Letters to the Editor

Letter: Legislators, boost allocation

Educators have worked hard to increase graduation rates and improve student learning, while three years of significant budget cuts have made it more and more difficult to meet student needs and maintain facilities in good condition. Funding from the state of Alaska, through the Base Student Allocation (BSA), has remained steady for three years, while costs have increased due to inflation.

I urge Alaskans and their leaders to commit to inflation-proofing the BSA, as well as supporting increases that would bridge the gap created by the past three years of stagnant funding. As the Governor's Omnibus Education bill comes before the state House and Senate, it already includes $185 in increases for the 2014-2015 school year and $58 in two succeeding years. This is a good beginning but is not enough to prevent the significant increases in class size planned for next year.

I encourage Alaska voters to contact their legislators and tell them to increase the BSA for the coming year and inflation-proof it for the future.

— Elizabeth McKee

Anchorage

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