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Senate majority signals plan to raise base student allocation to address teacher shortages
Summary
Senate majority leaders said education funding will be a top priority this session, with a likely increase to the base student allocation (BSA) aimed at addressing rising class sizes and teacher vacancies; committee action expected within days.
The Alaska Senate majority caucus said it will press early this session for increased funding for K‑12 education, most likely through an increase to the base student allocation rather than one‑time grants.
Senator Wilkowski, speaking at a caucus briefing, said, “We’ve seen exploding classroom sizes all across the state…we have a real crisis in education” and noted the BSA has not been increased since 2017. “By increasing the BSA, you give school districts predictability,” Wilkowski added.
Caucus leaders said they expect a Senate education funding bill soon; Senator Wilkowski said she “would expect to see a senate education funding bill probably within the next week.” The caucus plans outreach to school districts, teachers, parents and students during debate.
The senators framed the BSA increase as preferable to repeated one‑time funding because districts often receive one‑time funds late in the budget cycle, after local budgets are set. “The one‑time funding presents a real challenge,” Wilkowski said.
Members also flagged district‑level enrollment declines as a complicating factor for policy. Senator Stebbins said some districts have seen enrollment drop about 30% over two decades and cautioned that BSA increases alone may not address costs associated with fixed assets and declining student counts. Stebbins said the Department of Education’s current enrollment numbers are awaited and will be factored into funding decisions.
Caucus leaders said education funding will be treated separately from education policy bills; they want to resolve the funding question before debating other policy changes.
Looking ahead, the Senate education committee chair (Senator Toberman was present at the briefing) was identified as the lead committee for the coming funding bill. No formal bill text or fiscal notes were released at the briefing.
Senate leaders said they intend to work with the House majority on the issue, and they signaled an early push to put funding measures on the legislative calendar.
