An Act relating to funding for school districts operating secondary school boarding programs; and providing for an effective date.

Posted: January 27, 2000

HB 257: Conversations with people throughout Alaska indicate we have a growing problem with unavailable classes and restricted educational opportunities in Alaska's isolated rural regions. Many people have indicated that regional secondary boarding schools are the ideal solution.

In addition to offering rural students a greater availability of expertise in specialized subject matter, boarding schools are also a viable option for non-traditional students who are failing or dropping out of traditional school settings from urban areas as well. We have all heard wonderful success stories of students who turned their lives around by attending a boarding school.

This bill would not replace any existing boarding programs. By allowing the Department of Education to pay a regional stipend to school districts which offer dormitory facilities, it would expand the opportunities for existing as well as new boarding schools in Alaska.