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Alaska2026Passed Legislature

HB98

Alaska Bill Setting Maximum Class Sizes

Last scannedSep 22, 2026, 12:32 AM

In one sentence

This law sets the maximum number of students allowed per teacher in most Alaska public school classrooms and requires districts to report these numbers.

What it does

  • Sets a limit of 24 students per teacher for grades kindergarten through three.
  • Sets a limit of 26 students per teacher for grades four through eight.
  • Sets a limit of 28 students per teacher for grades nine through twelve.
  • Exempts art, music, library, computer science, vocational-technical, honors-level, and physical education classes from these limits.
  • Requires school districts to post the average number of students in each classroom on their websites by February 1 each year.
  • Allows a temporary exception before July 2028 if the actual number of students in a specific classroom drops by two or more compared to the previous year.

Who it affects

  • Public school districts and governing bodies
  • Classroom teachers certified under state law who teach regular instructional programs
  • Students in grades kindergarten through twelve

Limits and unknowns

  • The law does not apply if a district decides in writing that there is not enough money from the legislature to follow it.
  • Districts with an average daily membership of 40,000 or fewer students are exempt from these limits.
  • A district can choose not to follow the ratios if they decide compliance would hurt their ability to educate students given available funding.

Plain language

Terms to know

Pupil-teacher ratio
The number of students assigned to one teacher in a classroom.
Average daily membership
A count used by the state defined in AS 14.17.990 to measure student attendance.

Official record

Sources

Source checked
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill text
Read the official summary

MAXIMUM PUPIL-TEACHER RATIO An Act relating to a maximum pupil-teacher ratio in public schools; relating to the duties of school districts and governing bodies of school districts; and providing for an effective date.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. (H) Minutes (HEDC)Min
  2. (H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106Text
  3. (H) REFERRED TO EDUCATION173
  4. (H) EDC, FIN173
  5. (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS173