On July 15, 1986, budget cuts overwhelmed the Juneau School District, prompting deeper slashes in school staff and supply. After the City and Borough of Juneau Education Board announced that $3 million would disappear from JSD’s budget in the upcoming year, JSD cut down the number of teachers and available programs. Some of the consequences included heftier workloads for remaining staff and the loss of the Reading is Fundamental program, which provided books to JSD students.
On a statewide level, Gov. Bill Sheffield decided that state workers would be subject to cuts as well — some state employees were given shorter workweeks or even layoffs under the shrinking budget. Gov. Bill Sheffield was also expected to report the new oil revenue forecasts from the state Department of Revenue and a new budgeting plan with it.
Added pressure was put onto Juneau Superior Court Judge Walter Carpeneti, as a verdict for a claim put forward by the Women League of Voters and an Anchorage newspaper was wanted soon. The claim asserted that the Alaska Legislature had violated the open meetings law when creating a state budget plan.
After seeing two men peeing in public during a Fourth of July celebration, Juneau Mayor Ernie Polley had heavily criticized the amount of CBJ funds that help the “street people”. In retaliation, the mayor received many letters and phone calls condemning his words, believing them an attack on the homeless shelter, the Glory Hole, run by the Juneau Cooperative Christian Ministry.
“This Day in Juneau History” is compiled by Empire intern Tasha Elizarde, who sums up the day’s events — 30 years ago — by perusing Empire archives. To learn more about the project, click here.
