Dozens of rural schools in Alaska are facing serious challenges in obtaining faster internet access due to legislative stagnation surrounding an extensive educational bill. While politicians claim to be optimistic about the progress of Senate Bill 140, their actions suggest otherwise.
On Thursday, the House Finance Committee heard a bill aimed at increasing the internet speed in Alaska schools in order to make a statutory change before it’s too late to secure funding grants.
This move signals lawmakers’ uncertainty in swiftly passing SB 140, which was originally intended to increase internet speed but was amended by House majority caucus leaders to incorporate other education-related demands, including raising the base amount assigned per student, a key component of the public school funding system.
The bill discussed on Thursday, House Bill 193, would increase the minimum internet speed in state schools from 25 to 100 megabits per second. Education advocates argue that this legislation aims to ensure equal access to education in rural areas of Alaska, where internet is expensive and can be slow.
The finance committee heard testimonies from remote districts on Thursday, stating their need for increased internet speed from the current minimum.
Madeline Aguillard, superintendent of the Kuspuk School District, said that in her district, schedules for standard online tests had to be developed due to the slow internet connection. “We have to schedule additional time slots and monitor when they log on to the devices,” she said. “We have remote technology directors who monitor our bandwidth usage, and every day it’s maxed out.”
In one of the schools in her district, all classes are conducted online, making increased internet speed crucial, she added.
Jennifer Eller, director of educational technology in the Bering Strait School District, said their schools can only afford internet access through grants. “The cost of internet access is not always adequately accounted for in per-student funding,” she said. “Internet access in rural Alaska schools can no longer be viewed as an additional learning tool. It is necessary and essential to provide a fair educational experience in the 21st century.”
In order for the increased internet speed to take effect in the next school year, lawmakers need to act quickly. Schools must submit forms for national grants by the end of February to meet the final deadline at the end of March.
Meanwhile, delegations from the House majority and Senate majority have been engaged in secretive negotiations to break the impasse on SB 140, which also includes an increase in internet speed.
Participants described the six-person group, consisting of Senators Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel; Loki Tobin, D-Anchorage; and Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, as well as Representatives Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River; Craig Johnson, R-Anchorage; and Jesse Sumner, R-Wasilla.
Wielechowski said the most controversial issues concern the base amount assigned per student, funding for correspondence schools, and charter schools.
Members of the House majority, mostly Republicans, favor a smaller increase in the base amount per student, which is also supported by Governor Mike Dunleavy. However, senators prefer a larger amount.
The problem is that if the pay exceeds the senators’ expectations, majority members in the House of Representatives may withdraw their support.
Votes from minority Democratic caucus members could compensate for the difference in the House of Representatives, but the minority was not included in the negotiations.
Johnson said that a significant increase in the base pay could also jeopardize Governor Dunleavy’s support.
Even if the governor does not veto the version of the SB 140 bill passed by the lawmakers, he can use his line-item veto authority to reduce the funding for public schools in the annual budget, resulting in a smaller increase in the base amount per student. This makes the governor’s support crucial to any plan.
The internet speed-focused legislation, HB 193, may be passed in time by educators to meet their deadline, but time is extremely limited. Representative Dan Ortiz, I-Ketchikan, was interested in moving this bill out of the committee on Thursday, but Representative Julie Coloumbe, R-Anchorage, told the committee she wants to introduce an amendment, causing a several-day delay in its progress.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is the main issue rural schools in Alaska face regarding internet access?
– Dozens of rural schools in Alaska are struggling to access faster internet due to legislative stagnation surrounding an extensive educational bill.
2. What actions are being taken to improve internet access in Alaska schools?
– The House Finance Committee recently heard a bill aimed at increasing internet speed in Alaska schools. The bill seeks to make statutory changes to enable funding grants to cover costs.
3. What are the goals of the proposed HB 193 legislative bill?
– The HB 193 bill aims to raise the minimum internet speed in state schools from 25 to 100 megabits per second. It intends to ensure equal access to education in rural areas of Alaska.
4. What challenges do school districts face due to limited internet access?
– Schools in rural Alaska claim that slow internet access requires additional scheduling for standard online tests and monitoring of bandwidth usage, hindering the teaching and learning processes.
5. What are the obstacles in passing the SB 140 bill?
– Lawmakers are uncertain about swiftly passing the SB 140 bill, which has been altered by House majority caucus leaders. The issues include the base amount assigned per student, funding for correspondence schools, and charter schools.
6. What actions are being taken to resolve the impasse on the SB 140 bill?
– Delegations from the House majority and Senate majority are engaged in secretive negotiations to break the impasse. The negotiations involve a six-person group consisting of senators and representatives.
7. What are the consequences of unresolved internet access problems?
– The lack of fast internet access may result in the inability to secure funding grants and limit the increase in the base amount assigned per student in the annual budget.
8. Is it possible to pass the HB 193 bill in time?
– The HB 193 bill may be passed in time by educators to meet their deadline, but there is very limited time for action.
Key terms or jargon used in the article:
– SB 140: Senate Bill 140 – an educational bill aimed at increasing internet speed in Alaska schools.
– HB 193: House Bill 193 – a bill that seeks to raise the minimum internet speed in state schools from 25 to 100 megabits per second.
Suggested relevant links to the main domain (not subpages):
– University of Alaska website
– Alaska Department of Education website
The source of the article is from the blog qhubo.com.ni