Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/01/2023 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation Impact of Inflation on K-12 Funding and Cost Estimates of a Potential Bsa Increase | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 52 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 1, 2023
3:31 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Löki Tobin, Chair
Senator Jesse Bjorkman
Senator Jesse Kiehl
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Gary Stevens, Vice Chair
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: IMPACT OF INFLATION ON K-12 FUNDING AND COST
ESTIMATES OF A POTENTIAL BSA INCREASE
- HEARD
SENATE BILL NO. 52
"An Act relating to education; increasing the base student
allocation; and providing for an effective date."
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to report.
WITNESS REGISTER
ALEXEI PAINTER, Director
Legislative Finance Division
Legislative Affairs Agency
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered the presentation Impact of Inflation
on K-12 Funding and Cost Estimates of a Potential BSA Increase.
RODNEY DIAL, Mayor
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
THOMAS KENNEDY, representing self
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
MICHAEL BUCY, representing self
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of teacher funding.
JESSICA PARIS, representing self
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
TANYA ROUST, representing self
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
HANNIBAL GRUBIS, representing self
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
VALERIE BROOKS, representing self
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
BRIDGET WEISS, Superintendent
Juneau School District
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
DANIELLE LOGAN, representing self
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
CAROLINE STORM, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
POLLY CARR, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
CHRIS BYE, representing self
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified with concerns about school
funding.
SUSANNA LITWINIAK, representing self
Moose Pass, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
DAVID BOYLE, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding with
concerns.
CAREY CARPENTER, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
CALLIE CONERTON, representing self
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
SARA DYKSTRA, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
KELLY LESSENS, Member
Anchorage School Board
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
LOY THURMAN, representing self
Big Lake, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified with concerns about school
funding.
DANIELLE SPECHT, representing self
Kodiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
SCOTT BALLARD, Superintendent
Yupiit School District
Bethel, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding with
concerns.
CAROLE BOOKLESS, representing self
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of school funding.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:31:28 PM
CHAIR LÖKI TOBIN called the Senate Education Standing Committee
meeting to order at 3:31 p.m. Present at the call to order were
Senators Kiehl, Bjorkman, Gray-Jackson, and Chair Tobin.
^PRESENTATION IMPACT OF INFLATION ON K-12 FUNDING AND COST
ESTIMATES OF A POTENTIAL BSA INCREASE
PRESENTATION
IMPACT OF INFLATION ON K-12 FUNDING AND
COST ESTIMATES OF A POTENTIAL BSA INCREASE
3:32:25 PM
CHAIR TOBIN announced the consideration of a presentation on the
Impact of Inflation on K-12 Funding and Cost Estimates of a
Potential BSA Increase.
3:34:01 PM
ALEXEI PAINTER, Director, Legislative Finance Division,
Legislative Affairs Agency, Juneau, Alaska, offered the
presentation Impact of Inflation on K-12 Funding and Cost
Estimates of a Potential BSA Increase as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
You asked for a comparison of Alaska's K-12 foundation
formula funding to inflation over the past decade, as
well as for cost estimates of various potential BSA
changes.
Background on Foundation Formula
Alaska's K-12 foundation formula (AS 14.17) is the
largest source of funding for Alaska's school
districts. The formula is based on multiplying the
actual student count on Alaska's schools (known as the
Average Daily Membership, or ADM) by a series of
factors to adjust for differences between districts,
including a school size factor and district cost
factors, as well as block grants for special education
and career and technical education, to arrive at an
adjusted student count (Adjusted Average Daily
Membership, or AADM). The AADM is then multiplied by
the Base Student Allocation (BSA) to arrive at Basic
Need, the total amount of funding provided by the
formula. Basic Need is then paid by a combination of
required local funding for municipal school districts,
deductible federal impact aid, and State funds.
