In this title, unless the context otherwise requires

(1) 'attendance area' means the geographic area designated by the department to be served by a school;

(2) 'board' means the state Board of Education and Early Development;

(3) 'commissioner' means the commissioner of education and early development;

(4) 'department' means the Department of Education and Early Development;

(5) 'governing body' means the school board of a borough or city school district or a regional educational attendance area;

(6) 'public schools' include elementary schools, high schools, citizenship night schools for adults, and other public educational institutions which may be established; however, nothing in this title includes schools for Alaska Natives under the control of the federal government and administered and supervised through the Bureau of Indian Affairs;

(7) 'regional educational attendance area' means an educational service area in the unorganized borough which may or may not include a military reservation, and that contains one or more public schools of grade levels K-12 or any portion of those grade levels that are to be operated under the management and control of a single regional school board;

(8) 'school board' means the school board of a borough or city school district or a regional educational attendance area.