Governor vetoed school funding bill despite wide support

On March 14, Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed Senate Bill 140, which would have provided the largest increase in the base student allocation state funding formula for public schools since its inception. This legislation aimed to boost the base rate by $680 per student, about an 11% increase, a critical measure to uphold the state's constitutional duty to provide public education to all children in Alaska.

Even though the BSA has only seen a 4.92% increase since 2012, while the consumer price index has risen more than 25%, indicating a 21% decrease in purchasing power for school districts statewide, the governor still chose to veto SB 140.

Over the past nine months, lawmakers have been inundated with calls from communities and school districts across the state for a substantial increase to the BSA. Local government bodies in each community have signed resolutions or letters in support of this crucial funding boost. As the District 1 state representative, I have recently heard through formal resolutions and/or letters from government bodies representing each community that I represent, strongly supporting increasing the BSA.

Senate Bill 140 received a lot of support in the state House and Senate due to overwhelming demand. It passed with a large majority, but Dunleavy still vetoed the bill. His decision was influenced by his desire for changes in the charter school system, which include expanding the number of charter schools in Alaska, as well as implementing a three-year teacher bonus program at a significant cost.

The governor's stance on charter schools and local control has caused disagreement with many legislators, including myself (I previously led a charter school). While supporting public charter schools, many legislators believe in the importance of local control in the establishment of such schools. The governor's preference for state authority over local decision-making in charter school matters contradicts traditional Republican principles of favoring local government.

The Legislature was scheduled to meet in a joint session on Monday, March 18, to consider overriding the governor's veto of SB 140. Regardless of how that turns out, constituents are encouraged to reach out to their representatives to share their thoughts on school funding. I can be reached at 907-465-3824; rep.dan.ortiz@akleg.gov.

- Rep. Dan Ortiz