MR. PAINTER added that 128,000 students was the projected count
for FY 24, and the adjusted average daily membership (AADM)
projection was 257,000. He returned to his presentation as
follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
In addition to funding inside this formula, the
legislature has frequently included one-time funding
outside the foundation formula but distributed in the
same way as the formula. This outside the formula
funding makes comparisons across years that only use
the BSA somewhat incomplete. This analysis will
provide both comparisons to provide a fuller picture.
MR. PAINTER mentioned that as an example of funding outside the
BSA formula, the legislature distributed $57 million in FY 23.
He said he would discuss the impact of inflation in two ways.
First, he would consider just the statutory base student
allocation and formula, and second, he would include funding
outside the formula because it is state money. He continued the
presentation as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Impact of Inflation from FY14 through FY24
This analysis equalizes funding to the level in
calendar year 2022, the most recently completed year,
and applies that to FY23. It then assumes 2.5%
inflation in FY24 (based on Callan and Associates'
assumptions that are used by the Alaska Permanent
Fund). The inflation data is the federal Bureau of
Labor Statistics data for all urban Alaska consumers.
MR. PAINTER noted that the Division of Legislative Finance had
done BSA inflation analysis many times with varying results
depending on the methodology chosen to best address the
question.
3:37:54 PM
MR. PAINTER stated that the table at the top of slide 2 shows
the inflation rates that accompany each year. There was low
inflation until FY 22 and FY 23, where it rose to 4.9 and 8.1
percent.
3:38:30 PM
MR. PAINTER said one dollar appropriated in FY 14 would have the
same buying power as $1.21 appropriated in FY 23, based on the
Alaska Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Base Student Allocation,
FY 14 - FY 24 Projection graph shows the statutory base student
allocation (BSA) in blue and the BSA in FY 23 dollars in orange.
He provided the following description:
[Original punctuation provided.]
The BSA was $5,930 from FY17-23 and is $5,960 in FY24.
The peak year over the past decade, adjusted for
inflation, is FY17, which would be $6,981 in FY23
dollars, while the FY24 figure is $5,815 in FY23
dollars. Adjusting that FY17 figure to projected FY24
dollars would total $7,155. To match the buying power
of the FY17 BSA in FY24, the BSA would therefore need
to increase by the $1,195, from $5,960 to $7,155.
Depending on which year is selected as the base,
"inflation proofing" the BSA would require different
amounts: $611 (to match the BSA in FY22 in real terms)
to the above calculation of $1,195. Therefore, which
year is selected as the "base" for inflation-proofing
makes a substantial difference in how much the formula
would need to be adjusted in FY24.
Incorporating Outside-the Formula
Funding In Fiscal Years 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, and
2023, the legislature appropriated additional funding
outside the formula ranging from $20 million to $57
million. This funding is distributed according to the
formula, and so the following graph converts it into a
BSA equivalent.
3:40:58 PM
MR. PAINTER turned to slide 3, Base Student Allocation Plus
Outside the Formula Funding FY 14 - FY 24 Projection. The graph
included the legislature appropriated additional funding that
was outside the formula. School districts received outside
funding in FY 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, and 2023. The amounts
received ranged from $20 - $57 million. The graph converts
funding into a BSA equivalent. He noted that the peak year was
FY 15 because the legislature took back funds in FY 16 and FY 17
when oil prices fell. The BSA equivalent for FY 15 was $7,130.
The BSA would need to increase by $1,348 for FY 24 to match FY
15's funding level in real terms; the $860 increase quoted in
some meetings only considers the last three years.
3:42:37 PM
MR. PAINTER moved to slide 4, Cost of Increasing the BSA. He
said the table is a linear calculation showing how $100
incremental increases to the BSA multiplied by an AADM of
257,000 affects state funding. He noted that four school
districts pay a local contribution based on 45 percent of the
prior year's basic need. These four districts would experience
an increase in their required local contribution. The effect is
under $400,000 for every $100 increase to the BSA; therefore, he
did not include it in the table.
