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School superintendents tell task force unstable funding is driving staff shortages and program cuts
Summary
Administrators told the task force that unpredictable state funding, inflation erosion of the Base Student Allocation, deferred maintenance and insufficient broadband are forcing staff reductions, larger class sizes and cuts to electives and student supports.
Representatives of the Alaska Council of School Administrators told the task force a single word summed up the statewide situation: "instability." Clayton Holland, superintendent of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, and other administrators presented survey results showing districts face unpredictable funding that undermines long‑term planning and forces program cuts.
The administrators highlighted several recurring problems: unfunded or underfunded mandates (they cited incomplete funding for parts of the Alaska Reads Act), insufficient broadband and an E‑Rate cap they say limits some rural schools, a staffing shortage they quantified as roughly 847 unfilled classified and certificated positions statewide, deferred maintenance and teacher housing problems in remote communities, and inflation that erodes the purchasing power of the BSA.
"When we don't know what's coming next," Holland said, "it becomes a huge issue for retention and long‑term planning." Presenters urged options such as inflation‑adjusting (or 'inflation proofing') the BSA, multi‑year funding commitments or smoothing measures (for example, multi‑year or rolling averages of enrollment) to reduce budget volatility.
Administrators also linked funding instability to program reductions and student engagement: larger class sizes and cuts to electives and after‑school activities, they said, reduce students' reasons to attend and can increase chronic absenteeism. One presenter noted that correspondence and credit‑recovery programs (including iGrad) can serve students who flee brick‑and‑mortar options, but warned those programs generally have lower graduation outcomes and create further funding pressure when enrollment shifts.
The task force asked for supporting data — including district class-size reports, the 847‑position vacancy count, and evidence about broadband shortfalls — and scheduled follow-up items for staff to compile and circulate.
Administrators concluded by praising the recent BSA increase and asking the legislature for stable, predictable funding that allows districts to maintain teachers and core supports without repeated mid‑year cuts.
