The Legislature earned a passing grade for approving a substantial increase in state funding for public schools — the first since 2017.
Think of it as a small gold star for effort, but they still will need to retake the class next year.
Rather than permanently raise the per-student funding formula in state statute, lawmakers voted for a one-time boost in funding for the 2023-2024 school year.
Helpful, but it does not solve the perennial problem of inadequate funding for public schools.
The 15% increase is good for only one year and does not cover the 25% cost of inflation since 2017.
It does not provide school districts and staff, parents and students with the certainty to make classroom plans past the next school year. It doesn’t do anything more than get by for another year, without any assurance for what school districts should expect after that.
The state Senate appeared willing to adopt a permanent increase in the funding formula. The House, however, wasn’t interested in signing a check for anything more than a one-year raise. Too many members of the Republican-led House majority don’t like how school districts spend money. Too many generally wince at state spending on services while winking their approval for spending on larger Permanent Fund dividends.
Whatever the reason, a one-year boost was the only political compromise available during the legislative session that ended last week.
School boards, staff and parents from around the state pushed hard for a permanent boost to the funding formula, known as the base student allocation. But they couldn’t budge the House from its insistence on a temporary fix.
It’s like throwing a blue tarp over the roof leak because the homeowners can’t agree on whether to install asphalt shingles, wood shakes or a metal roof. Eventually, the water damage gets worse and they really didn’t accomplish a whole lot with the temporary tarp, other than delaying the decision.
It’s the same for the Legislature — and the governor too, who didn’t do anything publicly to help schools. The temporary patch job for the next school year will expire in 2024. Districts will have no choice next spring but to put together a budget without knowing how much state funding they will receive, hoping that the Legislature will help out again.
Lawmakers and the governor need to retake the class next year on school funding, putting aside the distractions so that teachers and students can count on programs more than one year at a time. They need to think of it as a summer homework assignment. It’s their own fault for not paying attention in class.
— Wrangell Sentinel
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