Lawmakers are setting aside until next year a bill that would kick off a pilot program for tribally-run public schools.
Rep. Andi Story, a Juneau Democrat, is a co-chair of the House Education committee. She said there isn’t enough time to move the House Bill 59 through the legislature this year. But she’s supportive of what tribally compacted schools can accomplish.
“Our education system was responsible for removing the language and culture, and so I think we have a responsibility to bring it back and have education opportunities through this tribal compacting,” Story said. “I think the details are just really important.”
The bill would fund and open five tribally-run schools through a state and tribal education compact, or STEC.
Superintendents in affected areas testified in support of the bill at the most recent hearing for the bill. However, Nome Public Schools Superintendent Jamie Burgess said she wants to see case studies that show how opening a compacted school affects local school districts.
“We are happy to support the development of a STEC school if that does move forward,” Burgess said. “However, I believe that there are still a great deal of questions for some schools. How it impacts each community is going to be unique.”
Story said stakeholders and tribal representatives will spend the time in the interim before next legislative session to get more feedback on the bill.
The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska is one of the tribes that is involved in the program. Tribal representatives told KTOO earlier this month they plan to continue developing a new education campus if the bill doesn’t pass this year.
The current session ends May 21 and will reconvene next January.
