JUNEAU -- The Senate Finance Committee Friday adopted an education funding plan that's $100 million more than Gov. Sean Parnell's budget proposal, and $75 million more than the scheme adopted by Alaska's House of Representatives earlier, setting out what may be the upper and lower range of what schools can expect for next year.
Senate Finance Committee Co-chair Pete Kelly, R-Fairbanks, called the increase "a very large amount," but it appears to be about what schools said would hold them steady following years of cuts.
The higher funding won early praise from Rep. Berta Gardner, D-Anchorage, who credited the pressure brought by parents, students and teachers for the increase.
"I'm so happy to see the effect of citizen activism," she said.
The proposed increase, which must be approved by the full Senate, as soon as next week, would then go back to the House of Representatives for concurrence, or on to a conference committee to work out the differences.
The increase was notably outside of the base student allocation, the per-student amount that has sat unchanged at $5,680 for four years. That means the increase is what's known as one-time funding, because it doesn't increase the base level of school funding and similar appropriations will be needed in future years to avoid falling back.
Schools supporters seeking more money had made an increase to the base allocation their top priority, but Gov. Parnell and Republican legislative leaders have been reluctant to so do.
Kelly said the additional money would be distributed to schools equally through the state's foundation formula that takes into account factors such as school size, location and special needs.
"(But) it is not part of the BSA," Kelly confirmed.
The committee's proposed increase is likely just one part of numerous other education items in the state budget. Some will cut costs for schools, and others will require new spending.
In addition, some proposals for dealing with the state's unfunded pension liability may take back newly granted increases.
Kelly and other finance committee members noted that in the session dubbed "the education session" by Parnell, what that means is still a work in progress.
"We know that we are going to address education this year, and this is how we're going to begin the process in the Senate," Kelly said.
Although the $100 million increase does not go into the base student allocation, it is not the typical one-time funding increase that the Legislature has used in recent years. This year's budget includes language saying it could be continued with a similar increase next year, making it two-time funding.
Senate Finance Committee member Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, sounded as if he hoped the amount would be increased further, and joined Gardner in praising the public pressure.
"This keeps all options open," he said. "Many Alaskans have been voicing their opinion that this needs to be addressed."