Students and educators back HB105 to strengthen mental-health education in Alaska schools

Students and school board members urged legislators to support HB105, a bill described by a student testifier as strengthening mental-health education and early-intervention supports in schools.

"This bill will help people recognize early warning signs, build healthy coping skills, and [encourage] seeking help before reaching a crisis," Faith Brower, a North Slope student representative, said in support of HB105. She and other speakers linked mental-health services to attendance and graduation outcomes.

Multiple districts reported limited counseling capacity; Yukon Flats board member Rhonda Pitkom said students told her they need basic behavioral-health services and counselors to prevent middle- and high-school attrition. Kaye Andrews and other rural speakers supported behavioral-health aid tailored to district needs and asked that funding for those programs be increased.

Witnesses recommended that any new mandates be paired with sustained funding and culturally safe delivery models to ensure access across rural Alaska. The committee took testimony and did not vote.