The Anchorage School Board voted unanimously Monday to advance the $784 million budget for next school year put forth by the School District administration last month.
On Feb. 19, the board will take a second and final vote on the budget during a public meeting. At that time, the board will continue to hear public testimony and could introduce amendments to alter the budget proposal before it goes before the Anchorage Assembly in March.
As presented, the budget includes the injection of $17 million from the district's reserves to narrow the anticipated budget gap. In the fall, the district found it had not hired as many teachers as it had funded in its budget. It had also hired more young teachers than planned. As a result, the district announced it expected to spend about $22 million less than budgeted by the end of the current school year — a sum to be added into the reserves.
Unlike the last two years, the 2015-16 budget does not include cuts to teaching positions. Under the budget proposal, charter schools would add 21 full-time classroom teachers and teaching assistants along with a business manager and custodial position. Neighborhood schools would add 22 full-time classroom teachers. The district would add a human resources position and a charter school/alternative programs director. It would have a net loss of one full-time facilities position and one management business position, according to Mark Foster, the district's chief financial officer.
Other budget additions include $3.3 million for classroom technology upgrades. Ed Graff, district superintendent, said in a presentation to the board Monday that the district has 2,800 school-based staff computers that are between 5 and 10 years old. The administration has budgeted $1.2 million for curriculum software, $380,000 for operations and maintenance supplies and $410,000 for an increase in the cost to lease the ASD Education Center.
Board members did not introduce any amendments to the proposed budget Monday, through Natasha von Imhof raised the issue of not moving the entire $17 million to next school year's budget and instead planning to spread it over two years.
Under Gov. Bill Walker's proposed budget, the district could lose about $12 million in one-time funding next school year.
Mentioning Walker's proposal and the anticipated future budget shortfalls, von Imhof said that by deploying the entirety of funds in one year the district would create "a plateau and then a very steep cliff."
Note: This story has been edited to reflect a corrected list of the positions the Anchorage School District would add under the proposed budget.