Alaska State Legislature

News From The House Majority

Ken Freeman, Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Part-time Students in Public Schools

For Immediate Release: February 26, 1997 Contact: Rep. Fred Dyson (907) 465-2199

JUNEAU -- Students attending home-school and private institutions shall be allowed to attend public schools on a part-time basis under legislation introduced Tuesday by Representative Fred Dyson (R-Eagle River).

"There have been instances in my district in which students who are primarily receiving their education at home or from a private institution wish to attend public schooling part-time in order to attend classes not offered at home or in a private school and have been turned away," said Dyson.

Dyson said HB 158 makes changes to Alaska's Administrative Code to ensure students may attend public school part-time, without discrimination.

"State statute currently allows part-time attendance. The problem exists in the 1995 Alaska Administrative Code which gives school districts the option of not allowing part-time students," said Dyson.

"HB 158 would not allow schools to discriminate between students taking all their classes at the public school and those who need certain classes which are not offered in their institutions of choice," said Dyson.

Dyson said districts are reimbursed for part-time students, at a pro-rated amount.

For example, "a student enrolled in one course in a semester equals 0.25 full-time equivalent;...a student enrolled in four or more courses in a semester equals 1.00 full-time equivalent (4 AAC 09.040)."

"Property taxes, used toward education costs, are not selective among tax-paying individuals - neither should the schools," said Dyson.

"Private schools and home-schooling cannot provide every aspect of the appropriate curriculum. When students wish to attend computer or science labs at a public school, they should not be turned away," said Dyson.

HB 158 was referred to the House Health, Education & Social Services and Finance Committees.

Broadcast Note: An audio actuality is available by calling 1-800-478-6540.

###