The Alaska Senate passes a historic increase to public education
With just 5 days left in the legislative session, the fate of Senate Bill 52 is now in the hands of the House of Representatives.
On Thursday, the Alaska State Senate passed a bill to increase funding for Alaska’s public schools and correspondence programs. A $680 increase to the Base Student Allocation would be the largest BSA increase in Alaska’s history and will breathe new life into our struggling public education system and set Alaska kids up for success with a great public education. The members of the Senate Education Committee, which I chair, chose to increase the BSA because it is the simplest, fairest, and most effective way to increase education funding.
The Alaska Constitution requires that we, as a state, maintain a public education system so that every child has access to good schools staffed by skilled teachers. We’ve heard from parents, students, teachers, school officials, and concerned citizens who all say that Alaska’s public education system is struggling to meet the needs of our students. Without additional resources, we will see more school closures, continued teacher attrition, and increased class sizes.
Increasing funding for public education is the top priority of the bipartisan Alaska Senate Majority which is evidenced by the comment from Senate President Gary Stevens from Kodiak.
“Providing adequate funding for public education is the number one priority for the Alaska Senate Majority. This is a fiscally responsible investment in public education and represents a bold policy choice to help Alaska’s public schools address years of increasing costs.” - Senate President Gary Stevens, Vice-chair of the Senate Education Committee
In addition to increasing the BSA, Senate Bill 52 includes additional support for pupil transportation and residential schools in Alaska. The legislation also calls on the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development to collaborate with the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to gather data on the progress of each high school graduating class in a school district. These additions to the legislation were sponsored by Senator Click Bishop from Fairbanks who worked closely with my office to improve Senate Bill 52.
“Alaska is a unique state, and our students follow unique paths. To overcome the challenges that public schools face, we need to look at all aspects of our public education system, help it meet high standards, and set students up for success in life, no matter what route they follow – be it college, vocational and educational training, internships, or something else. If we can’t get students to the classroom or help them study at residential schools, the resources waiting for them there will not be fully tapped. Without sufficient funding for pupil transportation, school districts may be forced to cut school-bus routes – placing even more of a burden on parents, especially those who pay for childcare. SB 52 helps students in the classroom and helps get them there.” - Senator Click Bishop
After several hours of debate, Senate Bill 52 passed the Alaska State Senate on Thursday by a vote of 16-3. The bill has been sent to the Alaska House of Representatives, which has five days to consider the bill before the end of the regular session on Wednesday, May 17.
I was proud to carry Senate Bill 52 on the Senate floor on Thursday. You can watch my floor speech by clicking on the below image.