For those of us who advocate for schools and children, it’s been a troubling summer.  It started off with a legal setback in the school funding lawsuit.  The ruling was followed closely by a legislative hearing that prompted a chorus of passionate voices that, in effect, rebutted the judge’s ruling.  Rarely has the disconnect between the courts and the real world been displayed to such stunning effect.   

            In late June Judge Sharon Gleason ruled against the plaintiffs in the Moore vs. State of Alaska adequate funding lawsuit.   A coalition of parents, educators and school districts had challenged the constitutionality of Alaska’s funding for kindergarten through high school (K-12) schools.   

            Judge Gleason ruled that the inflation-ravaged school funding formula does not violate the constitution.  She did, however, find that the education system violates the constitutional due process rights of some students in a few small districts.  She called for additional state oversight and aid to these districts—a positive step in raising student achievement.

Three weeks after the Moore ruling, Alaska’s school superintendents, financial officers, school board members, and other leaders hammered home a common sense message to legislators—school funding is critical for student achievement. 

The Joint Legislative Education Funding Task Force has been meeting over the summer to review school funding issues, focusing on district cost factors that the state uses to divide up the education funding pie.  These hard working lawmakers took extensive testimony from leaders who represent schools from Southeast to the North Slope and from Anchorage to the Aleutians.  Almost without exception, they told one story:  To do the job they’re expected to do, the job they’re longing to do—to provide a quality education for their students—they must have more resources.

The parade of principled, dedicated school leaders provided a dramatic repudiation of the judge’s ruling.  Those who run our schools were not much interested in legalities—the Moore case was rarely mentioned.  But these experts know that funding falls far short of getting the job done.  And they weren’t shy about speaking truth to power. 

Certain common themes appeared over and over in the testimony.  And a number of legislators, in their deliberations, reinforced the testimony from district leaders and shared their own stories of the daunting challenges facing our schools:

• Extraordinary energy costs are cutting deep into district budgets. 

• Budgets are also strained as educators strive to meet the needs of special education students with intensive needs.

• Attracting—and keeping—quality teachers and other educators is getting more and more difficult.  Rural districts can rarely offer the higher salaries that help offset their geographical isolation, housing shortages, and other challenges.  And even urban districts are finding a shrinking pool of applicants for their job openings.  Meanwhile, Alaska’s ability to grow and train our own teachers remains insufficient to meet the needs.

• Class offerings in many districts have been cut to the bone, and in some cases, into the bone.  Because of shrinking budgets and the federal No Child Left Behind requirements, schools have eliminated foreign languages, music, art, high level math and science courses. and other “extras.”

• Pupil transportation costs eat into money that should be going into the classroom.

• Vocational/technology programs have fallen victim to budget cuts.  Yet these “vo-tech” programs are vital for our economy, help lower the drop-out rate, and are critically needed as Alaskans prepare for jobs on a

• Gas pipeline.

As legislators wrestle with the cost differentials among districts, the new school year has started.  Because Judge Gleason stayed her ruling for a year, the state will be able to offer the much needed help to a few districts. 

And in the meantime, this year offers opportunities for all school advocates to move forward together.  To mobilize our communities and work with legislators and the governor to achieve our common goal:  A quality education for every child in Alaska.  That’s a heady thought.