While at Kotzebue's Northwest Magnet School on Tuesday, Governor Parnell signed two pieces of legislation aimed at improving rural education in Alaska.

One of the bills signed today was sponsored by Senator John Coghill Republican from District A, Senate Bill 47 eliminated the sunset provision for providing stipends for residential education facilities, and further expands the stipend program to include residential schools started after 2005 as well as magnet schools.

According to Senator Coghill, “This bill will help rural students attend schools which offer classes, vocational training and extracurricular activities currently unavailable in their hometowns as an incentive to stay in high school and graduate. These schools have proven track records of boosting graduation rates, improving the individual health of students, and getting Alaska’s kids more ready for the workplace.”

“Our residential schools provide an excellent education for hundreds of Alaskans,” Governor Parnell said. “A new generation of Alaskan leaders is going to emerge from these schools, and we should be very proud of them.”

The second bill signed today was sponsored by Senator Danny Olson, Democrat from District T, Senate Bill 62 corrects a funding formula inequity that had left some rural school districts without state aid for school construction. SB 62 amends Alaska statute allowing school construction projects in small districts to qualify for funding, if the district lacks the bonding capacity and therefore cannot work within the State’s existing debt reimbursement program.