AlaskaAlaska would calculate school aid using recent student counts
Alaska would calculate district school aid using recent enrollment counts, with special counting rules for districts that combine schools and students receiving intensive services.
What it does
District aid would use the highest of recent enrollment measures. A separate, limited calculation would apply when schools close and consolidate in the same community and district.
For intensive services aid, the state would use the highest eligible count from the previous year, current year, or an optional second count.
Districts would report part-time students under state rules, and a part-time correspondence student could count as no more than one full-time student.
Argument forUsing recent enrollment counts could help districts keep aid closer to current student numbers when enrollment changes.
Argument againstDistricts may need to adjust spending during the year when updated student counts change their aid, which could make planning harder.
More detail
The state would use the highest of three enrollment measures to calculate district school aid. The enrollment measures are the prior three-year average, the previous year's count, and the current year's count. The consolidation rule covers schools in the same community and district. A separate calculation applies when schools in the same community and district close and consolidate and the change lowers basic need. A district using that calculation may not reopen a closed school for at least seven years, unless it shows the affected schools are over capacity. A school may not be reopened and consolidated again more than once every seven years. The general effective date is July 1, 2026.
The state would calculate intensive services aid using the highest eligible student count from the previous year, current year, or an optional second count. The calculation applies to school districts eligible for intensive services aid. Count only special education students who needed and received intensive services. The optional second count covers students enrolled on February 15. The general effective date is July 1, 2026. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, districts must use applicable 2026 data if the needed new count data is unavailable.
Districts would report part-time students under department rules. A part-time correspondence student could count as no more than one full-time student in a district's enrollment report. The one-student limit applies to part-time correspondence students in district enrollment counts. The general effective date is July 1, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 17(S) REFERRED TO FINANCELatest
- May 17(S) FN12: (EED)
- May 17(S) FN11: (EED)
- May 17(S) FN10: (EED)
- May 17(S) FN9: (EED)
- May 17(S) FN8: ZERO(EED)
- May 17(S) NR: BJORKMAN
- May 17(S) DP: TOBIN, KIEHL, STEVENS
- May 17(S) EDC RPT SCS 3DP 1NR SAME TITLE
- May 16(S) -- Testimony <Invitation Only> -- -- MEETING CANCELED --
- May 16(S) EDUCATION at 01:00 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
- May 16(S) -- Testimony <Invitation Only> -- -- MEETING CANCELED --
- May 16(S) EDUCATION at 12:00 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
- May 16(S) Minutes (SEDC)
- May 16(S) Moved SCS CSHB 261(EDC) Out of Committee -- Please Note Time Change --
- May 16(S) EDUCATION at 11:00 AM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
- May 15(S) Heard & Held
- May 15(S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
- May 14(S) EDC, FIN
- May 14(S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALSMinor
- May 13(H) VERSION: CSHB 261(FIN) AM
- May 13(H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)Passed Senate
- May 13(H) RECONSIDERATION NOT TAKEN UP
- May 12(H) COSPONSOR(S): HIMSCHOOT, DIBERT
- Vote recorded (H) PASSED Y31 N9 #2513. Result: pass.Lower
- May 12(H) JOHNSON NOTICE OF RECONSIDERATION
- May 12(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE
- May 12(H) PASSED Y31 N9Passed House
- May 12(H) READ THE THIRD TIME CSHB 261(FIN) AMMinor
- May 11(H) COSPONSOR(S): JOSEPHSON, SCHRAGE
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 7 ADOPTED Y24 N16 # 2493. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 5 FAILED Y19 N21 # 2490. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 3 FAILED Y19 N21 # 2490. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 2 FAILED Y19 N21 # 2476. Result: fail.Lower
- May 11(H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/12 CALENDARMinor
- May 11(H) AM NO 8 ADOPTED UCMajor
- May 11(H) AM NO 7 ADOPTED Y24 N16Major
- May 11(H) ...CHANGES TITLE OF LEGISLATION
- May 11(H) AM NO 6 ADOPTED UCMajor
- May 11(H) AM NO 5 FAILED Y19 N21Minor
- May 11(H) AM NO 4 NOT OFFERED
- May 11(H) AM NO 3 FAILED Y19 N21Minor
- May 11(H) AM NO 3 OFFERED AND PENDING
- May 11(H) AM NO 2 FAILED Y19 N21Minor
- May 11(H) AM NO 1 ADOPTED UCMajor
- May 11(H) FIN CS ADOPTED UC
- May 11(H) READ THE SECOND TIMEMinor
- May 11(H) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/11/2026
- May 6(H) FN7: ZERO(EED)
- May 6(H) FN6: (EED)
- May 6(H) FN5: (EED/FUND CAP)
- May 6(H) FN3: (EED)
- May 6(H) AM: TOMASZEWSKI, STAPP, MOORE, BYNUM
- May 6(H) DNP: ALLARD
- May 6(H) DP: JIMMIE, GALVIN, HANNAN, SCHRAGE, JOSEPHSON, FOSTER
- May 6(H) FIN RPT CS(FIN) 6DP 1DNP 4AM
- May 5(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- May 5(H) Moved CSHB 261(FIN) Out of Committee
- May 5(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- May 4(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- May 4(H) Heard & Held
- May 4(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- May 1(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- May 1(H) Heard & Held
- May 1(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Apr 27(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- Apr 27(H) Heard & Held
- Apr 27(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Apr 24(H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 2:00 PM --
- Apr 24(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Apr 22(H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --
- Apr 22(H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519
- Apr 1(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Apr 1(H) Moved CSHB 261(EDC) Out of Committee
- Apr 1(H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Apr 1(H) FN4: (EED/FUND CAP)
- Apr 1(H) FN3: (EED)
- Apr 1(H) FN2: ZERO(EED)
- Apr 1(H) FN1: ZERO(EED)
- Apr 1(H) NR: ELAM, UNDERWOOD
- Apr 1(H) DNP: SCHWANKE
- Apr 1(H) DP: DIBERT, EISCHEID, HIMSCHOOT, STORY
- Apr 1(H) EDC RPT CS(EDC) 4DP 1DNP 2NR
- Mar 27(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Mar 27(H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>
- Mar 27(H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Mar 20(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Mar 20(H) Heard & Held
- Mar 20(H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Mar 9(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Mar 9(H) Heard & Held
- Mar 9(H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Feb 23(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Feb 23(H) Heard & Held
- Feb 23(H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Feb 6(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Feb 6(H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --
- Feb 6(H) EDUCATION at 09:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Feb 2(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Feb 2(H) Heard & Held
- Feb 2(H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Jan 20(H) EDC, FIN
- Jan 20(H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALSMinor
- Jan 20(H) Prefile released 1/16/26Introduced
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