What The Heck is Going on With School $$?

Hello awesome advocates,

There’s been a lot of news about school policy and funding over the past week. We’ve tried to answer some questions below. TLDR: Our schools continue to operate in an environment of extreme uncertainty, and our advocacy is more important than ever.

Here are three actions you can take this week:

Join the live Zoom with Rep Alyse Galvin and other Alaska legislators on Monday, April 22, from 5 - 6:30pm to listen and ask questions about education today… and tomorrow. Register here.

Continue to contact your legislators with your concerns. (See suggested language and contact info below.)

Share this letter with your charter school contacts and encourage them to sign on by the end of the week.

Q&A:

What is the status of school funding?

Right now there is a one-time $680 increase to the base student allocation (BSA) in the operating budget. It seems likely the legislature will approve this. We don’t know if Governor Dunleavy will veto some or all of that funding. The fight to raise the BSA will continue next year, and our schools will continue to operate in a landscape of scarcity and uncertainty, as described here.

What’s happening with correspondence school allotments?

Early this month Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman found that legislation championed by then-Senator Dunleavy in 2013 violates Alaska's Constitution and in doing so, undermines public education.

Lawyers, legislators, and others are still trying to figure out what will happen next. The plaintiffs have requested that the Judge issue a “stay” through the end of this school year so districts can continue to issue reimbursements to families. The Anchorage School District has also asked for a stay.

What did the ruling say?

The judge agreed with the plaintiffs who argued the State violated Alaska’s constitution by allowing correspondence school allotments to be used to pay for private and religious schools. Many articles go into more depth, including this one and several columns here.

What does the Alaska Constitution say?

Alaska’s Constitution has clear language around education. Article 7, Section 1 says:

The legislature shall by general law establish and maintain a system of public schools open to all children of the State, and may provide for other public educational institutions. Schools and institutions so established shall be free from sectarian control. No money shall be paid from public funds for the direct benefit of any religious or private education institution.

What's wrong with private or religious schools?

Nothing is wrong with sending your child to a private or religious school; you just can't use public education dollars to pay for it.

The allotment program has been called a "shadow voucher program." What's the problem with vouchers?

In other states, vouchers have been used to systematically undermine public education by moving public dollars to private institutions. This article examines the impact of vouchers in Arizona and Ohio and this letter highlights the inequities that can arise when the only option for a quality education is at a private school.

Great Alaska Schools advocates for a quality public education for all Alaska children and families, whether that’s at a neighborhood school, a charter school, or a correspondence school.

I've used allotments; have I done something wrong?

No. Parents who have used allotments were following the rules as they were interpreted and implemented at the time.

If I'm home-schooling my child right now, what happens to the allotment I've been using?

Many believe the court will offer a stay, which means the ruling won't go into effect until a later point in time such as after the school year ends.

Will this put an end to homeschooling?

No. Alaska has long allowed families to teach their kids at home. Many school districts have and may continue to offer correspondence programs that provide curriculum and support for homeschooling families.

What about charter schools?

The Superior Court ruling doesn’t impact charter schools. Governor Dunleavy continues to advocate to make the Governor-appointed State Board of Ed the sole authorizer of charter schools. Some have speculated that the Governor is pushing this to create yet another pathway to funnel public funding to private schools. Find out what reforms charter school parents actually want to see in this letter. Please also pass the letter on to other charter school parents who may be interested in signing it before it is delivered at the end of the week.

What's next?

The judge indicated that it is up to the legislature to fix the laws so they align with the Constitution. We also know we need to fix education funding by raising the Base Student Allocation and improving teacher retirement. These fixes could happen together as part of a comprehensive package, if state leaders prioritize great schools for all Alaska students.

What can I do?

If you would like to weigh in on this topic, please consider writing or calling your legislators with a message like:

I believe all students deserve access to a quality education, whether families choose to enroll in a neighborhood school, a charter school, or to home school. I'm a fan of Alaska's Constitution and believe that public dollars should be used for public education and not funneled to private or religious institutions.

Alaska's schools have been steadily eroded by chronic underfunding. It's time to fix that. As you look at how to preserve home school options for families, please consider those fixes as part of a comprehensive package that also raises the Base Student Allocation and improves Alaska's worst-in-the-nation teacher retirement package.

You can find who represents you at the bottom of this page.

What else can I do?

This spring and throughout the summer, legislators and candidates will be in campaign mode. Keep an eye out for those opportunities to talk with your legislators. Please show up and share your concerns.

You can also write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper expressing your opinions on education funding. Those get read and help to shape public perception!

Thanks for all of your advocacy efforts; we will need to continue to lean into ensuring that all students have access to quality public education.

Sincerely,

Emily, Sara, Sharon, & Rebecca

PS - If you’d like to get more involved with Great Alaska Schools, check out our help menu.