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Alaska lawmakers approved an additional $144 million in one-time funding for K-12 schools next year, plus a batch of education policy changes that garnered bipartisan support particularly aimed at boosting teacher retention and offsetting districts’ energy costs.
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The Alaska Legislature has been divided, and at odds with Gov. Mike Dunleavy, over the level of state funding for public education — even as districts across the state face significant budget deficits and declining enrollment, forcing steep cuts and school closures.
Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau and co-chair of the House Education Committee, acknowledged the strife of school districts and said the policy changes and one-time funding are a step in the right direction.
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“It doesn’t meet the need, but it moves the dial in the right way,” she said.
Last year, lawmakers passed a historic increase to state funding for K-12 schools and added millions in sustained per student funding, known as the base student allocation — but only after multiple vetoes by Dunleavy, and an equally historic veto override by the Legislature in a special session in August restoring the funding increase.
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