Alaska2026Passed Legislature
HB288
Changes to Local School Funding and Charter School Budgets
Last scannedSep 12, 2026, 4:46 AM
In one sentence
This bill removes the limit on voluntary local funding for city or borough school districts and sets rules for how charter schools receive their annual program budgets.
What it does
- Removes the previous cap on how much a city or borough school district may contribute as voluntary local funding.
- Requires that charter school annual program budgets equal student-generated funds minus administrative costs capped at four percent.
- Excludes facility-related expenses like rent, utilities, and maintenance from the calculation of the four percent administrative cost cap.
- Mandates that school boards provide a detailed report listing all administrative costs kept by the district instead of sent to charter schools.
- Directs state aid for building or major maintenance projects straight to the specific charter school that earned those funds.
Who it affects
- City and borough school districts in Alaska
- Charter schools operating within these districts
Limits and unknowns
- This law only applies to city or borough school districts; it does not mention rural education attendance areas.
- The bill sets an effective date of July 1, 2026, but the provided text does not confirm if a governor has signed it yet.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Voluntary local contribution
- Extra money a city or borough school district chooses to add beyond the required amount.
- Administrative costs retained
- Money kept by the main school board for management, calculated using an approved rate up to four percent.
- Amount generated by students
- The total funding a student brings, including state grants, federal aid, local contributions, special needs funds, and vocational instruction funds.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS An Act relating to the local contribution made by a city or borough school district; and providing for an effective date.
Official activity
Bill history
- (H) REFERRED TO EDUCATION1542
- (H) EDC, FIN1542
- (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS1542