3:44:10 PM
SENATOR KIEHL said the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is supposed to
be a market basket of goods. He opined that the basket is light
on health care expenses at seven percent compared to district
budgets that tend to be 14 - 19 percent. He asked whether being
detailed makes a significant difference in determining the BSA
or is rounding errors accurate enough.
3:44:57 PM
MR. PAINTER replied that nationally over the past 70 years,
school and service-based costs have increased faster than
inflation. He said he did know whether there would be a
significant difference even if there were market baskets for
schools in Alaska. Alaska is a semi-closed economy, so there
could be interaction effects. Providing increased funding could
go towards increasing certain costs.
3:46:05 PM
SENATOR KIEHL asked whether it would be wise to use state money
to investigate detailed costs.
3:46:29 PM
MR. PAINTER said that rather than finding a CPI for an Alaska-
specific school, looking at broad changes to school funding
nationwide and comparing how inflation has grown over the past
decade would be better. He said he wanted to avoid promising
that detailed data would be useful.
3:47:11 PM
CHAIR TOBIN asked whether any of the amounts provided in the
presentation address pupil transport, retirement plans,
recruitment, retention, health care costs, or major school
maintenance.
3:47:36 PM
MR. PAINTER replied that pupil transportation is a separate
formula adjusted in FY 14. Expenditures for school maintenance
can come from school funds and municipal funds through the
school bond debt reimbursement program or through the REAA
program. However, he said this presentation is specific to the
foundation funding formula.
CHAIR TOBIN commented that the BSA is just one mechanism the
legislature can utilize to fund education adequately. Providing
other mechanisms with funding would help schools avoid using BSA
funds to cover expenditures.
3:48:54 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON asked if the BSA and transportation
formulas are the only formulas used to calculate the amount of
money schools receive.
3:49:14 PM
MR. PAINTER answered that those are the only two operating
formulas. However, school debt reimbursement and REAA fund
capitalization are formula-driven programs, although there is a
current moratorium on new school debt through 2025. The REAA
fund is only for certain school districts. There is no formula
for non-REAA schools' major maintenance. Instead, there is a
program that is subject to appropriation.
3:50:16 PM
CHAIR TOBIN opened public testimony on school funding.
3:51:16 PM
RODNEY DIAL, Mayor, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Ketchikan,
Alaska, testified in support of school funding. He stated his
desire for the legislature to inflation-proof education funding
and increase the BSA. The Ketchikan Gateway Borough is facing
many funding challenges. Ketchikan funds education as much as
legally possible. One hundred percent of borough property tax
goes to education, but a funding shortfall of over $3 million
remains. Fifty employees face being laid off without assistance
from the state. Every year the legislature finds funds for
inflation-proofing and covering the expenses of unorganized
boroughs. Organized boroughs contribute to education and see the
state shifting costs. It is reasonable for organized areas to
expect state funds to be adjusted yearly for inflation. He
encouraged the legislature to find ways to promote the formation
of boroughs. He requested that the legislature adequately fund
education in organized areas just as it does for unorganized
areas.
3:53:26 PM
SENATOR KIEHL asked whether the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School
District is putting additional funds into education facilities
separate from operations.
3:53:41 PM
MR. DIAL responded that Ketchikan spends about $3.5 million
annually towards school maintenance issues and bond debt
reimbursement, on top of cap funding.
3:54:33 PM
THOMAS KENNEDY, representing self, Fairbanks, Alaska, said he
had been a teacher for 27 years and supports funding schools. He
has taught in rural areas and now teaches high school in
Fairbanks. He stated he would like to share what is happening in
Alaska's schools. Class sizes are reportedly 29 students, but
generally, there are 34 to 35 students per class. He has sold
prep time to help the school district. He stated $600 is taken
from his paycheck every two weeks for health care insurance. He
is a co-director of a school food pantry program, and this year
was his first-time witnessing teachers needing food assistance.
Districts are doing what they can to provide teachers with
equitable wages, and the education committee values education.
Still, new teacher wages are the lowest he has ever seen, and it
affects morale. Young teachers are switching careers to higher-
paying jobs. A young teacher recently left the profession to be
a truck driver and earns $20,000 more yearly.
