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Experts urge independent cost study, multi-year plan at Alaska education funding task force
Summary
At a Jan. 16 task force meeting, former Education Commissioner Jerry Covey and national experts told legislators Alaska needs an independent assessment of the true cost to provide public education, a multi-year implementation plan, and greater public engagement to win funding support.
Former Education Commissioner Jerry Covey and a panel of school-finance experts told the Alaska Legislative Education Funding Task Force on Jan. 16 that a credible, research-based cost study and a deliberate multi-year planning process are prerequisites to winning public support for increased education funding.
Covey, who served as commissioner from 1991–1996, framed the need in aviation terms, saying the public education system is "far behind the power curve" and "needs money." He recommended an independent study "to find out the actual cost of providing public education across all school districts," plus a multi-year approach that increases funding as the plan is finalized and builds public engagement statewide.
The task force’s guests emphasized that money alone will not guarantee better outcomes. Senator Cronk and other legislators cautioned that higher spending must be tied to specific, evidence-based changes. Covey said policymakers should be "limited" in the sense of prioritizing what is affordable and practical rather than attempting to fund every community wish at once.
Panelists also urged the task force to clarify what it will pay for and to present those costs to the public. Covey said legislators should "take your time to develop this education plan" and use consistent community engagement to build support.
What’s next: The task force staff will draft a memo to the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee recommending an RFP to commission an updated adequacy analysis and an update to the 2015 formula review. Experts invited to speak at the meeting said they will be available for follow-up technical assistance as the legislature prepares procurement documents and studies.
