Alaska House Takes Action: Fast-Tracking Education Funding Boost for Better Schools

In Juneau, Alaska, a new bill has been introduced to significantly increase public school funding. This proposal could boost education spending by over 35%, which amounts to an extra $464 million per year. Currently, Alaska spends around $1.2 billion on education annually.

Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, who represents Sitka and co-chairs the House Education Committee, introduced the bill. As a former public school teacher, she understands the challenges schools face. Many lawmakers support increasing education funding, seeing it as the top priority for this legislative session. However, there may be disagreements on how much is needed and the best way to proceed, especially considering Governor Mike Dunleavy’s history of opposing such increases.

House Speaker Bryce Edgmon acknowledged that education funding often leads to lengthy negotiations. He emphasized the urgency of addressing the funding crisis faced by Alaska’s schools.

The Senate majority is also focused on education funding, though they haven’t specified how much they support. Governor Dunleavy has not yet commented on this new proposal. Previously, he vetoed a bipartisan funding plan that aimed to raise spending by $175 million annually. Last month, he suggested that he might back a $200 million increase if it aligned with certain education reforms he wants to implement.

Himschoot has proposed raising the Base Student Allocation (BSA)—the formula used to calculate school funding—by $1,808. This would increase the BSA from $5,960 to $7,768. She believes this adjustment is necessary to reflect inflation since 2011, the last time the amount was updated meaningfully. At that time, the BSA was $5,680, and education funding hasn’t kept pace with rising costs since then.

The proposal includes a phased increase over three years, starting with a $1,000 hike later this year, followed by an additional $404 in both 2026 and 2027. In future years, the funding would adjust based on the Consumer Price Index, ensuring it keeps up with inflation.

Himschoot’s initiative aims to secure funding without tying it to unrelated policy changes. She expressed concern that mixing funding with other issues could come at the expense of students’ needs. Edgmon noted that discussions with the governor regarding priorities have not yet taken place this session.

The House Education Committee plans to gather public input on the bill soon. If they approve it, it will head to the House Finance Committee, which is responsible for budget matters at the start of each session. However, with lower oil revenues expected, the budget landscape may be more challenging this year. Overall, lawmakers are eager to pass this funding bill quickly, recognizing the pressing needs of Alaska’s education system.

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