SB143 — SCHOOL BD TERMS, TRAINING; CITY COUNCILS

the panel (A) shall provide recommendations and guidance to the board, the department, and the legislature on how to integrate early education and reading programs created under this title with tribal compacting or programs focused on cultural education within the department;

(B) shall discuss support for reading in Alaska Native languages and other non-English languages;

(C) must collectively represent the regions of the state and include teachers of grades kindergarten through three, school administrators, parents of students in grades kindergarten through three, stakeholders from Indigenous language immersion programs, representatives from early education stakeholder groups, and researchers of best practices for improving literacy performance, including best practices for instruction of Indigenous students and students whose first language is not English;

(20) provide school board ethics and budgeting training to school board members who are required to receive the training under AS 14.08.041(g) and AS 14.12.045.

* Sec.

2.

AS 14.07.020(a), as amended by sec.

16, ch.

40, SLA 2022, is amended to read:

(a) The department shall Enrolled SB 143 -4- (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state except the University of Alaska;

(2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement of the public schools;

the department may consult with the University of Alaska to develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college preparatory courses;

(3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school governing bodies and personnel;

(4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public schools;

the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language;

(5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Family and Community Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held in juvenile detention facilities or juvenile treatment facilities, as those terms are defined in AS 47.12.990, in the state during the period of detention or treatment;

(6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department;

these regulations shall be adopted by the department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of the members of each house;

(7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe conditions in the publicand private schools ofthestate, including arequirement ofphysical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools;

the standards for private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools;

(8) exercise general supervision over early education programs that receive direct state or federal funding, including early education programs provided by a school district for students four and five years of age;

-5- Enrolled SB 143 (9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional educational attendance areas;

the department may also offer and make available to any Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program;

(10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department;

nothing in this paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be licensed;

(11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school construction or major maintenance project;

for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption and costs, and final contract documents;

(12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who are no longer attending school;

the department may consult with businesses and labor unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that will lead to employment opportunities;

(13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11;

(14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a school bus driver training course;

(15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent behavior;

(16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15);

the regulations must include (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department;

Enrolled SB 143 -6- (B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A);

and (C) a process for districts to petition the department for continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention;

(17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15);

(18) provide school board ethics and budgeting training to school board members who are required to receive the training under AS 14.08.041(g) and AS 14.12.045.

* Sec.

3.

AS 14.08.041 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

(g) Within 30 days after beginning a term, each regional school board member shall receive training provided by the department on the topics of school board ethics and budgeting.

* Sec.

4.

AS 14.12 is amended by adding a new section to read:

Sec.

14.12.045.

Required training for school board members.

Within 30 days after beginning a term, each school board member shall receive training provided by the department on the topics of school board ethics and budgeting.

* Sec.

5.

2.6.

AS 29.20.130 is amended to read:

Sec.

29.20.130.

City council composition.

Each first class city has a council of six members elected by the voters at large.

Each second class city with a population greater than 1,000 has a council of seven members elected by the voters at large.

Each second class city with a population of 1,000 or less has a council size, established by ordinance, of not fewer than three members and not more than seven members, elected by the voters at large.

The council of a first or second class city may by -7- Enrolled SB 143 ordinance provide for election of members other than on an at-large basis for all members.

* Sec.

7.

3.8.

(c) The governing body of a municipality may by ordinance alterapproved by the termsvoters ofalter SB0143Athe -1-terms SBof 143 New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0781\A office provided for in (a) of this section.

4.9.

ThisSection 2 of this Act takes effect immediatelyon underthe ASeffective 01.10.070(c).date of sec.

SB16, 143ch. -2- SB0143A New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

40, SLA 2022.

* Sec.

10.

Except as provided in sec.

9 of this Act, this Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).

Enrolled SB 143 -8-