Alaska seeks contractor for ethics and budget course new law requires of school boards

The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development issued a request for proposals Friday for the ethics and budget course that state law now requires school board members, including regional board members, to complete within their first 30 days in office.

The requirement took effect immediately when the bill became law without the governor's signature Aug. 10. But the finished course is not due until March 15, 2027. The request for proposals says the training must be ready so new members can finish it within 30 days. It does not say how members seated before the course exists are supposed to comply. The law sets no penalty for missing the deadline.

The department has budgeted $75,000 to $100,000 for the contract and will reject bids outside that range. Any contract depends on a legislative appropriation. A fiscal note published Sept. 4 estimates $200,000 from the general fund in fiscal 2027 for training materials. An earlier fiscal note from March, written before the training requirement was added to the bill, said the department expected no new costs.

The Senate passed the bill 20 to 0 on April 1 without the training requirement. Rep. Julie Coulombe added it on the House floor May 13, and the House adopted her amendment by unanimous consent. "A lot of the school board members, especially if you just get on a board, you may not have budgeting experience," Coulombe said. The House passed the bill 40 to 0 on May 15, and the Senate agreed to the change 20 to 0 on May 17.

The self-paced online course, with a desk manual, would run two hours on ethics and two on budgeting. It would cover conflicts of interest, gifts, the Open Meetings Act, the state funding formula and warning signs of structural deficits, using plain language and realistic Alaska school board scenarios.

Bidders must have at least five years of experience training Alaska school boards, and Alaska-licensed lawyers experienced in school district law must review the content. Cost counts for 40% of the score, and Alaska bidders get a 10% preference.

Questions are due Oct. 23 and proposals Oct. 30. The schedule sets an award notice by Nov. 6, though another section lists Nov. 15, and a contract by Nov. 17. A draft course is due March 1, 2027, and final supplemental guidance June 1, 2027. The department's fiscal note says it expects to adopt regulations on the training by July 1, 2027.