Litigation headed to the Alaska Supreme Court holds the potential to inflict the largest budget cut in state history on public schools around the state. With that alarm sounded, let me clarify that if everyone keeps calm and starts talking, Alaska can avoid the worst impacts from Ketchikan Gateway Borough vs. State of Alaska.
By way of background, the average Alaskan may have read about cuts to all kinds of public services being discussed by the Legislature and Gov. Bill Walker. Among the budget reductions under active consideration pertaining to our children are early childhood development and pre-K programs, mentoring for teachers and administrators, expanded Internet capability for schools and $52 million in one-time funds for basic school support approved by the Legislature in 2014.
What hasn't gotten much publicity is the largest potential cut in state history to any vital program: the $228 million in local tax dollars appropriated each year for K-12 education. Those dollars are at stake in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the program, known as the Required Local Contribution (RLC).
Judge William Carey of Ketchikan has invalidated the RLC as a violation of the constitutional ban on dedicated taxes. Judge Carey has also refused to issue a stay of his decision to allow the Legislature and the new administration to consider alternatives.
While school districts are not a party to this litigation, we are actively following it because budgets and employment contracts necessary to offer a full menu of education at our schools must be approved in the next several months. With budget reductions already under discussion at the Capitol, the possibility of losing local funding for schools is a double whammy (In Juneau I am grateful for $13 million in local support for our children's education this year, while in Anchorage that support amounts to $97 million this year).
The Ketchikan lawsuit deserves a hearing before the Supreme Court. But while the court considers its merits, school districts deserve some certainty. Will the state step into the breach with $228 million? Will municipalities voluntarily pay their share of K-12 costs? What will parents and students do if they have no guarantee that classes and teachers they need next fall are not available?
As I said, we need to stay calm, but we do need to start talking.
Andi Story is president of the Association of Alaska School Boards. She is a member of the Juneau School Board.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.