After report finds squalid conditions inside rural public schools, Senate Finance Committee questions state funding process for maintenance, construction

For decades, dozens of rural school districts have been asking the state for money to fix a range of serious health and safety problems. Only a small percentage of that money has come through.

Southeast Island School District Superintendent Rod Morrison got a chance to be heard. He was in Juneau to testify before the powerful Alaska Senate Finance Committee when he lifted a large lightbulb from a plastic shopping bag and showed it to committee members.

“You’ll see it almost caught on fire,” Morrison said, pointing out black marks on the top of the lightbulb. “This happened with six of our gymnasium lights and it’s obvious our fire suppression system was inoperable.”…

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