Sponsor Statement for HB 403

by Representative Eldon Mulder

House bill 403 was introduced to include the Alaska National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program in the State Foundation Formula.

The ChalleNGe program was designed to help troubled youths become productive, self confident members of society. The program uses the proven methodology of the United States armed forces to provide an intense, disciplined, structured, military style environment where the students are taught educational subjects, vocational skills, life coping skills, citizenship, health and hygiene, community service, teamwork and physical fitness.

This is a program that has proven time and time again that it can meet it’s goals. HB 403 will ensure that the ChalleNGe program continues to give the otherwise forgotten youths of Alaska, the chance to receive the education the State has promised them.

The Alaska ChalleNGe program has received its accreditation as a secondary school from the Northwest Association of Schools & Colleges and is a sanctioned General Educational Development (GED) testing site. Nearly 80% of Alaska ChalleNGe Program graduates received their State of Alaska High School Diplomas by examination through the Youth Corps.

The ChalleNGe program was started as a federally funded pilot program back in January of 1994. Each year the federal share of the matching funds for the program have declined and the states share has increased. The federal government has dropped the programs "pilot" status and will now require the state to increase its matching funds by 5% each year until the contributions reach 40%.

The program was designed so that the federal government would fund the program for the first couple of years, and then, if it was seen to provide a valuable service, the state would make the commitment to provide the funding so that the program could continue. This service has repeatedly been proven valuable and this funding commitment is a great investment for Alaska. Without this change in the education foundation formula we will probably lose this valuable program.