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Committee hears bill to expand state-funded preschool; experts testify on quality and outcomes
Summary
House Bill 183, sponsored by Rep. Andy Story, would remove caps on state-funded district prekindergarten and count pre-K students as full-time equivalents in the foundation formula. The committee heard fiscal analysis and research testimony from University of Michigan experts; the bill was continued to the next meeting for follow-up.
Representative Andy Story introduced House Bill 183 to expand access to voluntary, high-quality district-run prekindergarten programs by removing statutory limits on the number of state-funded pre-K slots and by changing how average daily membership (ADM) counts pre-K students (from 0.5 FTE to 1.0 FTE).
"Research shows quality pre-K programs improve children's language, literacy, social and emotional skills, math and executive functioning at kindergarten entry," Rep. Story said, citing Department of Education and Early Development data that about 31 percent of Alaska children are considered ready for kindergarten on a statewide developmental profile.
Fiscal implications: DEED finance director Heather Heineken presented two fiscal notes. The public education fund component reflects an estimated FY2026 need to sustain funding for existing programs and to support expansion; figures discussed included a FY2026 estimate of $7,693,600 to sustain current programs (based on changing FTE accounting) and a baseline that incorporates a prior $3,000,000 allocation. The department told the committee its projection for an immediate need was approximately $2,050,800 for the next fiscal year with an estimated annual increase of $300,000 thereafter based on current utilization; the foundation program fiscal note was listed as $0 because the mechanism is a general fund transfer to the public education fund.
Expert testimony: The committee heard invited testimony from early-childhood researchers affiliated with the University of Michigan (Dr. Christina Weiland and Jordy Byrne). The experts summarized multi-decade research showing that preschool enrollment boosts kindergarten readiness (language, literacy, math, executive function and social-emotional skills), with larger effects for children from low-income families, children of color, dual-language learners and children with disabilities. The witnesses emphasized that program quality — including teacher preparation, curricula, instructional support and equitable resourcing across public and community-based providers — determines whether gains persist into later grades and adulthood. They urged attention to program design, workforce qualification, and data-driven research–practice partnerships to ensure quality.
Public testimony: No members of the public offered testimony during the recorded hearing. The committee agreed to continue the bill at the next scheduled committee meeting to receive additional information and to engage further with DEED about implementation details.
Nut graf: House Bill 183 would expand the state's capacity to fund approved district prekindergarten programs and change accounting to count pre-K students as full-time members, which would increase program funding needs; the committee heard both fiscal estimates and national research emphasizing the importance of program quality if the state expands access.
Ending: The committee closed public testimony on the bill and scheduled follow-up; Representative Story and DEED staff will provide additional fiscal and implementation details to the committee in subsequent meetings.
