This bill establishes a maximum pupil-teacher ratio in public schools in Alaska, specifying that the ratio cannot exceed 24 to 1 for grades K-3, 26 to 1 for grades 4-8, and 28 to 1 for grades 9-12, with certain exceptions. These exceptions include situations where the school district's governing body determines that insufficient funding has been appropriated by the legislature, compliance would hinder educational effectiveness, or if the district has an average daily membership of 40,000 or fewer students. Additionally, the bill mandates that school districts must report the average number of students per classroom on their websites by February 1 each year and submit their pupil-teacher ratios to the department.

Furthermore, the bill includes a transition provision allowing for higher pupil-teacher ratios until July 1, 2028, if the number of pupils in a classroom has decreased by two or more compared to the previous school year. The effective date for the implementation of this act is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
HB0098A, AM HB 98, introduced 02/12/2025: 14.17.990, 14.20.020, 14.03.120, 14.17.600