The Senate Education Committee has introduced a bill that would increase Alaska’s per-student funding formula by nearly 17% in its response to what Senate President Gary Stevens called an education spending crisis.
The Alaska Senate chamber, photographed on Jan. 16 at the Capitol building in Juneau.
“We arrived at this number because we want to take a bold approach,” said Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, who chairs the education committee, in a news conference on Wednesday. In the weeks leading up to the bill’s release, education advocates had been calling for an increase ofSen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, speaks to her colleagues on Jan. 20 at the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau.
Dunleavy spokesman Jeff Turner said in an email Wednesday that Dunleavy “acknowledges that an increase in education funding this year is appropriate.” But he did not specify a funding increase the governor might support. At a Senate Education Committee hearing Wednesday, Alexei Painter, director of the Legislative Finance Division, said once one-time funding was factored in, the BSA would need to be increased by $1,348 to match 2015 spending and the impacts of rising prices.
Rep. Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, left, speaks with Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, and Rep. Zack Fields, D-Anchorage, during an at-ease before Tilton was voted speaker of the House on Jan. 18 at the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau.
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