OPINION: We’re Alaska charter school parents. We believe public schools need a real funding increase.

We are current and former parents of public charter school students across Alaska, and we appreciate the recent positive attention given to charter schools in our state. In a recently released Harvard study, Alaska’s charter school students outperformed their charter school peers in other states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test, far surpassing the achievements seen in any other state.

As legislators focus on the success of Alaska’s charter schools, we wish to express our strong support for increasing the Base Student Allocation (BSA) by at least $1,413 and retaining the current approval process for charter schools. Adequate funding is crucial for all public schools — neighborhood, alternative, and charter — to deliver a well-rounded and enriching educational experience, preparing students for the workforce and their future. Lawmakers’ continued failure to significantly increase the BSA during a time of soaring inflation is squeezing the resources of charter schools, mirroring the challenges faced by all public schools across the state. A substantial BSA increase is the top need for Alaska’s charter schools, alternative schools and neighborhood schools alike.

As parents, we strongly believe in the premise and promise of all public schools. Each type of school plays a vital, complementary role in providing diverse educational approaches and programs. Charter schools, while not a universal solution, offer valuable choices to families and the opportunity to test innovative educational methods. We believe that maintaining approval by local school boards is crucial to the continued success of charter schools. The local community, through its democratically elected school board, is uniquely positioned to decide how and where charter schools should integrate into the local educational framework.

In our view, a diverse array of educational options benefits a community by enhancing the likelihood of finding an optimal “match” between a student and a school approach. We also recognize that, especially in smaller communities, due to the nature of how schools are funded in Alaska, additional charter schools opening in a community may inadvertently diminish the quality of the existing neighborhood schools, resulting in a loss of robust educational options for families. Therefore, decisions to approve charter schools must be made locally by school board members elected by their communities to make educational policy decisions, not by an appointed state board lacking an understanding of local dynamics and community needs.

The success of charter schools relies on local control, stakeholder commitment and community buy-in. Active involvement of parents, teachers, and local leaders in decision-making processes ensures that charter schools remain responsive to the unique needs and values of their communities. We highly value this local connection, firmly believing that it contributes to the success of our children’s education. Thus, we urge the Alaska Legislature to preserve local control over charter schools, allowing for tailored solutions aligned with each community’s distinctive characteristics and aspirations.

Charter school parents and educators across Alaska stand united in our support for local control and a meaningful increase to the BSA for the benefit of all public schools – neighborhood, alternative, and charter. We maintain that preserving the autonomy of local school boards and ensuring adequate funding is indispensable to sustaining the success and vitality of charter schools and, more broadly, excellent public schools throughout our great state.

This commentary was jointly authored by parents and a graduate of the following Alaska charter schools:

Alaska Native Cultural Charter School: Elizabeth Hancock (parent and co-founder).

Anchorage STrEaM Academy: Rachael Hannah; Molly Hayes; Cassandra Gardner Raun and Jeff Raun.

Aquarian Charter School: Gailyn Taylor.

Ayaprun Elitnaurvik: Chuck Arrsauyaq Seaca (graduate).

Boreal Sun Charter School: Sharon and Lars Hansen (founding and current parents); Brandy Harty.

Chinook Charter School: Jennifer and Carl Heim.

Discovery Peak Charter School: Brianna Gray.

Juneau Community Charter School: Robin DeAlva and Collin Rielly; Summer Koester; Maria Skuratovskaya; Brenda Taylor.

Rilke Schule German School of Arts and Sciences: Andrea Beausang; Jean Miller; Paul and Christine Schuette.

Watershed Charter School: Kirsten Bell; Jennifer Humphrey; Janice and Armano Martinez; Greg Mazer; Lael and Mark Oldmixon; Kristen Schupp.

Winterberry Charter School: Mary Alexander; Rebecca Bernard; Karen Eckman; Jennifer Estes; Emma Furlong; Kyle and Jessica Gardner; Diane and Colleen Heaney-Mead; Becca Symmonds.

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