[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6345561,"mediaKeyId","2248842-04b6cd21a5089f34c6ed0efbed830e4f","parentId",2248842,"title","DEED reports near‑complete spending of federal COVID relief funds; committee seeks detail on $1.5 million forfeiture and federally funded positions","audioSeconds",1072,"startMs",3077000,"endMs",4149000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2248842-04b6cd21a5089f34c6ed0efbed830e4f&start=3077&end=4149","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2248842-04b6cd21a5089f34c6ed0efbed830e4f/thumbnail_3077000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6345561/Alaska/DEED-reports-nearcomplete-spending-of-federal-COVID-relief-funds-committee-seeks-detail-on-15-million-forfeiture-and-federally-funded-positions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345561-ad363a2db7c6f973a2a49c4c779ac63e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771073309&Signature=PBt9Pq2V3yvuh7R6--8I0npQBy~WNMbXdgGzmGL7~na2iwtpDPC8yxbcCm2sHW9AEpeYZxbTnbFOhpKDHQq07mm0FeuxBW7Y-mMQiuHkyg1fN33p4vYjyhCaj6MMwj3df~e5ohwt02VRCF0GouXivMKhMxkPG~6HLDKFuoaiuqMFsbljDZGSuoVDliDOnvnvAvKTmy2AgCs~02qWGGe-FanJafAgXWHEdkJS3Uknip1SAznQHDuXxjP5OafEm89Yt25P1u~YbafKsftWy828nrKLAOlCVj8t40k5kf7V6nnAiB9JcL4re9T-zg5bA4CqhcQa764OmkCPkINCY3ujUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska State Legislature","date","2025-02-07T00:00:00Z","article","DEED officials reported to the House Finance Education Subcommittee that Alaska received $579.8 million in COVID‑19 relief education funds of which $578.3 million was expended, leaving $1.5 million forfeited.

Deputy Commissioner Karen Morrison said factors beyond DEED’s control — including timing and statutory set‑asides — contributed to the forfeiture and that some forfeitures occurred directly at the district level. The department agreed to provide follow‑up details explaining the specific reasons that led to the forfeitures and which set‑asides or timelines applied.

DEED also said it currently has 43 positions funded by federal grants in the fiscal year, representing approximately 14.2% of department employees; the department said it is monitoring potential federal policy changes that could affect grant funding and would notify the committee if federal actions required contingency planning.

Committee members asked for district‑level reporting on how ESSER and other relief funds were spent; DEED said districts submitted grant applications and quarterly reimbursement requests and that DEED compared reimbursements to approved budgets as part of its oversight. DEED agreed to provide more historical staffing information and district reporting details in follow up to the committee.

Why this matters: Committee members flagged the $1.5 million forfeiture and asked for documentation so legislators can determine whether procedural changes or additional outreach could have prevented the loss of federal resources. Federal grant funding also supports a significant share of DEED positions, so changes to federal policy could affect staffing and program delivery.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Finance: Education & Early Development Subcommittee - Feb. 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","DEED told lawmakers Alaska received $579.8 million in COVID relief education funds and expended $578.3 million, with $1.5 million forfeited. The department also reported 43 positions funded by federal grants in FY25, about 14.2% of DEED staff.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6345565,"DEED proposes $120,000 grant to reimburse travel costs for remote childcare food program monitors",344,2709000,3053000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2248842-04b6cd21a5089f34c6ed0efbed830e4f&start=2709&end=3053","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2248842-04b6cd21a5089f34c6ed0efbed830e4f/thumbnail_2709000.jpg","/articles/6345565/Alaska/DEED-proposes-120000-grant-to-reimburse-travel-costs-for-remote-childcare-food-program-monitors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345565-6051c8339384b396528902b82ff20211/orig.mp4?Expires=1771073310&Signature=T2hfSOpEqEs8mMVMNONkjLVM4Kl6Umr84Tm4N-ceuz4CVIR4iTzRp2KqplwoIbswGg-2o50todkqgcIeOmkGbmBypfv8rwwMUKueOmfUM4hmvM4ZsqDTkJSsnyW0gbIDqqaIc~LEY2LHh~suW8vXlYaIQi8C7gwyPfQK~YEhzbAsK0vT3FaLpQBVaTkOXf8Lc1cxfaL3mpKn53cLvhHkst1ySiwG4rheXPSjTu3NlNl7aXaQyECpIpRg92dXnusJTmWDF2~CAFn4dJO3HERjAZ1bfnsisqewy1itwDH1bderEe2Agw0oVzz65rZzhAeHTH7I~uBRed3T2cwkPCGNyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","DEED told the House Finance Education Subcommittee that the governor’s fiscal‑26 budget includes $120,000 in unrestricted general funds to start a three‑year grant program to reimburse travel costs for sponsors who monitor remote child care homes participating in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

Department staff and Director Heather Heineken said sponsorship rates have declined in remote areas because the high cost of travel has discouraged sponsors and monitors, leaving some rural childcare homes unable to qualify for USDA reimbursements. The proposed grant would reimburse travel costs for sponsors that serve remote homes; DEED said grantees must sponsor a home within three hours of another home they sponsor to be eligible.

