AK HB231

School districts must contract with independent third parties to conduct exit interviews when teachers leave employment, with aggregated data included in annual reports to the legislature along with information on working conditions, housing availability, and retention strategy recommendations

Department of Education and Early Development required to provide financial planning and retirement training to teachers and paraprofessionals, and support mentoring programs for school principals and superintendents

Teachers who are members of both the public employees' defined benefit retirement plan (PERS) and the teachers' defined contribution plan may elect within 180 days to transfer to the teachers' defined benefit retirement plan, with contributions converted to credited service

Three-year lump sum retention incentive payments for full-time teachers and paraprofessionals: $5,000/year in large urban districts (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Kenai, Mat-Su), $10,000/year in mid-sized districts, and $15,000/year in remote rural districts

Definition of "rural" for teacher loan repayment programs expanded to include any community not connected by road or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks, or communities of 1,500 or less that are road-connected