Following weeks of criticism for submitting a budget that flat-funded education in Alaska, Gov. Sean Parnell said Wednesday he’ll submit an amended budget that includes an additional $30.3 million for education.
The amount comes close to matching the $30.6 million increase endorsed by the state Senate earlier, but is structured as one-time funding,
The use of the single apropriation, rather than ongoing, boost to education was the subject of an impromptu debate at Wednesday’s Native Issues Forum in downtown Juneau.
The two speakers are among the legislative leaders in the debate, with Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, co-chairman of the powerful House Finance Committee, backing the governor’s position.
He agreed with Parnell that providing ongoing money into the foundation’s formula school funding plan would be difficult to cut later if money is tight.
Rep. Bettye Davis, D-Anchorage, is vice-chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee and a outspoken advocate of the base student allocation included in the state’s foundation formula for schools.
“I’m not trying to point the finger at anyone, but the governor did not increase education funding,” Davis said. “He flat-funded it, which means under-funded,” she said.
While the Senate has advocated for steady, multi-year funding increases, the House leadership, including Thomas, has backed Parnell.
Thomas jumped to challenge Davis, saying that the state provided $1.2 billion to schools as part of a total of $1.8 billion they get.
What he didn’t want to do, he said, was to put money into formulas such as the education foundation formula.
“When we run into a wall of ‘no money,’ unless somebody finds a big oilfield somewhere, we can’t cut formula-driven programs,” Thomas said.
That means the Legislature will likely go after low-hanging fruit, such as municipal revenue sharing, instead.
Thomas, who supported Parnell’s oil tax cut bill, said the state is just two or three years from a deficit as it is.
Although both parties said they wanted the forum’s question-and-answer session not to turn into a debate, it quickly turned into a spirited one.
Davis challenged Thomas’ claims of impending doom.
“I want you to know that this state is not in trouble in the sense that we’d don’t have the funds, we do have the funds,” she said.
“We’re the only state in this nation that has enough money that we can forward-fund education every year,” Davis said.
Davis said she appreciated the support by Parnell and the House leaders for supporting extra appropriations to help the schools cope with rising energy and transportation costs, but that wasn’t actually their top priority.
“I have no problem with the energy and all that things that we can give, but that does not fund the formula itself, and the formula funds the education,” Davis said.
Thomas didn’t back off his position at all.
“We’re totally afraid of foundation formulas, you can’t get out of them,” he said.
Parnell said Wednesday he’ll propose budget amendments to pay for rising costs in both energy and student transportation, as extra one-time budget amounts.
He said his support for energy and transportation money was based on information from the Legislature’s public hearings.
Rep. Pete Petersen, D-Anchorage, an outspoken education advocate in the House, called Parnell’s proposal a “stop-gap measure” that didn’t solve the problem.
• Contact reporter Pat Forgey at 523-2250 or at patrick.forgey@juneauempire.com.
Comments (10)
Add commentHey Bill
You supported Parnell's $2 billion PER YEAR giveaway too, didn't you?
November's coming.
Oil Over Education
So, Parnell will only commit to oil - but not education? Good to know.
And, Bill Thomas should remember that most of the people who voted for him have children and he's becoming "the guy who doesn't value education for children."
Hope he is ready to pack up his office after the next election. Last time I checked, people in Haines tended to value their children, Bill.
You are right–
Both Parnell and Thomas, the anti-child, anti-affordable health care politicians, need to go.
The future
This is what is going to happen when Parnell gives away 2 billions a year to his oil friends. This is just the beginning, Parnell will have to cut a lot more than just education. Parnell do not represent Alaskans, he represents the oil CEO'S that will get big bonuses after the state gives them 2 billions a year.
The idea with these Tea
The idea with these Tea Bagging Conservative Republicans is to dumb down kids in public schools, they see it as a way to gain control of Gov.
They feel to many thinkers come out of the public school system
Ya know the "dumbing down" of
Ya know the "dumbing down" of the schools began when the left liberals decided that we need to worry about how children felt about going to school and not worry about grades or tests. They are still trying to get us to feel bad about it. There are PAID Truancy officers in the school district that go around waking kids up and driving them to school because their parents are too lazy to figure this out. Not the schools responsibility to do this. Teaching is what they are supposed to do, getting them to school is the parents problem.
Actually...
Actually Tikitime, there is ONE truancy officer in the district, and that position is being cut in the FY13 budget.
I do agree that parents don't always participate in the effort to raise their children. Unfortunately, it is the school system which is being held accountable for children's education, not their parents.
more money doesn't equal a better education...
better teachers do.
Unfortunately we have to fight the teacher's unions goal of keeping top salaries for every teacher from those who are effective (not just those who love teaching) to teachers who inspire no one all the way down to child molesting teachers.
Then we have to fight the syphoning off of education money into conveniences like buses and taxis so kids don't have to walk or ride a bike. Let's not forget millions going to build small schools with big community gyms attached w/ zero dollars going to actual education or planning for maintenance.
Throwing money at a problem without any requirements on effective spending just yields more gross waste.