3:59:10 PM
MICHAEL BUCY, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in
support of teacher funding. He asked what Alaska would need to
do to have a world-class school system and then quoted Don Young
as saying teaching was the hardest job, and teachers should be
given a paid sabbatical every five years. He opined that some
legislators speak about accountability as though teachers and
school districts are not working hard enough, which is not true.
It is the legislature's responsibility to maintain public
schools. Alaska's students tested higher thirty years ago than
they do today. Alaska has the least number of people attending
college, unions are at an impasse with school districts, and
Alaska is not attracting new teachers because the pay needs to
be higher. He opined that underfunding schools is driving away
young skilled, and professional families. The minimum suggested
increase to the BSA is $860. The BSA needs to be increased by
$1300 to adjust for inflation. He opined that Alaska and the
children in Alaska are worth more than the minimum.
4:02:38 PM
JESSICA PARIS, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in
support of school funding. She stated that as a teacher class
sizes 20 years ago were typically 20 - 30 students. Positive
impacts occur when class sizes are reduced by as little as five
students because there is more time for talking, feedback, and
individual attention. Students and teachers know each other
better. She recollected picking up on various risky behaviors
that students engaged in and students feeling comfortable enough
to talk with her about those behaviors. Her children's class
sizes are 30 in elementary school, 43 in middle school English,
40 in high school History and English, and 50 in Physical
Education. Their cousins in the Lower 48 are in class sizes of
25, counselors meet regularly with students, and schools have
activity buses. The quality of schools is a key consideration
for people when deciding where to live. Underfunded schools are
a reason not to live in Alaska when it could be swelling with
economic opportunities through telework. She asked that the
legislature radically update the BSA for Alaska's kids and
economy.
4:05:05 PM
TANYA ROUST, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in
support of school funding. She stated that her passion and hobby
for the past 10 years has been teaching. She works far beyond
her contract hours, providing students with academic, social,
emotional, and family needs. She opined that there are not
enough teachers, which is overwhelming. Teacher and student
stress is increasing. Raising the BSA to $1,086 is crucial for
students and educators. Flat funding is a budget cut. Alaska
must do better for its students. She requested that the
legislature make this the education session.
4:07:37 PM
HANNIBAL GRUBIS, representing self, Fairbanks, Alaska, testified
in support of school funding. He stated he is a 25-year teacher,
coach, and nationally certified math teacher. He said Alaska is
no longer competitive for students or teachers. The BSA needs to
be increased in the short term because Alaska is ranked 44th out
of 50 states for teacher pay. In the long term, Alaska's
teachers need a pension to stay in the state. He noted that
teachers could not afford to take extra duty contracts.
4:09:51 PM
VALERIE BROOKS, representing self, Ketchikan, Alaska, testified
in support of school funding. She stated she is a retired
schoolteacher and reading specialist. Support for Alaska's
public schools requires a sizable increase to the BSA and a
focus on adequately funded public education. She quoted an
article in the Anchorage Daily News from January 23, 2023, which
provided statistics regarding the BSA in Alaska. She said the
BSA needs to increase by $1,195 to match the buying power of the
BSA in FY 17. She opined that an increased BSA and an updated
funding formula could beneficially impact Alaska's public
education budgets and activities. Smaller class sizes, quality
PreK programs, stipulations of the Alaska Reads Act, and the
ability of school districts to attract and retain great teachers
positively impact education. Alaska schools need funds for
intense instruction to occur. She urged the legislature to
increase public education funding because Alaska's students and
future depend on it.
