Plain English Breakdown
The effective date of July 1, 2025, was noted but not included as a 'limit' since it applies to when the law starts rather than restricting its scope.
Alaska Bill Setting Maximum Class Sizes
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 This Bill 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 Names or Affects
- Public school districts and governing bodies
- Classroom teachers certified under state law who teach regular instructional programs
- Students in grades kindergarten through twelve
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.
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.