Representative Rebecca Story described a Haines provider that lost federal childcare food payments because monitoring travel costs and overnight travel made certification unsustainable for third‑party monitors based in Anchorage. Story and other committee members said the proposed grant targets a clear rural equity problem.

DEED said it would provide more implementation details and named Gavin Murphy and the food service program office as internal contacts for follow‑up.

Why this matters: CACFP reimbursements help cover nutritious meals for young children in licensed childcare homes. Reimbursing sponsor travel costs could prevent rural providers from losing USDA support and improve nutrition access in remote communities.","The Department of Education proposed a new $120,000 fiscal‑26 grant to reimburse travel costs for sponsors who monitor Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) homes in remote Alaska communities, aiming to keep USDA reimbursement available to small providers.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6345570,"DEED restructures to create Office of Education Advocacy; officials say reorganization uses existing staff, not new funds",1668,398000,2066000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2248842-04b6cd21a5089f34c6ed0efbed830e4f&start=398&end=2066","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2248842-04b6cd21a5089f34c6ed0efbed830e4f/thumbnail_398000.jpg","/articles/6345570/Alaska/DEED-restructures-to-create-Office-of-Education-Advocacy-officials-say-reorganization-uses-existing-staff-not-new-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345570-35403f73ebb5dae66451f52e2ff4bf94/orig.mp4?Expires=1771073310&Signature=Y7QkP8754UFWDLdpEidAD2MYTf2F1swSrJDr8PDlc~nOP6Q1UIs4jWmWXgwdhEXaeZeKTAyaOWW3hIy6tEnautsXJaVNe~3WpAKjwTwjb9ozuYmFOG1t6NIe8-VEiaZNHW6-k6mqRGOOI0KluLupx1e5zNdEt8g6YUYxjp9CIAvfNLkOUXN1uPy8sEEXjAOm9FaG0~ikkpfawcnSSm~7eePcRhddfXEVeonEEQ0xjw4vS571Jlc1mmtu0pOJwxJlyPSLfVslRrdFqe0GGx6Ttubujci1Qg-54G5vULWkvcqV3sp~v4Q3fOLNz9Kgin1FZj5P6iHe3L4nd8uI3bG-AA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy Commissioner Karen Morrison and DEED staff told the House Finance Education Subcommittee that the department is creating an Office of Education Advocacy to centralize responses for families, educators and legislators.

Morrison said the office will function as \"a central hub for information and resources, advocacy, and assistance in navigating the state's education system,\" and that the change came from reallocation and reorganization within the commissioner’s office rather than a personnel budget increase.

DEED said many incoming calls to the agency relate to teacher certification and special education, and the department aims to shorten response times by centralizing intake and tracking. The new frontline role is advertised at a project coordinator salary grade and is being recruited; the department said the function is included in the commissioner’s personnel budget rather than submitted as a new appropriation request.

Committee members asked for a job description and duties for the advertised role so they could assess whether the reorganization is the highest priority use of limited personnel resources. DEED agreed to provide the duties and staffing follow‑up to the committee.

Why this matters: Centralizing stakeholder services could reduce delays and ease navigation for families, educators and district staff. Several committee members pressed for evidence of need and metrics showing current response delays; DEED said it had received stakeholder feedback reporting slow responses and that the reorganization is intended to address that concern.","DEED told the committee it has reorganized staff to create an Office of Education Advocacy to centralize calls and stakeholder assistance. The department said the change is a reallocation of positions, not a budget increase; the new frontline role is advertised at a project coordinator level.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6345575,"DEED says $900,000 baseline funds start seven‑year plan to build unified student data dashboards",134,1666000,1800000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2248842-04b6cd21a5089f34c6ed0efbed830e4f&start=1666&end=1800","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2248842-04b6cd21a5089f34c6ed0efbed830e4f/thumbnail_1666000.jpg","/articles/6345575/Alaska/DEED-says-900000-baseline-funds-start-sevenyear-plan-to-build-unified-student-data-dashboards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345575-42235e8dfeab637df2f8f2906c9dcdfc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771073310&Signature=QaQXos3-8WfApQwj8iEqVXUN6fBtaEucq6k-RWrJmnhcFQQp4sLFWURLTkDIJgo5z-s96EafvDfWjhvh9qHiIsNsqAO9Hk3tqo3U2W8VkfCp-5TYAIecp13u7sKFOBJt-SNW40i472liq0yMSoRl-vlUT2tRKv~A~a5Zgljx~cW7dql7~t77Tqu~lVmNi8h44gPIZ7LMU14qtSrOPCHEFFwMW-4UhID1KBNj27KtElfrP0CvexoF5B1dxnPpSRCw7b30Er5O3uilXfzFEleikZVxhAXFTz7L6LhmMrr9b5F9OeIT64OjB7CKlZyNJkgSfxW78kS~KFzLFk3O0s5HEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ryan Stanley, IT manager for the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), told the House Finance Education Subcommittee on Feb. 7 that the department’s data modernization plan rests on a multi‑year roadmap and baseline funding of roughly $900,000 per year.