4:12:20 PM
BRIDGET WEISS, Superintendent, Juneau School District, Juneau,
Alaska, testified in support of school funding and described
what the lack of school funding has meant for Juneau and what
adequate funding would mean. She stated that in 1984 she took a
first-year teaching position in Spokane, Washington, that paid
$14,600. She would have been paid $27,000 if she had worked in
Juneau. Today, the starting salary of both locations is about
the same. Teachers need to be supported, and students need
quality teachers. Budgets are inadequate, and costs are going
up. For example, Juneau School District's property liability
insurance policy went from $200,000 in FY 21 to $1.2 million in
FY 23. Next year's BSA increase of $30 means the Juneau school
district budget will increase by $243,000. Juneau teachers are
negotiating increased salaries. If the district applies the
$243,000 to teacher salaries, they will receive a 0.0025 percent
wage increase for three years. She opined that is not enough.
4:16:06 PM
DANIELLE LOGAN, representing self, Fairbanks, Alaska, testified
in support of school funding. She said she is a seven-year
educator and the Education Support Staff Association president.
She opined that the Fairbanks North Star Borough needs help with
support staff turnover. Support staff receives the short end of
the stick regarding budget cuts. Custodial staff are
shorthanded, paraprofessionals do more with less, and teaching
assistants work outside their job classification. Educators are
leaving the profession, and students suffer. She described the
various duties of support staff and how closely they work with
students. She asked that the legislature consider the needs of
support staff when addressing education funding.
4:18:34 PM
CAROLINE STORM, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified
in support of school funding. She said she is an architect and a
school volunteer. She asked that children be placed at the
center of Alaska's decision-making because there is no future
without investing in children. Investments do not show immediate
returns. Investing in children is a question of priority rather
than dollars. The legislature is striking a hopeful tone by
putting the BSA at the center of the legislative session. She
implored the legislature to consider the BSA contribution as
part of being a civilized, creative, and humanitarian society.
Children are human beings with a host of potential and sometimes
traumas. Alaska is a wealthy state that can spend its riches on
corporate profit or its children. She asked that the committee
lobby the House of Representatives and the governor to restore
the BSA to the FY 15 level per the Legislative Budget and Audit
Committee memo of January 30th.
4:21:21 PM
POLLY CARR, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in
support of school funding. She stated she has lived in Anchorage
for 25 years, has a 12-year-old child, and has worked with high
school students throughout Alaska. She helped launch a small
business in 2008. She opined that the state's underfunding of
schools has been detrimental to students, the workforce, and
economic and social morale. A presentation by the Anchorage
Economic Development Corporation described Anchorage as having a
talent crisis. It proposed solutions such as the establishment
of youth entrepreneurship and information technology education
programs. However, districts can only consider these programs
when schools have funds to operate. Classrooms are overflowing.
People who believe spending has been misguided are misinformed.
The resourceful scrappiness of Alaska's schools is incredible
but unsustainable. She encouraged the legislature to increase
the BSA and return to a defined benefit plan.
4:23:54 PM
CHRIS BYE, representing self, Fairbanks, Alaska, testified with
concerns on school funding. He stated he appreciated the
testimonies of parents and teachers and the information
published by the Department of Education. However, the only
solution they suggest for fixing education is money. Alaska's
student population has decreased by 3,000. Scholastics have not
improved since 2010. He recollected that a few years ago,
Fairbanks schools received additional funding. Some employees
received pay increases while class sizes remained crowded,
opportunities were lost, and the district laid teachers off.
Inflation affects all Alaskans. Taking money from the PFD hurts
both students and families. The cost of living is high in
Alaska, and the PFD helps offset those costs. He opined that the
construct of Alaska's traditional public school system needs
more diversity and flexibility. Capable teachers could teach
outside of the time-restricted curriculum of the public-school
format. Diversity in the public-school format would provide more
opportunities for students. A free-market approach funds a
cottage industry that rises the tide for every boat. Teachers
enjoy a better instructor-to-student ratio. Pathways must be
flexible if the end goal is for every student to be educated.
Money should follow students. He mentioned being in favor of
teacher retirement plans.
4:27:27 PM
SUSANNA LITWINIAK, representing self, Moose Pass, Alaska,
testified in support of school funding. She stated that it was
ideal when her daughter started attending Seward high school in
2014 because the schools afforded students opportunities without
being too big. The school district has cut electives,
extracurricular activities, and counseling at a time when
teenage anxiety and depression are at record-high levels.
