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Parents and educators urge Legislature to fund $1,000 BSA increase passed in House; many press for larger raise
Summary
Parents, coaches and school supporters from across the state told the House Finance Committee they back the $1,000 Base Student Allocation increase recently passed in HB 69 and urged stable, ongoing funding to avoid cuts to staff, extracurriculars and programs.
Juneau — Dozens of callers and in-person speakers at the House Finance Committee’s March 14 public hearing urged the committee to preserve a $1,000 increase to the Base Student Allocation (BSA) included in HB 69 and to make future funding sustainable.
Speakers including Lena Merrill, a Juneau parent, called education "a constitutional right" and urged lawmakers to fund schools adequately rather than treating education like a business. "Our educators have been giving their hearts, doing the best they can," Merrill said.
The nut graf: Witnesses warned that flat funding has forced districts to cut staff and programs and that one-time federal funds are expiring; several speakers, including Rachel Posey and Jessica Noble, said the BSA increase is the minimum needed to stabilize districts and avoid cuts to sports, arts and other extracurriculars.
Parents and local officials described school closures, program cuts and increased out-of-pocket costs for families. Emily Ferry and others described paying thousands of dollars for extracurricular opportunities when district budgets could not cover them. Josh Morales invoked Article VII of the Alaska Constitution, reminding lawmakers the Legislature must "establish and maintain a system of public schools open to all children of the state."
Ending: Multiple speakers asked the committee to adopt the House-approved increase in the final operating budget and to seek predictable, ongoing funding rather than short-term fixes.
