Senate Bill 237, sponsored by the Senate Education Committee, provides approximately $38 million a year for construction projects in Rural Education Attendance Areas. 

“The State of Alaska’s school bond debt reimbursement program is an important partnership between local communities and the state,” says Sen. Kevin Meyer (R-Anchorage), co-chair of the Senate Education Committee. “It has allowed projects on the Department of Education and Early Development’s approved list to be reimbursed for up to 70 percent of their costs by the state, and allowed local governments to perform school construction that they might not otherwise be able to afford.”

Legislators cited a 2001 district court ruling that determined that Alaska’s method of funding capital projects “does not provide rural schools with adequate or equitable funding opportunities.”

Grants for REAAs will be formula-based and the balance of the fund will be limited to $100 million. SB 237 also sets standards for energy efficiency in new school construction and renovations to minimize long-term costs. 

“This bill brings equity to school construction funding across Alaska and gives REAAs the same level of funding predictability urban areas have enjoyed for years,” says Sen. Joe Thomas (D-Fairbanks), co-chair of the Senate Education Committee.

SB 237 amended the bond debt reimbursement allowance for municipal school districts. The bill passed both the Alaska Senate and House in April. 

The Department of Education and Early Development’s list of capital improvement projects for fiscal year 2011 includes 35 schools statewide, amounting to a $412 million state share of the construction costs. Major projects include a $47 million K-12 replacement school in Alakanuk, a $56 million renovation and addition to the Kipnuk K-12 school, and a $41 million replacement to the K-12 school in Napaskiak.  

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The building codes, which take effect Jan. 1, 2011, require all buildings to reduce water consumption by 20 percent compared to conventional structures. In addition, nonresidential buildings constructed in 2011 will need separate water meters for indoor and outdoor use, with a requirement for moisture-sensing irrigation systems for larger landscape projects and mandatory inspections of energy systems for nonresidential buildings over 10,000 square feet.

Upon passing a state building inspection, facilities can be labeled by their owners as Calgreen compliant.

Calgreen incorporates all code provisions related to health, safety, fire, energy and structural building requirements already in place, allowing state and local inspectors to easily transition to the new system. 

The California Building Standards Commission and other California agencies have been collaborating since 2007 to develop green building standards for residential, commercial and public building construction. The agencies have worked closely with environmentalists, architects, builders, local officials and others to create the new standards.

“With this first-in-the-nation mandatory green building standards code, California continues to pave the way in energy efficiency and environmental protection,” says Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. “Today’s action lays the foundation for the move to greener buildings constructed with environmentally advanced building practices that decrease waste, reduce energy use, and conserve resources.”

California has a voluntary green building code that has been in effect since 2009. To date, more than 40 cities statewide have adopted green building ordinances.

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