OPINION: Alaska’s lawmakers are failing students like me

The Alaska Legislature and the governor are failing our future generations by not increasing the base student allocation, or BSA. Since 2017, the allocation has provided Alaska school districts $5,960 per student. The U.S. Department of Labor argues that inflation has risen by roughly 27% since 2017; however, the BSA does not reflect that increase. Schools across Anchorage and Alaska are being hurt by the effects of the stagnant BSA, and schools are being forced to cut Advanced Placement and fine arts programs that educate and enrich future generations. These classes are vital to prepare students for a college-level education.

Senate Bill 140 would have increased the BSA by $680 but was vetoed by Gov. Dunleavy. The Legislature then failed by one vote to override the veto. House of Representatives member Julie Coulombe, who supported the governor’s veto, came to South Anchorage High School on March 29 to answer questions by students about the bill. She said that funding was important, but that she felt the burden was on the school districts in Alaska to make “reforms” to their expense structures. When questioned on which reforms specifically needed to be made, she mentioned the need to move to a charter-based education system. This felt like a pivot in the communication, as the question as to how our school system should reduce actual expenses was never fully answered.

Additionally, charter schools are often available only to students who have parents able to provide their own transportation and donate personal time to that school. This means the structure will often only work for families with the highest level of resources. Charter schools also do not accommodate individualized education programs for special needs or learning disabilities. By limiting access, charter schools enhance their test scores while moving the burden to public education. Coulombe also said that students in the state were failing standardized tests, although she did not indicate how failing to increase funding will help that situation.

A 2016 article by Bruce D. Baker from the University of Miami shows that increased funding improves low test scores, grades and graduation rates. Furthermore, countless studies have shown that an increased BSA improves SAT and ACT scores. There seems to be a logic gap when the legislators who feel students’ education is declining are the same ones who do not support overriding the governor’s veto. The lack of spending in the state has resulted in many programs being cut that help students in the state compete with school districts in the Lower 48. Also, a research article done by Allan Odden and Lawrence O. Picus from January 2023 suggested the BSA required to meet the needs of all Alaska students is $13,612. The proposed bill was asking for far less than that, and would have been a step in the right direction for school funding.

We need rigorous public education classes that prepare Alaska students for college. Recognizing that many legislators supported education and wanted to override the veto, it is hard to explain how other Alaska politicians justify their position in supporting the governor’s failure to increase education funding. Charter schools aren’t an option for most students, and it is negligent for the Legislature to side with the governor and negatively affect Alaska’s youth.

Dane Senaga is a junior at South Anchorage High School.

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