Students deserve to have access to art, music, and other
curriculums. She requested that the legislature invest in
student education.
4:29:49 PM
DAVID BOYLE, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in
support of school funding with concerns. He said his children
had attended schools in five different states. He has been
researching Alaska's education system for 15 years and little
has changed regarding student achievement. Alaska is
consistently last in fourth-grade reading. The solution has been
to throw more money at the education system without considering
the improvement of student outcomes. He opined that the
legislature must be at the table when union contracts are made
because they are responsible for funding them. He described
areas where he believes excessive funding exists and where
auditing should be required. He stated that the Anchorage School
District has 41,000 students but enough infrastructure to house
51,000 students, yet the legislature plans to bail the district
out to avoid school closures. He stated that educators cherry-
picked the base year 2017 for inflation-proofing the BSA because
it was the last year the BSA was substantially increased. He
opined that it would be more accurate to use the year 2000
because it would ensure a smoother funding curve and more
accurate inflation numbers. The BSA was $3,940 in 2000.
Adjusting for inflation using 2000 as the base year would make
the BSA amount in 2022 $6,528. These figures were derived using
the Department of Labor's CPI calculator. The Anchorage
Comprehensive Financial Report for 2022 shows $19,250 per
student and 29 students per teacher in the high school
classroom. The problem with the student-teacher count is that
many teachers are part of the management bureaucracy. He stated
that the legislature needs to ensure more accountability of
expenditures and that funds go to the classroom because
increasing K-12 funding does not mean student achievement will
increase.
4:33:13 PM
CAREY CARPENTER, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified
in support of school funding. She stated she has lived in Alaska
for 23 years and is the mother of two children. She opined that
people want to raise their children in locations with a good
education system. It is why she stayed in Anchorage. She said
her children are in the Japanese immersion program, which the
district may cut if additional funding is not provided. Low test
scores are directly proportional to how much parents earn.
Children with fewer resources tend to have lower test scores.
Education cannot work as it should without proper funding.
4:36:34 PM
CALLIE CONERTON, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in
support of school funding. She said she had taught Montessori
school for six years and knows that flat funding decreases what
districts can provide for students and schools. She stated she
was a product of the legislature's investment when education was
well funded and educators fought to have a teaching position in
Alaska. She grew up in Juneau, received her degrees from the
University of Alaska, and joined Alaska's workforce as an
educator. Many of her colleagues are leaving the state for
better teaching opportunities. Every year that teaching in
Alaska is underfunded makes it more difficult to justify
staying. All other states have a defined benefit for teachers
and allow them to collect Social Security. Recruiting new
teachers is expensive. She said she loves teaching in Alaska,
but the BSA must be fully funded, or teachers will continue to
leave the state or the profession.
4:39:36 PM
SARA DYKSTRA, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in
support of school funding. She stated she is a mother and a
volunteer with Great Alaska Schools. She said she worries that
Alaska will not be a place where her children will continue to
thrive. Battles over clear financial plans have left public
schools with instability, scarcity, and the inability to think
big and plan. The programs that make Anchorage schools unique
are being cut. Investment in public schools is an investment in
Alaska's future. Funding is crucial to Alaska's workforce, so
Alaska's schools need comprehensive, sustainable, reliable, and
inflation-proof budgets. Projected cuts traumatize teachers and
communities. She urged the legislature to invest in Alaska's
children, teachers, and communities by inflation-proofing the
BSA and providing a defined benefit.
4:42:08 PM
KELLY LESSENS, Anchorage School Board, Anchorage, Alaska,
testified in support of school funding. She said that according
to Georgetown University's Edunomics Lab, Anchorage School
District's students lost an average of 17 weeks of math growth
and 11 weeks of reading growth due to disruptions caused by the
pandemic. To remedy the losses through tutoring would cost $57
million for math and $25 million for reading. The Anchorage
School District (ASD) would like to be able to implement long-
term student improvement strategies. However, it has not
guaranteed data-driven funding streams for seven years, which
makes establishing successful long-term strategies challenging.
