Wrangell Sentinel -

The Alaska House Education Committee on Feb. 20 heard House Bill 65, which would increase the base student allocation. It was a brief hearing, acting solely as an introduction, but it was an essential first step during this legislative session in the conversation about state funding for education.

I have heard loud and clear from teachers, students and school boards that schools are struggling. They are dealing with significant increases in costs like heating, insurance and supplies, while seeing state support for our schools remain mostly flat-funded over the past eight years. Class sizes...