(JUNEAU) - Yesterday the House Special Committee on Education passed HB 13 out of Committee. The legislation will provide debt reimbursement for school construction. The legislation received bipartisan support from the Committee.

Representative Mark Neuman (R-Mat-Su) who chairs the Committee was pleased with the movement of the legislation. "I am glad that something that will be so good for the Valley took place under my leadership. Our student population has grown at a phenomenal rate, 10% over the last four years. We need to catch up with that growth."

He added, "We fought for the support necessary to pass this bill, working with committee members to show them how critical this issue is for schools across Alaska."

HB 13 is sponsored by Representative Carl Gatto (R-Palmer). "Mat-Su School District's population continues to grow at a rate requiring at least one additional school every year. Because we do not yet have sufficient classroom space many students are housed in portable classrooms. 100 of these portable facilities will need to be in place for the September 2006 school year. They are very expensive to heat and maintain, they lack bathroom facilities, and many parents rightfully feel that this solution is both unsafe and unacceptable. HB 13 allows us to construct several new schools in the Mat Valley."

HB 13 will move on to the House Health, Education & Social Services Committee and then the House Finance Committee.

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