Stanley said the department’s initial audit found roughly 30 semi‑separate systems and inconsistent data entry — for example, \"16 different ways that first name is recorded\" across systems — and that work to normalize data is essential before dashboards and predictive reporting can be reliable.

\"The 7‑year timeline is based on a road map that we developed during an initial audit of all of our systems and what it would take to implement that design,\" Stanley said. He added the timeline depends in part on district readiness, training windows and the pace at which districts can change how they submit data.

The department told the committee the project will align with the Common Education Data Standards and that the initial work focuses on building a strong student information system so reporting and dashboards can be layered on top of a single, normalized data foundation. Committee members asked whether the timeline could be expedited; staff said additional resources or contractor support could accelerate the schedule but noted practical limits tied to district readiness and training windows.

Why this matters: A unified, standardized data system would make it easier for state officials, districts and the public to track enrollment, outcomes and spending. Lawmakers asked for a short factual synopsis of how the $900,000 per year is used so the subcommittee can judge whether to add funds to accelerate the schedule.","Department of Education staff described a multi‑year project to modernize student information and reporting systems; IT manager said $900,000 in the base supports a seven‑year roadmap tied to district work and federal data standards.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6345579,"Alaska officials say better outreach could increase use of Alaska Performance Scholarship; ACPE requests one full-time communicator",210,678000,888000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2248842-04b6cd21a5089f34c6ed0efbed830e4f&start=678&end=888","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2248842-04b6cd21a5089f34c6ed0efbed830e4f/thumbnail_678000.jpg","/articles/6345579/Alaska/Alaska-officials-say-better-outreach-could-increase-use-of-Alaska-Performance-Scholarship-ACPE-requests-one-full-time-communicator","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345579-50c686e75303425fa61857d35b843616/orig.mp4?Expires=1771073310&Signature=JZnXKw-5qhOQwKhHKQyL7-5HFjlaICF~PbJkXrPDOkx90OmWTR3u4BuEQv5zF34KWFduc-CAVtW9-Ea8UO3vSQEXBdenXctlOk2DWeK6Fg2HhmyOWbL-czs9IYiPwfsiwV1Wo-22~-sTjyZ0O1J-FEubw8g2JtciP7d~7C1imAw5lD~Xw803nI3WW1qzGkhy5k54PW7kU660xpXlrWNUUwdXy9~06CPam~aKuGJ~g6O65RAtglHUiCdjSZWxkqliOkDBDBCM-oooLKCw0A8pgf5IwgNHS48cC3S2KejOmhpsb29DLP8Ja7TwjUGk~ECgeSNo8izJM-U-UsDK47bE8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy Commissioner Karen Morrison and Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education officials told the House Finance Education Subcommittee on Feb. 7 that the state saw an increase in students eligible for the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) for the Class of 2024 and that more sustained communications could increase student uptake.

\"If we had additional funding, we could do more targeted training, with school districts about APS eligibility,\" said Carrie Thomas, acting executive director of the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE). She told the committee that ACPE conducts regular APS communications but lacks funding for a statewide, consistent outreach campaign.

Committee members pressed whether APS outreach could be coupled with FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) assistance. Thomas and DEED staff said a cross‑agency work group already recommends pairing APS and FAFSA messages so students learn about both throughout high school rather than only at graduation. Deb Riddle, Division of Innovation, Education Excellence operations manager at DEED, said the department currently has one staff member who manages APS program work and that ACPE handles much of the outreach.

Thomas told the committee that one full‑time position dedicated to APS communications at ACPE would be sufficient to provide more consistent training and media outreach, and would help sustain connections with district staff in high‑turnover areas.

Committee members asked for more detail on how such a position or grant would be structured and for ACPE’s communications plan. ACPE agreed to provide its communications plan to the committee. The committee also asked ACPE to supply FAFSA completion data; ACPE said it would provide the data after the hearing.

Why this matters: APS provides Alaska students with state scholarship support when they meet academic and application requirements. Because APS requires FAFSA submission as part of the process, officials said coordinated outreach could increase both FAFSA completion and APS uptake, helping more graduates access postsecondary funding.","Department of Education and the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education reported an increase in eligibility for the Alaska Performance Scholarship and said more consistent statewide outreach — possibly one full‑time position — would improve FAFSA and APS completion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DEED reports near‑complete spending of federal COVID relief funds; committee seeks detail on $1.5 million forfeiture and federally funded positions

DEED proposes $120,000 grant to reimburse travel costs for remote childcare food program monitors

DEED restructures to create Office of Education Advocacy; officials say reorganization uses existing staff, not new funds

DEED says $900,000 baseline funds start seven‑year plan to build unified student data dashboards

Alaska officials say better outreach could increase use of Alaska Performance Scholarship; ACPE requests one full-time communicator