Some people, including Assembly member Chris Birch, said annual school budgets are rising at an unsustainable rate.
But the Assembly voted 8-3 in favor of the increase this time. Assembly members Birch, Bill Starr and Adam Trombley were opposed.
The new state money totals about $18.8 million.
About half of it is to make up for a funding deficit in the state retirement system; that money will go from the state general fund to the retirement system.
Another $3.6 million is to pay for school vocational and technical education, an area for which the state intends to increase funding on an annual basis.
The final chunk, $6.1 million, is one-time money from the state as a result of increased energy costs.
That's the portion that was the focus of debate. A minority of Assembly members tried but failed to cut the district's spending limit request by about that amount.
The district's spending limit for the current school year is now $830.7 million, up from the $811.9 million adopted in March.
Reach Rosemary Shinohara at rshinohara@adn.com or 257-4340.
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