She stated that ASD has had to rely on piecemeal funding
efficiencies to hold the school district together. She described
how the district used federal relief funds to backfill funding
shortfalls and how class sizes exceeded the evidence-based model
recommendations. ASD experienced over 400 job vacancies in the
same month that the administration recommended closing six
elementary schools and various programs. She opined that a data-
driven BSA adjustment would mean ASD could align staffing with
the evidence-based model, continue offering outstanding programs
of choice, and hire essential support staff.
4:45:48 PM
LOY THURMAN, representing self, Big Lake, Alaska, testified with
concerns on school funding because the only solution he hears to
problems with education is money. He said he homeschooled a son
with dyslexia because qualified special needs teachers did not
understand the basics. The school curriculum was appalling. He
opined that the whole system needed to be changed to help his
son. Many people in Alaska's workforce have dyslexia, but
everyone can learn to read with Hooked on Phonics. He said he is
further frustrated by the amount of money spent on
administration. Hawaii only has one "head dog," while Alaska has
many. Administrators should reduce their pay by five percent and
use the money where it is needed.
4:49:33 PM
DANIELLE SPECHT, representing self, Kodiak, Alaska, testified in
support of school funding. She said she has been teaching
special education for 15 years and has a tier three retirement.
She said flat funding is affecting teacher recruitment and
retention. Teacher salaries in Alaska are no longer competitive
with other states. She said base teacher pay is $10,000 below
the low-income level of many Alaskan communities, and classified
staff pay is below the poverty line. Alaska should not be
recruiting teachers and simultaneously have them sign up for
subsidized housing. Alaska is losing teachers and support staff.
It costs Alaska $20,000 to recruit and train teachers. To
improve student outcomes, Alaska needs to slow staff turnover.
She said that 15 years ago, more than half of the teachers where
she works had been there for more than 15 years; now, there is
only one. Teachers often leave the state after five years when
they can receive 100 percent of the state's contribution to
their retirement savings.
4:54:11 PM
SCOTT BALLARD, Superintendent, Yupiit School District, Bethel,
Alaska, testified in support of school funding with concerns. He
is a graduate of UAA and has taught in Alaska for 25 years. He
stated he agreed with other testifiers regarding the funding
shortfall. In his district, students and teachers have been
using honey buckets for a week, and several schools are
dangerously dilapidated. An increase to the BSA of more than
$1,200 and a defined benefit plan for teachers are essential. He
said the READS Act is the wrong program for his school district.
He opined that the school board believes it has local control
over its education system, but it doesn't because the state
places unfunded mandates on it. The mandates direct the school
district's instructional program. He opined that his district
has a good vision and plan for its students. Students in his
district are becoming more successful because the district is
creating opportunities that interest students. The district's
program is based on the Yupiit education system, values, and
language. The READS Act is a rebooting of the No Child Left
Behind Act, which did not work to improve learning outcomes, and
neither will the READS Act because it creates complex
requirements for testing and monitoring students that are not
necessary or helpful.
4:57:46 PM
CAROLE BOOKLESS, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in
support of school funding. She agreed that school districts are
administration heavy but can understand why when schools are
regulation heavy. Cuts are happening at all levels within the
school. Students' breakfast consisted of a carton of milk, a
granola bar, and an apple. The district consolidated special
needs programs, which removed some students from the school and
peers they had grown up with. Bugs fall from the ceiling,
toilets do not work, and the carpet is 50 years old. Due to
budget shortfalls, reading curriculums will not be updated. She
said this is a snapshot of what schools look like due to budget
cuts.
5:01:24 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Tobin adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
meeting at 5:01 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Legislative Finance Memo on BSA and Inflation 01.30.2023.pdf |
SEDC 2/1/2023 3:30:00 PM |