A bill proposing the first large permanent education funding increase in many years received overwhelming support during its first day of open public testimony Wednesday.
House Bill 69, sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, a Sitka independent, would raise the Base Student Allocation (BSA) by 22% during the coming year and more than 40% over the next three years.
People testifying in favor of the bill — largely educators, students and parents — said a relatively flat BSA as far back as 2011 has resulted in severe budget crises for school districts due to inflation. The relative handful of opponents argued the state’s education system is doing a poor job with the resources it has.
Bert Houghtaling, a Big Lake resident, said major reforms are needed to improve education outcomes in Alaska before raising the BSA.
“Until you guys make the changes in a fundamental way of providing education in Alaska no amount of money is going to fix the failure our educational system has become,” he said.
“I can’t wait for Governor Dunleavy to veto this when it’s passed at the end of the 34th legislative session,” Houghtaling said.
Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a BSA increase approved by the Legislature during the last session. The governor has said he would be open to a funding increase if the Legislature supports his education goals, including charter schools and homeschooling.
Melissa Burnett, a Fairbanks resident, said she supports HB69. However, she suggested adding support for workforce development, the Alaska Reads Act and charter schools.
“But I also recognize that for HB69 to move forward it must be a bill that the governor is willing to sign,” she said. “To that end I urge the Legislature to consider incorporating smart policy measures or funding targets that promote accountability and efficiency in our schools.”
Rep. Rebecca Himschoot (I-Sitka) and Rep. Andi Story (D-Juneau) listen to public testimony on an education funding bill in the Alaska State Capitol on Jan. 29, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The current statutory BSA is $5,960, which is $30 higher than 2017 when the last major permanent increase took effect. Himschoot said HB69 would result in a BSA of $7,249 for the coming fiscal year, $7,940 the following year and an estimated $8,510 the year after.
The bill is being fast-tracked by members of the Democratic-led bipartisan House majority. Himschoot said she hopes the bill is approved by the Legislature by March 15 so school districts have time to factor any extra funding into their budgets for the fiscal year starting July 1.
Juneau School District Superintendent Frank Hauser spoke in favor of HB69, saying that even with the district’s decision in the last year to close and consolidate schools, JSD will face a deficit for the upcoming fiscal year without a meaningful increase to the BSA.
JSD is currently facing a staff shortage, especially in special education, according to Hauser.
Katie Green, a Juneau resident who has two children currently in JSD, said her son is autistic, legally blind in his left eye and experiences severe speech delays.
“My son’s school has some IEP (Individualized Education Program) services accessible via Zoom only,” she said. “One special ed teacher has more than 30 kiddos on her caseload. Our speech pathologist will only see kids up through second grade. There’s one para being shared between four classrooms. All of these hardships can be easily avoided with the hiring package to attract certified staff.”
Juneau School District Superintendent Frank Hauser testifies in support of a base student allocation increase on Jan. 29, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
A special education needs assessment for JSD is scheduled to be completed by Friday. JSD will hold a public forum on its budget at the Thunder Mountain Middle School library on Feb. 6 at 5:30 p.m.
The public testimony occurred on the same day the National Assessment of Education Progress ranked Alaska near the bottom in math and reading scores. Alexander Rosales, an Eagle River resident, testified in opposition of HB69, calling the NAEP scores “alarming.”
“Let’s prioritize our form over spending,” he said.
Others testified that their concern focused on retaining Alaska’s younger population. The number of residents under 35 dropped from 14,291 in 2020 to 13,106 in 2024 (a drop of 8.3%).
Jasmine Wolfe, a senior at Sitka High School, said years of flat funding for education contributed to her decision to leave Alaska.
“As much as I would love to stay in my home state and continue my education, I have made the hard decision to move out of state to a state that funds and values education,” Wolfe said.
Ephraim Froelich, a Juneau resident, testified in support of HB69. His son, who attends first grade in the JSD, sat beside him.
“My son had a kindergarten class last year of 30 kids, and that room was stressful for me at dropoff and I couldn’t imagine being there all day,” he said, thanking the Legislature for introducing the bill early in the session.
“It feels like this gives us hope,” Froelich said.
Public testimony on HB69 can be sent to house.education@akleg.gov. Rep. Andi Story, a Juneau Democrat, said Friday is the deadline for legislators to submit proposed amendments for the bill, suggesting the committee will look to move it out quickly in the coming days. The Finance Committee is the next and final referral before a floor vote.
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz.garrett@juneauempire.com or (907) 723-9356.
