for teacher housing in REAA or small municipal areas, and would remove the $70 million cap on the fund so balances would not lapse to the general fund.

Harold said the change would allow Mount Edgecumbe High School, a public boarding school, to be included on major-maintenance and deferred-maintenance lists like other public high schools. Senator Stedman and other members noted Mount Edgecumbe’s relatively small asset base and said the school had difficulty getting attention in statewide maintenance prioritization; Stedman said many of the school’s buildings predate World War II.

Senator Stedman spoke in support and said the change would allow more consistent advocacy and access to maintenance funding. Another committee member said the school is one of the state’s best-performing high schools and supported the bill for that reason. No objections were recorded and Senator Stedman moved SB146 from committee with attached fiscal note and individual recommendations; the motion carried with no recorded objection.

The bill’s changes would alter eligible uses of the REAA Fund and remove a statutory cap; the committee did not adopt further amendments at the hearing. The transcript shows the bill had been previously heard and public testimony taken earlier in the session; the committee signed its report and moved the bill along with fiscal notes.