Gov. Dunleavy Unveils Groundbreaking Education Reform Bills to Empower School Choice

On January 31, Governor Mike Dunleavy unveiled new legislation aimed at improving education in Alaska. The proposed bills, HB 76 and SB 82, focus on funding, student performance, and increasing school choice for families across the state.

“Our children’s future relies on a strong education system,” Dunleavy said. He wants to ensure that all students, whether in cities or remote villages, receive quality education. The goals include boosting funding for career-tech education, encouraging reading success, and attracting skilled teachers.

The proposed reforms highlight several key strategies:

• The introduction of tribal compacting, allowing tribes to run public schools in partnership with the Department of Education.
• Teacher retention incentives, offering payments of $5,000 to $15,000 annually over three years to keep teachers in Alaska.
• Policies for cell-phone free schools during class time, with some exceptions.
• Reading proficiency grants to reward schools for students who improve their reading skills.
• Increased funding for state-sponsored correspondence programs and career-technical education.
• Expanded school choice, allowing students to attend any public school in Alaska and facilitating the creation of new charter schools.
• Student achievement grants to encourage academic milestones and support for school infrastructure through bond debt reimbursement.

“We must recognize parental rights so parents may choose the best education path for their child,” he added.

Despite Alaska having higher funding per student than many better-performing states, educational outcomes remain a challenge. Dunleavy emphasized the need for effective policy changes by citing Mississippi’s success in education reforms despite having lower funding.

The Republican minority in the State Senate supports the governor’s proposals, seeing them as a solution to longstanding issues in Alaska’s education system. They pointed out that Alaska has some of the lowest scores in math and literacy nationally, despite spending more per student than many states.

Senator Mike Cronk echoed the call to prioritize improvements for all students, regardless of their schooling method. However, it remains uncertain whether the Democrat-controlled Senate will embrace these reforms. Democrats have primarily focused on increasing education funding, showing resistance to fundamental changes and accountability measures.

Some GOP Senators, like Gary Stevens, criticized Dunleavy’s approach. Stevens expressed concern about allowing parents to circumvent local school boards and linking additional funding to student performance improvements, suggesting it could worsen the issues rather than resolve them.