Association of Alaska School Boards

Legislative Bulletin

A weekly digest of activity by the Alaska Legislature and U.S. Congress for Alaska’s School Board Members. AASB Tel. 907-586-1083, Fax 907-586-2995. Executive Director, Carl Rose, crose@aasb.org; Editor, John Greely, Review past issues of the Bulletin on the AASB website at http://www.aasb.org. To unsubscribe send an email requesting the same to jgreely@aasb.org

This bulletin is distributed by email only. School districts should copy for board members not online.

June 1, 2007

--GOVERNOR APPOINTS ROSE TO EDUCATION FUNDING TASK FORCE

--WINDFALL AVERTS SCHOOL DISTRICT REDUCTIONS, BUDGET CUTS

--HOUSE CALLS FOR SPECIAL SESSION

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GOVERNOR APPOINTS ROSE TO EDUCATION FUNDING TASK FORCE

Governor Sarah Palin named Carl Rose, executive director of the Association of Alaska School Boards, to a seat on the Joint Legislative Education Funding Task Force. The 11-member group, including five members each of the House and Senate, will meet this summer to review ideas for reforming the state foundation funding formula for K-12 schools. Click here for the governor’s statement on the appointment:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=428

Rose said he was honored by the selection and hoped to bring a statewide perspective to the deliberations of the funding task force.

“Our association is driven by our declaration that the state’s highest priority is kids – their health, safety, education and future,” Rose said. “The work of the task force can help the state realize that priority. I look forward to a busy summer.”

No schedule for the task force’s work has yet been announced.

WINDFALL AVERTS SCHOOL DISTRICT REDUCTIONS, BUDGET CUTS

Class size reductions, more teachers and summer programs for military kids were among the expenses Anchorage School Board members approved Thursday night as they added $32 million in state funds to next school year’s budget. See full story here:

http://www.adn.com/news/education/story/8937169p-8837113c.html

HOUSE CALLS FOR SPECIAL SESSION

House Speaker John Harris is asking the Senate to join his members in calling themselves back into special legislative session as soon as this month to address extending a state assistance program for Alaska’s neediest seniors. In a letter Thursday to Senate President Lyda Green, Harris said more than two thirds of the House membership favors coming back into session before the end of June. See full story here:

http://www.adn.com/news/government/legislature/story/8937172p-8837105c.html