ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Governor Mike Dunleavy’s recent vetoes on Alaska’s 2024 budget have slashed more than $87 million in one-time K-12 education funding, among other line-item vetoes. A variety of constituents and educators are urging lawmakers to override those vetoes.

In a letter Friday, Anchorage School District leaders asked lawmakers to hold a special legislative session necessary to override the vetoes. The budget, which Governor Dunleavy already signed, cuts hundreds of millions of dollars in funds including undesignated general funds, operating funds and capital projects.

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Clayton Holland said these cuts could be devastating to some Alaska School Districts.

“It’s a little disingenuous that we don’t have the full picture here when we’re talking about this and, I think for us as educators, we’re going to get by in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District with a million dollar dip into our fund balance,” Holland said. “It’s going to be very tight next year. We are going to have some smaller cuts that take place.”

Holland said he’s more worried about other school districts.

“Some of my colleagues in districts around the state are going to be in a dire predicament,” he said. “We already are facing massive teacher shortages in Alaska. Continually getting this news in June, with exception of the last three years of federal funding, having budgets come out this late, stalling our hiring, it’s all compounding itself.”

Alaska Representative Kevin McCabe said a veto override is a long shot. In a prepared statement to Alaska’s News Source, Saturday, McCabe wrote:

“This BSA increase, even with the governors vetoes, is among the largest single increase ever. None of us respond well to threats and coercion and I doubt, even with the district administrators letters, that there are enough members in the house to call a special session or to override the Governors vetoes.

And if school districts have such financial problems, even with this huge increase; and especially with the large amounts of COVID funding they still have in the bank; then perhaps it is emblematic of larger fiscal mismanagement? We should not be using “hope” as a fiscal strategy to run our districts.

Again, this is not “education” funding. The BSA will not go directly to teachers and classrooms. It goes to the school districts. And money that goes to teachers and classrooms will have to be negotiated in their CBA negotiations, whenever that is. School districts and the NEA should be focused on the Governors HB106 which would provide money directly to our teachers.”

Copyright 2023 KTUU. All rights reserved.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Governor Mike Dunleavy’s recent vetoes on Alaska’s 2024 budget have slashed more than $87 million in one-time K-12 education funding, among other line-item vetoes. A variety of constituents and educators are urging lawmakers to override those vetoes.

In a letter Friday, Anchorage School District leaders asked lawmakers to hold a special legislative session necessary to override the vetoes. The budget, which Governor Dunleavy already signed, cuts hundreds of millions of dollars in funds including undesignated general funds, operating funds and capital projects.

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Clayton Holland said these cuts could be devastating to some Alaska School Districts.

“It’s a little disingenuous that we don’t have the full picture here when we’re talking about this and, I think for us as educators, we’re going to get by in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District with a million dollar dip into our fund balance,” Holland said. “It’s going to be very tight next year. We are going to have some smaller cuts that take place.”

Holland said he’s more worried about other school districts.

“Some of my colleagues in districts around the state are going to be in a dire predicament,” he said. “We already are facing massive teacher shortages in Alaska. Continually getting this news in June, with exception of the last three years of federal funding, having budgets come out this late, stalling our hiring, it’s all compounding itself.”

Alaska Representative Kevin McCabe said a veto override is a long shot. In a prepared statement to Alaska’s News Source, Saturday, McCabe wrote:

“This BSA increase, even with the governors vetoes, is among the largest single increase ever. None of us respond well to threats and coercion and I doubt, even with the district administrators letters, that there are enough members in the house to call a special session or to override the Governors vetoes.

And if school districts have such financial problems, even with this huge increase; and especially with the large amounts of COVID funding they still have in the bank; then perhaps it is emblematic of larger fiscal mismanagement? We should not be using “hope” as a fiscal strategy to run our districts.

Again, this is not “education” funding. The BSA will not go directly to teachers and classrooms. It goes to the school districts. And money that goes to teachers and classrooms will have to be negotiated in their CBA negotiations, whenever that is. School districts and the NEA should be focused on the Governors HB106 which would provide money directly to our teachers.”

Copyright 2023 KTUU. All rights reserved.