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Education‑funding task force sets interim schedule, plans site visits, stakeholder outreach
Summary
The task force announced Oct. 30 (Juneau) and Nov. 17 (Anchorage) meetings, solicited site‑visit suggestions (Southeast, Galena, Anchorage, Skagway, CTE programs), and outlined plans for surveys and invited stakeholders including DEED, ISER, NEA and municipal groups.
The Joint Legislative Task Force on Education Funding used its Aug. 25 meeting in Anchorage to set an interim schedule, plan site visits and identify stakeholders the panel wants to hear from as it prepares recommendations.
Chair Senator Tobin said the next task force meeting will be Oct. 30 in Juneau and signaled the group plans to convene in Anchorage on Nov. 17. She also provided a public comment path, asking Alaskans to send input to edfundtaskforce@akleg.gov.
Staff member Mike Mason summarized invitations to appear on Oct. 30: the Office of Management and Budget, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), the Alaska Council of School Administrators, the Association of Alaska School Boards, the Alaska Municipal League and the NEA. He also noted the task force hopes to hear from former DEED commissioner Meredith Marshall Lind for historical perspective and that national experts (Larry Pikus of Pikus Soden and Justin Silverstein of APA Consulting) will present in November.
Members suggested site visits designed to capture statewide variation. Representative Ruffridge and others urged hearing from teachers 'in the classroom' and recommended visiting Southeast communities, Galena (for a residential and correspondence program), and Anchorage School District to see large‑district challenges. Senator Kiel suggested Skagway as a high‑performing single‑site district to contrast other models; other members identified Prince of Wales and CTE programs as priorities.
On outreach, the chair outlined a plan for three surveys aimed at (1) public prioritization across HB 57 topics, (2) staff and educator perspectives, and (3) school‑board budget and governance concerns; members recommended including school‑climate and connectedness measures for students and staff.
The task force asked staff to circulate potential site‑visit dates and to coordinate travel logistics; members emphasized the goal of seeing schools while students are present. Chair Tobin said staff will follow up with invitations and corrected presentation materials before the October meeting.
