Last week the House Finance Committee introduced a draft appropriations bill regarding the state’s operating budget, HB 263, that would include a $158 million increase in funding for Alaska public schools next year.
This comes at a time when many districts across the state are facing extreme deficits that are forcing cuts to after-school programming, tipping the scales on unbalanced teacher-to-student ratios, and leading to school closures across the state. Last month alone, the Anchorage School District moved forward with closures for Campbell STEM Elementary, Lake Otis Elementary, and Fire Lake Elementary due to budget constraints.
Despite the difficulties school districts face, Rep. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River, introduced an amendment that would remove the entirety of this one-time funding from the budget.
“I do believe we should close schools,” Allard said in Tuesday’s committee meeting. “I think we should consolidate schools; this has to happen.”
House Minority members raised familiar concerns over one-time funding – citing last year’s HB 57, which increased to the BSA to help compensate for inflation, as evidence that further funding was unnecessary, maintaining that one-time funding is inconsistent, inefficient, and even “fear inducing,” according to Allard.
Rep. Jeremy Bynum, R-Ketchikan, voted in support of the amendment after speaking to the needs of school districts.
“We have enormous needs for deferred maintenance in our schools,” said Bynum. “We have upcoming additional costs for fuel, we have pupil transportation issues that are well above and beyond this amount, and by putting this money toward one-time funding, we are not solving those very important needs of long-term needed maintenance and deferred maintenance on our schools.”
House Majority members spoke against the amendment, citing direct conversations they’re having with school districts in need of help.
“I’ve heard this week, over the last two days, from Yupiit School District, Kodiak School District, Kenai School District, Craig School District, Denali School District, all in my office, telling me that they need a lifeline,” said Rep. Alyse Galvin, I-Anchorage, during the meeting.
Galvin’s sentiments were echoed by Rep. Nellie Jimmie, D-Toksook Bay, who brought up conversations she’s had with schools trying to decide between offering sports programming and mental health counselors due to budget constraints. Other schools across the state are seeing the closure of various programs from drama and music departments to the removal of sports teams and course offerings.
In her closing statement, Allard addressed concerns from committee members saying: “Schools are not mental institutions – government employees have no right bringing in any sort of counselor without the permission of the parent.” She continued, saying, “And if we’re so concerned about our children and their mental state of mind, then why are we cutting all the extracurricular activities? Why are we cutting their teachers? Those are the two things that should have priority over everything else.”
How those extracurricular activities and teacher salaries could be funded despite the $158 million cut this amendment called for is unclear.
After a void of the original vote, in which Allard mistakenly voted against the amendment, it was shot down by a vote of five-to-six. It received dissenting votes from representatives Jimmie, Hannan, Galvin, Co-Chair Foster, Co-Chair Schrage, and Co-Chair Josephson; and supportive votes from representatives Allard, Tomaszewski, Moore, Stapp, and Bynum.
Rachel Levy is a Juneau-based photojournalist whose work culminates at the intersections of environmental justice, arts and culture, and sustainable tourism. A 2022 graduate of Harvard University's Environmental Policy program, she is also the director of the award-winning documentary "Hidden in Plain Sight" that exposes the labor exploitation and colonial framework burdening Tanzania's safari industry.
