This bill proposes significant amendments to Alaska's education laws, focusing on public school attendance, mobile communication device policies, reading proficiency grants, charter school processes, student transportation funding, and school bond debt reimbursement. It clarifies that school-age children can attend public schools in their resident district without tuition and allows applications for out-of-district attendance based on capacity. A new requirement mandates school districts to implement policies restricting the use of personal mobile devices during school hours, with exceptions for emergencies and educational purposes. Additionally, the bill introduces reading proficiency incentive grants for K-6 students meeting performance criteria and establishes a streamlined process for charter school applications, requiring responses from the state Board of Education within 90 days.

The bill also revises the reimbursement structure for municipalities regarding school construction bond debt, setting new reimbursement rates of 50% for projects authorized after July 1, 2030, and 40% for those authorized after the same date. It introduces a retention and recruitment incentive program for full-time teachers, offering payments of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 based on district specifications, contingent on employment status. Furthermore, it mandates a joint report from the house and senate education committees to analyze public school funding and performance metrics. The bill includes various effective dates for its provisions, with some taking effect immediately and others set for future implementation.

Statutes affected:
HB0076A, AM HB 76, introduced 01/31/2025: 14.03.080, 14.14.110, 14.14.120, 14.17.600, 14.03.300, 14.30.760, 14.03.124, 14.03.255, 14.03.290, 14.07.170, 14.03.250, 14.03.253, 14.09.010, 14.11.014, 14.11.100, 14.07.020, 14.11.008, 14.11.102, 14.16.200, 14.17.410, 14.17.470, 14.17.450, 14.17.460, 14.17.430, 14.17.420, 14.17.510, 29.45.110, 14.17.400