JUNEAU -- The House Education Committee has advanced a bill that would change the way the state intervenes in struggling school districts.

The initial version of the HB256, sponsored by committee Chair Alan Dick, called for an outright repeal of the intervention process. Education Department officials and state attorneys said that would violate a court order that said the state needs a more direct approach in oversight of rural districts.

Instead of a repeal, the amended version sets criteria for the state to follow and mandates community involvement. HB256 is harsher than a Senate proposal, as Dick's bill wouldn't allow the state to appoint trustees that have control over decision-making in intervention districts.

The bill's next stop is House Finance.