Parents in the Anchorage School District urged Juneau lawmakers to support a plan to increase per-student funding, known as the 'Base Student Allocation' or BSA. They highlighted the challenges schools face with rising inflation and shrinking budgets, forcing them to rely on one-time funding and parental contributions. Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, a proponent of the plan, proposed a $1,000 increase in the upcoming school year with additional increases through 2028. While some Republican lawmakers acknowledged the need for increased funding, they also emphasized the importance of addressing other educational challenges, such as school consolidation and the impact of the pandemic on student enrollment.
JUNEAU, Alaska - Some Anchorage School District parents told Juneau lawmakers Monday they support a plan from members of the mostly Democratic member bipartisan majority to increase per-student funding, known as the ‘Base Student Allocation’ or BSA.
“School boards are grappling with how to make it work year after year as Band-Aid one-time funding becomes the crutch that they lean on,” Bear Valley PTA Fundraising Chair Adrienne Michel told House Education committee members. She explained to the board that between rising inflation and shrinking budgets, some schools are struggling to make ends meet. “Parents, teachers and students spend their time and energy trying to find a way out of what feels like an inevitable doom,” Michel said.by Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, NA-Sitka, the House Education Committee Co-Chair, the BSA would be increased by $1,000 in the upcoming school year, with additional increases through 2028. “Our priority this session 100 percent is to begin with education funding, that does not mean we’re not willing to look at policy and others measures that we need to do to make our schools more successful, but we’re not going to get success if we can’t also provide the funding they need to be successful,” HimschootDuring the heading, ASD parent Steve Rowe also told committee members on Monday that he purchased more than 65 computers for his children’s schools last year. “The PTA and other foundations are trying to help fund the schools as much as they can with additional money, but to be quite honest with you, I don’t feel like it should come to that point,” Rowe said. “Whatever funding we can bring in and resources should be in addition to, not the main needs to get through it.” Legislative Finance Division Director Alexei Painter outlined issues, including the impact of school consolidation and how the pandemic led to many students leaving ‘brick and mortar’ schools to become homeschool students, which are part of the correspondence program. Some committee members who are part of the Republican minority, including Rep. Rebecca Schwanke, acknowledged Painter’s point about how districts had used the BSA to offset inflationary costs. It’s one of the key funding questions members must grapple with as they work to fast-track a spending plan. “There’s so many different types of school districts across the state. Thinking of my school district, where you have urban areas, and rural areas out, say, like, across the water,” committee member Rep. Bill Elam told Alaska’s News Source on the day the bill was rolled out.In anwith Alaska’s News Source last week, Dunleavy said an education plan must move beyond funding, pointing to legislation focused on charter schools and another measure he credits for improving reading scores. “We certainly need money in education. I certainly have no problem with that,” Dunleavy said “But the only money people, and folks like myself that believe there should be money but also policy, should be able to come together on this. “If it’s just going to be only money. I’m not sure where this bill’s going to go.”
SCHOOL FUNDING BASE STUDENT ALLOCATION INFLATION EDUCATION POLICY ALASKA LEGISLATURE
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