A school bus passes in front of the Alaska Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Supporters of education funding crowded a committee room on Feb. 5 and wore red pins that read “$1,413,” the number by which they would like to see the amount Alaska’s state government pays schools per student raised permanently this year.
They advocated for an increase to the base student allocation in a joint meeting of House and Senate education committees. But Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Education Commissioner Deena Bishop don’t endorse a permanent increase to the school funding formula, and have proposed targeted investments in certain areas.
Education administrators from across the state attempted to make the case that years of stagnant funding has damaged Alaska schools’ ability to hire and retain teachers — and that the high turnover rates are hurting Alaska’s students.
Lisa Parady, executive director for the Alaska Council of School Administrators, painted legislators a dire picture of hiring and retention woes. Department of Labor data shows teachers are leaving the state faster than they can be replaced.