David Boyle Discusses Gov. Dunleavy’s Vision: Why Quality Education Policy Must Come Before Funding

By David Boyle

This week, Governor Mike Dunleavy introduced two important bills—HB76 and SB82—that aim to revamp Alaska’s education system. He believes that effective policies should come before funding to truly address educational challenges.

But what are we really getting for our investment in K-12 education? Recent data suggests that as spending increases, student achievement may not follow suit. This raises a critical question: how can we do better for our kids?

The new legislation emphasizes accountability, ensuring that parents have more options. It includes significant changes, especially for homeschooling students and those in vocational education. Here’s a quick look at the key adjustments:

1. Funding for Homeschooling: Funding for correspondence (homeschool) students will rise from 90% to 100% of the student count, an increase of $43 million. This change promotes fairness for homeschooling families.
2. Support for Special Needs Students: Homeschool students identified as having special needs or enrolled in vocational education (CTE) will also receive full funding. This levels the playing field between homeschool and traditional students.
3. Vocational Education Funding: The funding formula for CTE will increase, ensuring that districts provide accountability through plans and reports.

Additionally, transportation funding will see a 20% rise, cost an extra $14.5 million due to rising fuel prices and bus driver wages. Dunleavy proposes a $4 million boost for nine residential schools to better serve students.

One crucial aspect of the bill expands the Alaska Reads Act from grades K-3 to K-6, increasing funding to $21.9 million. Early results indicate that this initiative is positively impacting literacy rates.

Concerns have arisen over whether current funding levels are sufficient for teaching children how to read. This begs the question: what else are children being taught if reading is falling behind?

The bill also allows open enrollment for all Alaska children, meaning parents can choose from any school—be it a charter, neighborhood public, or correspondence school. The only limit is the school’s capacity, and parents will need to provide transport. School districts are required to make transportation plans to support this.

For transparency, districts must publish enrollment data on their websites, showing capacity, vacancies, and the status of applications. Importantly, students can enroll throughout the year, which is beneficial for military families who may relocate during the school year.

To address the growing demand for charter schools, Dunleavy’s bill enables the State Board of Education to approve new charter schools across the state. The governor believes that more charter schools will better serve families eager to find the best educational paths for their children.

Opposition to this proposal may come from local school districts, as they risk losing control over these charter schools. However, many argue that parental choice is a form of local control that should take precedence.

To recruit and keep teachers, the legislation proposes bonuses between $5,000 and $15,000 for teachers based on their district’s remoteness. This aims to ensure high-quality educators stay in the classroom.

Alaska’s current K-12 system needs change. Simply pouring more funds into it hasn’t yielded the desired results. The conversation is now focused on two camps: those resisting any changes and those advocating for reform to serve students better.

Senate President Gary Stevens has expressed his belief that linking outcomes to funding will not resolve the ongoing crisis. In contrast, reformists emphasize the need for parental rights in choosing the best educational options for their kids.

The need for change is clear. Instead of band-aid fixes, we must decide whether to keep investing in a failing system or invest in a new approach that may yield better outcomes for our children.

Read the bills here:

• Senate Bill 82
• House Bill 76

David Boyle is the education writer at Must Read Alaska.