SCHOOL BD TERMS, TRAINING; CITY COUNCILS, the official text

00Enrolled SB 143
01Relating to ethics and budget training for school board members; relating to the terms of 
02 office of municipal school board members; relating to the size of the city council in second 
03 class cities; and providing for an effective date. 
04 _______________ 
05 * Section 1. AS 14.07.020(a) is amended to read: 
06 (a) The department shall 
07 (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 
08 except the University of Alaska; 
09 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 
10 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school 
11 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement 
12 of the public schools; the department may consult with the University of Alaska to 
13 develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college 
14 preparatory courses;

01 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 
02 governing bodies and personnel; 
03 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public 
04 schools; the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is 
05 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 
06 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Family and 
07 Community Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held 
08 in juvenile detention facilities or juvenile treatment facilities, as those terms are 
09 defined in AS 47.12.990, in the state during the period of detention or treatment; 
10 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 
11 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 
12 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 
13 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 
14 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 
15 the members of each house; 
16 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire 
17 marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe 
18 conditions in the public and private schools of the state, including a requirement of 
19 physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools; the standards for 
20 private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools; 
21 (8) exercise general supervision over early education programs that 
22 receive direct state or federal funding, including early education programs provided by 
23 a school district for students four and five years of age, approve an early education 
24 program provided by a school district that complies with the standards adopted by the 
25 board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5), and revoke approval of an early education program if 
26 the program does not comply with the standards adopted by the board under 
27 AS 14.07.165(a)(5); 
28 (9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary 
29 correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional 
30 educational attendance areas; the department may also offer and make available to any 
31 Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program;

01(10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 
02 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this 
03 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 
04 licensed; 
05 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 
06 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 
07 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the 
08 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 
09 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" 
10 include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption 
11 and costs, and final contract documents; 
12 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 
13 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 
14 are no longer attending school; the department may consult with businesses and labor 
15 unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that 
16 will lead to employment opportunities; 
17 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 
18 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a 
19 school bus driver training course; 
20 (15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary 
21 and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent 
22 behavior; 
23 (16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, 
24 under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional 
25 practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include 
26 (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies 
27 and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department; 
28 (B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in 
29 AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three 
30 consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent 
31 increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language

01 arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and 
02 (C) a process for districts to petition the department for 
03 continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention; 
04 (17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over 
05 education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or 
06 redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15); 
07 (18) establish a reading program to provide direct support for and 
08 intervention in the reading intervention programs of participating schools as described 
09 in AS 14.30.765 and 14.30.770; 
10 (19) annually convene, either in person or electronically, a panel to 
11 review and comment on the effectiveness of the programs created by the department 
12 and the regulations adopted by the board to implement AS 14.03.410, 14.03.420, 
13 AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.770, and 14.30.800; the panel 
14 (A) shall provide recommendations and guidance to the board, 
15 the department, and the legislature on how to integrate early education and 
16 reading programs created under this title with tribal compacting or programs 
17 focused on cultural education within the department; 
18 (B) shall discuss support for reading in Alaska Native 
19 languages and other non-English languages; 
20 (C) must collectively represent the regions of the state and 
21 include teachers of grades kindergarten through three, school administrators, 
22 parents of students in grades kindergarten through three, stakeholders from 
23 Indigenous language immersion programs, representatives from early 
24 education stakeholder groups, and researchers of best practices for improving 
25 literacy performance, including best practices for instruction of Indigenous 
26 students and students whose first language is not English; 
27 (20) provide school board ethics and budgeting training to school 
28 board members who are required to receive the training under AS 14.08.041(g) 
29 and AS 14.12.045. 
30 * Sec. 2. AS 14.07.020(a), as amended by sec. 16, ch. 40, SLA 2022, is amended to read: 
31 (a) The department shall

01(1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 
02 except the University of Alaska; 
03 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 
04 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school 
05 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement 
06 of the public schools; the department may consult with the University of Alaska to 
07 develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college 
08 preparatory courses; 
09 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 
10 governing bodies and personnel; 
11 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public 
12 schools; the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is 
13 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 
14 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Family and 
15 Community Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held 
16 in juvenile detention facilities or juvenile treatment facilities, as those terms are 
17 defined in AS 47.12.990, in the state during the period of detention or treatment; 
18 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 
19 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 
20 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 
21 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 
22 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 
23 the members of each house; 
24 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire 
25 marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe 
26 conditions in the public and private schools of the state, including a requirement of 
27 physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools; the standards for 
28 private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools; 
29 (8) exercise general supervision over early education programs that 
30 receive direct state or federal funding, including early education programs provided by 
31 a school district for students four and five years of age;

01(9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary 
02 correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional 
03 educational attendance areas; the department may also offer and make available to any 
04 Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program; 
05 (10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 
06 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this 
07 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 
08 licensed; 
09 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 
10 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 
11 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the 
12 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 
13 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" 
14 include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption 
15 and costs, and final contract documents; 
16 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 
17 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 
18 are no longer attending school; the department may consult with businesses and labor 
19 unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that 
20 will lead to employment opportunities; 
21 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 
22 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a 
23 school bus driver training course; 
24 (15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary 
25 and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent 
26 behavior; 
27 (16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, 
28 under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional 
29 practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include 
30 (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies 
31 and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department;

01(B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in 
02 AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three 
03 consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent 
04 increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language 
05 arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and 
06 (C) a process for districts to petition the department for 
07 continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention; 
08 (17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over 
09 education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or 
10 redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15); 
11 (18) provide school board ethics and budgeting training to school 
12 board members who are required to receive the training under AS 14.08.041(g) 
13 and AS 14.12.045. 
14 * Sec. 3. AS 14.08.041 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 
15 (g) Within 30 days after beginning a term, each regional school board member 
16 shall receive training provided by the department on the topics of school board ethics 
17 and budgeting. 
18 * Sec. 4. AS 14.12 is amended by adding a new section to read: 
19 Sec. 14.12.045. Required training for school board members. Within 30 
20 days after beginning a term, each school board member shall receive training provided 
21 by the department on the topics of school board ethics and budgeting. 
22 * Sec. 5. AS 14.12.050 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 
23 (d) The governing body of a municipality may by ordinance alter the terms of 
24 office provided for in this section. 
25 * Sec. 6. AS 29.20.130 is amended to read: 
26 Sec. 29.20.130. City council composition. Each first class city has a council 
27 of six members elected by the voters at large. Each second class city with a 
28 population greater than 1,000 has a council of seven members elected by the voters 
29 at large. Each second class city with a population of 1,000 or less has a council 
30 size, established by ordinance, of not fewer than three members and not more 
31 than seven members, elected by the voters at large. The council of a first or second

01 class city may by ordinance provide for election of members other than on an at-large 
02 basis for all members. 
03 * Sec. 7. AS 29.20.300(a) is amended to read: 
04 (a) Each municipal school district has a school board. Except as provided in 
05 (b) or (c) of this section, members of a school board are elected at the regular election 
06 for three-year terms and until their successors take office. Members are elected at 
07 large unless a different method of election has been approved by the voters in a regular 
08 election. 
09 * Sec. 8. AS 29.20.300 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 
10 (c) The governing body of a municipality may by ordinance approved by the 
11 voters alter the terms of office provided for in (a) of this section. 
12 * Sec. 9. Section 2 of this Act takes effect on the effective date of sec. 16, ch. 40, SLA 
13 2022. 
14 * Sec. 10. Except as provided in sec. 9 of this Act, this Act takes effect immediately under 
15 AS 01.10.070(c).