K-12 Funding Increase Takes First Step Forward in Alaska House
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The Alaska House Education Committee convened on Wednesday morning and voted 5-2 in favor of increasing the per-student funding for K-12 schools in Alaska, commonly referred to as the base student allocation. This decision came after a five-hour public testimony session on Tuesday evening, during which the majority of speakers expressed support for the idea. Advocates for public schools argue that the increase is necessary to account for the rising cost of educating Alaska students due to inflation.
Two members of the Republican coalition majority in the House also voted in favor of the increase, suggesting that there may be enough support to pass the proposal. The bipartisan majority in the Alaska Senate has already voiced its support for the increase, and a separate Senate bill is currently advancing.
Under the proposal by the House committee, the per-student funding would be raised by $680 this year and an additional $120 next year. This would result in a total increase from $5,930 to $6,730 per student, which is then multiplied for special education students and those in rural areas. Once these additional factors are taken into account, the overall increase will be significantly higher.
However, the proposed increase by the committee falls short of the recommendations made by advocates for public schools and the Senate proposal. The Senate’s plan calls for an increase of $1,000 this year and $348 next year.
Representative Dan Ortiz, an Independent from Ketchikan, initially proposed an increase of $1,250 per student. While he expressed disappointment that the committee reduced his proposed amount, he is pleased to see the bill progressing. He believes that the House Finance Committee, the next destination for the bill, could potentially increase the amount further.
Even if the House fails to raise the figure, the Senate’s proposal will likely create pressure for a larger increase. Representative Ortiz states that based on what is coming from the Senate, it is highly likely that the base student allocation will see an increase.
Opponents of the increase argue that the final outcome will depend on future actions. Representative Jamie Allard, a Republican from Eagle River and one of the two committee members who voted against the increase, views it as a long-term game and wants to observe the results. Allard and Representative Tom McKay, the other "no" vote, express concerns about the cost of the increase and believe that public schools should demonstrate better performance before receiving additional funding.
McKay suggested reducing the increase to $150 per student, but the committee rejected this amendment.
The five committee members who voted in favor of the increase were Representative Mike Prax, a Republican from North Pole; Representative Justin Ruffridge, a Republican from Soldotna; Representative Rebecca Himschoot, an Independent from Sitka; Representative CJ McCormick, a Democrat from Bethel; and Representative Andi Story, a Democrat from Juneau.
Although Himschoot stated that she is not thrilled with the figure passed by the committee, she is glad to see progress being made.
This article was originally published on Alaska Beacon and is part of the States Newsroom network. Alaska Beacon maintains its editorial independence. For any queries, please contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman at info@alaskabeacon.com. Follow Alaska Beacon on Facebook and Twitter.
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