Lisa Phu (Alaska Beacon)

A bill that creates a roadmap for establishing Tribally operated public schools has passed the Alaska Senate and House, and is headed to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 34 directs the Board of Education and Early Development to work with Alaska Native Tribal entities on an agreement that would formally recognize the Tribes’ authority to operate and oversee K-12 schools.

Senate Bill 174 “addresses an issue that many people endure in silence,” Sen. David Wilson, R-Wasilla, said on the floor when the bill passed the Senate March 30. Wilson is a bill sponsor along with Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage.