What Legislature did for military families: Early school enrollment, protective services, reciprocity in teaching licenses

A bill that would allow children in military families rotating to Alaska to enroll in school before physically arriving in the state has passed the state Legislature and is now on Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s desk. The governor is expected to sign the bill.

House Bill 53 is important to military families because currently children arriving in Alaska after the start of enrollment lose out on preferences for school programs and classes that fill up early.

State Rep. Ken McCarty, a Republican representing Chugiak, Eagle River and Joint Base Elemendorf Richardson in Anchorage, is prime sponsor of the bill. A number of other legislators joined as co-sponsors, which means HB 53 is a bipartisan bill.

Being able to enroll at the same time as other Alaska children is important to families wanting to enroll youngsters in charter schools or schools with lotteries, and it is particularly important for high school youths who need certain classes to meet graduation requirements. If they miss early deadlines for those classes and they are in their senior years graduation can be delayed.

The bill allows military children with residency outside the state but with documentation of a pending military relocation access to preliminary registration, enrollment or application to a school district at the time the process is open to the general student population.

“Proof of residency is temporarily waived until the child begins school, after which the parent or guardian has 10 days to provide proof or residency,” Rep. McCarty said in introducing the bill.

Another bill important to military families is House Bill 297, sponsored by Rep. Grier Hopkins, D-Fairbanks. The bill requires military officials to be notified if an incident occurs requiring intervention by a state agency for the child’s protection. Current law does not require this, which can lead to an uncoordinated approach to protective services and rehabilitation.

“Getting families the help, guidance and support they need to keep families together is the most important thing we can do for the health of a child and he or she grows up,” Rep. Hopkins said.

“Alaska is renowned for its support of our military and for working with the Department of Defense. Ensuring the health and safety of our nation’s military families is essential,” he said.

One more bill important to military families is Senate Bill 20, sponsored by State Sen. Gary Stevens, Republican of Kodiak.

The bill is also a bipartisan effort, with two Democrats in the state House joining as cosponsors.

The bill grants “reciprocity,” or recognition, for out-out-state teaching certificates held by people wishing to teach in Alaska, which is important to military spouses who are teachers.

Many qualified military spouses who come to Alaska on rotation are unable to work because they do not have the time to go through Alaska certifications for professional licenses, which are often lengthy.

Alaska school districts who are short of teachers widely support the bill, and see military spoure as a source of talent. The Anchorage School District told state legislators that 7 percent of its teachers are military spouses.