Sponsor Statement for HB 158

"An Act relating to attendance at a public school on a part-time basis."

In the Alaska State Constitution, Article VII, Section 1 (Public Education) states, "The legislature shall by general law establish and maintain a system of public schools open to all children of the State...."

A few Alaska school districts do not allow part-time students. This bill ensures that all qualified Alaska students are allowed to participate in public schools, including part-time students. Discrimination against part-time students is prohibited.

The Alaska Administrative Code makes provisions and establishes a funding mechanism for part-time students. These provisions are weighted in favor of the schools that accept part-time students. According to 4 AAC 09.040, "a student enrolled in one course in a semester equals 0.25 full-time equivalent" of the foundation formula. This graduated scale gives a school full credit for a student who attends four courses daily.

Many of Alaska's part-time public school population are private or home schooled students. They attend public schools in order to take advantage of public school facilities such as computer labs, chemistry labs, foreign language courses or other specific classes for which the private or home school does not have the resources.

For students who have been expelled from the public schools and are being home schooled in the interim, this option will allow them to gradually make the transition back into the public school system.

Most Alaska schools and school districts gladly encourage and accept part-time students. They realize that our public schools are an important resource and have found part-time students to be academic and social assets to their schools. The experience also helps the public schools build bridges to the private and home school movements.