Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the K 12 Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate Finance committee adopts substitute for HB 57, adds 10% pupil-transportation increase and $700 to BSA
Summary
The Alaska Senate Finance Committee adopted a committee substitute to House Bill 57 that keeps a policy discussion about student cellphone use but adds a 10% increase to pupil transportation funding and a $700 increase to the base student allocation.
Juneau — The Senate Finance Committee on Monday adopted a committee substitute (CS) to House Bill 57, a measure introduced as a school communications-device proposal, and added two funding provisions to the draft: a 10% increase to pupil transportation funding and a $700 increase to the Base Student Allocation (BSA).
Representative Zack Fields introduced HB 57 to the committee as a bill addressing “communication devices in public schools,” saying the central policy question was whether the law should “regulate use of cell phones” or “prohibit the use of cell phones during the school day.” After the committee substitute was distributed and explained by staff, the committee adopted the CS without recorded objection and set the bill aside for further action.
The staff explanation, given by Liz Harpold to the committee, said the CS being distributed as version T adds two new sections: it “repeals and reenacts the pupil transportation statutes to increase the amount by 10%,” and it also “adds $700 to the BSA.” Harpold identified the working draft as “34 LS00 6 4 - t.”
Sen. Stedman moved to adopt the CS; the motion was received and the CS was adopted after Harpold’s explanation. The committee did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript or a second on the motion and adopted the CS “seeing none” to objections.
Lisa Paradis, executive director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators, testified briefly after receiving the CS and expressed support for the funding changes. “On behalf of my members, we greatly appreciate your efforts to continue the discussion about the critical nature of increasing the base student allocation inside the formula. Additionally, the pupil transportation dollars are urgently needed as well,” Paradis said, and added that the association “stand[s] ready to assist.”
Aside from the funding additions and the sponsor’s description of the cellphone policy question, committee members did not engage in extended debate on the CS during the recorded portion of the meeting. The committee opened a public hearing and closed it after Paradis’ brief remarks; the chair then set the bill aside.
The committee’s next meeting was announced for 9 a.m. the following morning.
Votes at a glance: Adoption of CS for House Bill 57 — motion to adopt committee substitute moved by Sen. Stedman; adopted without recorded objection; no roll-call vote recorded. The CS is identified as version T, draft number 34 LS00 6 4 - t, and adds (1) a 10% increase to pupil transportation funding via repeal and reenactment of the pupil transportation statutes, and (2) a $700 increase to the Base Student Allocation.
