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Vetoed BSA increase and budget cuts dominate public comment; students and staff urge reallocation away from academies funding
Summary
Public comment at the Anchorage School District’s April 22 meeting centered on the state budget impasse and proposed program cuts after the governor sustained a veto on a funding increase; students and staff urged the board to preserve teachers and core programs rather than expand the Academies of Anchorage.
Public comment at the Anchorage School District meeting on April 22 focused heavily on the district budget, the governor’s veto of a proposed Base Student Allocation increase and potential program cuts.
Student speakers urged the board to reconsider continued district funding of the Academies of Anchorage amid an uncertain state funding environment. Kevin Zhang, a West High sophomore, told the board the academies are funded by a federal grant for now and that the district could face unsustainable costs if the state BSA is not raised. Zhang asked the board to “halt the academies this coming school year” and redirect roughly $3.5 million intended for academies toward teacher positions and core programs.
Several other testifiers described district impacts they said would follow the legislature’s inaction: Katrina Nelson, a West High freshman, said cuts to arts, theater and other programs would “save lives” by removing identity‑forming activities and could drive increased class sizes that harm outcomes. Former ASD librarian Misty Nelson, who said she served more than a decade in ASD, criticized the displacement and rehire process that forced veteran librarians to reapply and said principals were put in difficult positions choosing between staff.
Other commenters included an elementary principal who highlighted high neighborhood‑school math scores and called for preserving straight‑grade classroom models and specialists (art, library, PE) because they support interventions and equity; teachers and parents described specific positions slated for cuts and asked the board for clarity on a district HR account balance. One parent speaker presented a calculation that an HR reserve of about $46 million could fund hundreds of positions if spent for that purpose; administration did not adopt that characterization during Q&A.
Superintendent Michael Bryant updated the board after public comments and described the legislative status: he said house bill 69 had passed the legislature but the governor’s veto was sustained, and he warned the board that without a larger BSA increase — which he and others urged to be $1,000 per student rather than smaller amounts being debated — the district would still face deep structural deficits and major layoffs. Bryant called for continued outreach to legislators and said the district was ready to discuss policy tradeoffs but not prepared to endorse misinformation that the district was sitting on discretionary funds that could fully cover the gap.
Ending: The board heard more than an hour of public testimony stressing teacher retention, arts and student supports. Administration and members said they will continue outreach to legislators; parents, students and staff asked the board to consider pausing or scaling the academies if state funding does not materialize.
