(JUNEAU) - Today the Alaska Senate passed landmark legislation to expand the educational opportunities for all of Alaska's school age children and university students. The Education Infrastructure Bill (SB 155) funds the renovation and construction of public school and university facilities statewide.

The legislation makes a one-time appropriation, after issuing dividend checks and inflation proofing, from the Earnings Reserve Account of the Alaska Permanent Fund of $344 million dollars to fund educational facilities. The appropriation has a 1% effect on PFD's over the next 15 years.

"The Permanent Fund is now large enough to issue hefty dividend checks and invest in our children's future. This legislation creates a payout of intellectual capital. In other words, a new generation of well educated Alaskans prepared to lead our state in the decades to come," said the bill's prime sponsor, Senate President Ben Stevens (R - Anchorage).

The Education Infrastructure Bill prepares public school, vocational and university students for the 21st century in many ways:

• $142 million dollars to fund the entire state Department of Early Education and Early Development's deferred maintenance list. That means 27 school districts from the North Slope to Ketchikan will finally have school repair and construction needs addressed.

University of Alaska projects totaling $124,500,000.

• $71 million dollars for Integrated Science Facility at the UAA campus to train scientists and medical professionals for Alaskan health care jobs.
• $24.2 million dollars to construct a new UAF Virology Lab where dangerous diseases can be tracked and new scientists will be educated.
• $10 million dollars for a new vocational technical facility at the Kodiak Island campus plus new facilities at five additional UA campuses.
• $1.2 million dollars for a proposed Bristol Bay Campus South Addition.
• $7 million dollars for additional student housing at the Kenai Peninsula College campus.
• $3 million dollars for classroom additions Kenai Peninsula College.
• $500,000 dollars for the Kenai Cultural Arts & Research Center/UAA.
• $10 million dollars for the Kodiak College Vocational Technology Addition Phase I.
• $1.5 million dollars for Mat-Su Campus Planning/UAA.
• $5 million dollars for the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.

The Education Infrastructure Bill now moves to the State House.

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04-13-05 : To me, it’s the senate coming together and saying here is a viable solution to the problem we face in deteriorating schools, to the problem we face in overcrowded schools, and the problem we face with not having adequate facilities in our university institutions.

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Ben Stevens 377 KB

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Ben Stevens 47 KB

04-13-05 : I was glad to vote yes today because this is an opportunity to fund deferred maintenance, this is an opportunity to bring our educational facilities up to par and we can do it with a very minimal impact on the families of Alaska. This is far-reaching. It addresses the future and not the past. That’s the beauty of using the earnings and that’s the beauty of Senate Bill 155.

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Gary Wilken 367 KB

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Gary Wilken 46 KB