Palin proposes 3-year K-12 budget

Builds on work of Joint Legislative Education Funding Task Force

In early December Governor Sarah Palin announced a forward thinking and refreshing proposal for funding Alaska’s schools.  Her proposal is a positive development and a culmination of the work of the Joint Legislative Education Funding Task Force.  The Task Force, chaired by Rep. Mike Hawker of Anchorage, held hearings over the summer at which  NEA-Alaska offered testimony.

Shortly after rolling
out her proposal, Governor Palin talks with President Bill Bjork (right) and Government Relations Director John Alcantra.

Governor Palin has taken the recommendations to a place that addresses inflation, and with additional resources could address more of the chronic under-funding of schools from 1983-2002.  In this time of unparalleled wealth for Alaska, the state should be looking to invest additional funds in K-12.  Alaska’s children get but one shot at a quality education. 

Governor Palin has recognized this with a robust proposal that will help Alaska’s students. Improvements in student achievement begin with a quality teacher in every classroom, supported by quality education support professionals.  The plan unveiled by the governor should help provide more dollars to the classroom to address the top factor in student achievement.  Highlights of the three-year proposal are: 

• An increase in the base student allocation (BSA) by $200 per year for the next three years, up from the current $5,380 per student.

• Increase the funding for intensive needs students to nine times the Base Student Allocation (BSA) in FY 09, 11 times the BSA in FY10, and 13 times the BSA in FY11.

• Phase-in of the district cost factors – 50 percent in FY 09, 62.5 percent in FY 10, and 75 percent in FY 11. This change will implement in statute a formula to help ensure that children in high cost districts are not left behind.

• Recalibrate pupil transportation grants to more accurately reflect today’s costs to transport students.

Because of Alaska’s budget surplus, the state has the resources to accomplish this worthwhile proposal.  All Alaskans, the Governor, and the Legislature must be certain that the multi-year plan supplements and does not supplant current education dollars.

NEA-Alaska looks forward to working with the administration and the legislature in the first-ever 90-day session to ensure timely and sufficient funding for our schools.  Governor Palin has introduced a quality blueprint for Alaskans’ review and response.  Alaska’s 130,000 K-12 students deserve the best efforts of all Alaskans to provide them the greatest opportunities to achieve and succeed.