Alaska

Majority lawmakers say Alaska schools need more money from state

Published

2 months ago

February 11, 2026

Majority lawmakers say Alaska schools need more money from state

Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, of Sitka, talks with Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, on the House floor on January 22, 2025. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Lawmakers succeeded last year in their effort to permanently boost the state’s per-student funding formula for K-12 public schools, twice overriding Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s vetoes to cement an increase that educators had long asked for.

But after years of flat funding from the state and declining enrollment, districts across Alaska this year say they are still in dire straits. The Anchorage School District, which last year spent down its budget reserve amid state funding uncertainty, is facing a $90 million deficit. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District has a $23 million deficit. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is estimating a deficit of $8.5 million. Juneau schools face a deficit of more than $5 million.

Senate Education Committee Chair Löki Tobin called the funding increase approved last year “woefully insufficient.”

The bipartisan majority coalition in the Alaska House is still prioritizing school funding, said House Education Committee Co-Chair Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, a Sitka independent, in an interview on Tuesday. But the mechanism by which that funding stability will be achieved remains unclear, she said.

“Education remains one of our No. 1 priorities, so we’re not backing away from it in the House Majority coalition, in any way at all,” said Himschoot. “Now the political reality of what’s possible is a different story. So whatever is possible — we’re committed to doing — and the limitation is what is actually possible.”

That political reality is shaped by limited revenue and “advocacy fatigue” that has left Alaskans tired of again asking for a funding boost after making it a flagship issue during the preceding two legislative sessions.

Last year’s boost to the state’s education formula was hailed by districts as a success, though it amounted to less than half the funding amount that public educators requested in 2024. Last year’s legislation yielded no effective revenue increase to most schools, because it came on the heels of an outside-the-formula spending boost of equal size in the preceding fiscal year.

In effect, the state’s K-12 education budget dropped between last year and the current year, by roughly $20 million, following a student enrollment drop of nearly 1,000 students.

Alaska has 125,317 public school students this year, according to data collected in the fall by the state. That’s down from 126,284 in 2024; 127,931 in 2023; and 128,088 in 2022.

Despite lawmakers’ hard-fought battles over education funding in recent years, the state’s effective spending on K-12 schools has remained virtually unchanged, going from $1.29 billion in the 2023 fiscal year to $1.33 billion in the current fiscal year, a roughly 3% increase, far below the inflation rate in the same period.

The governor’s budget draft introduced in December accounts for no new education funding this year, even as Dunleavy asked for spending increases for most other executive branch departments, to account for salary increases and other inflation-driven costs.

“Everything that our state government does requires increases every year, and yet we’re not providing those increases to education,” said Himschoot.

Funding woes have translated to different challenges across the state. In urban areas, including Anchorage, stagnant state funding has led districts to shutter enrichment programs and sports and grow class sizes. In rural areas, districts are struggling to keep buildings operational and qualified teachers in classrooms.

Ideas for shoring up education funding this year abound, said Himschoot and Tobin. They include pegging the state’s funding formula, known as the Base Student Allocation, to an inflation metric; providing dedicated funding streams for high-value budget items like reading coaches and vocational instructors; and upping state spending on the maintenance and repair of school buildings.

But three weeks into the legislative session, it is not immediately clear which of those ideas — if any — could garner enough support from the House and Senate to become law and fit into a tight budget process.

“We’ve got to get 11 votes in the Senate, 21 votes in the House, and hopefully get it past the governor. If that’s not the case, then I’m going to be working to get 40 (votes),” said Tobin, alluding to the threshold needed to override the governor.

Senate leaders said Tuesday that they are focused on addressing a backlog that has left school buildings with deferred maintenance and repair projects worth more than $2 billion.

The Legislature has in recent years funded only a fraction of maintenance projects identified as priorities by schools. The identified priorities are themselves an undercount of needed projects, lawmakers say, because some districts have stopped applying to the state for funding.

Dunleavy has during his tenure repeatedly slashed education funding to the tune of tens of millions of dollars annually for both school operations and maintenance. He has not commented publicly this year on whether he would allow an education funding increase to become law or again use his veto pen.

“The Senate majority is continuing to look for pathways to help support our struggling public school infrastructure, and also our public school services, and we are going to use every opportunity and everything available to us to invest in the best and most important resource our state has, which is our children,” said Tobin, an Anchorage Democrat.

Himschoot said she doesn’t think it’s realistic “at all” to again increase the Base Student Allocation by $700, which is what lawmakers did last year — bringing it from $5,960 to $6,660. But a smaller increase may be possible, she said.

“Will there be some kind of BSA inflationary adjustment? I think that’s on the table. Will there be funding to other programs that bring relief to districts? I think that’s on the table. In the absence of a solid fiscal plan, it’s really hard to talk about what’s possible,” Himschoot said.

Dunleavy last year vetoed a bill approved by lawmakers that would have raised between $25 million and $65 million by applying the state’s corporate income tax to Outside companies providing online services to Alaskans. That bill would have directed the new revenue to reading assistance and vocational programs in Alaska schools. After lawmakers failed to override Dunleavy’s veto last month, House majority members reintroduced the revenue bill. It is scheduled for a hearing later this week.

The House Education Committee is currently considering a bill from Rep. Andi Story, a Juneau Democrat who co-chairs the committee, which would change the way the state allocates money to districts. The bill would allow the districts to average out their attendance numbers over a three-year period, rather than using a single-year figure, among other changes. That would provide districts with more funding stability even as their enrollment numbers fluctuate.

The change is based on recommendations that appeared in a 2015 report commissioned by lawmakers.

According to Dunleavy administration education officials, the change could increase state spending on schools more than $70 million in the coming fiscal year. Of that, roughly $23 million would go to the Anchorage School District; nearly $10 million would go to the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District; and more than $8 million would go to the Kenai Peninsula borough School District.

But it’s not immediately clear whether that bill will get the support needed to advance.

“I don’t see $70 million low-hanging fruit anywhere in the state right now,” said Himschoot.

“To me, it’s reasonable,” she said on the prospect of spending that amount from state savings. “To some of my colleagues, it’s not reasonable at all.”

Daily News reporter Mari Kanagy contributed from Juneau.

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Alaska

Alaska Senate approves ‘baby box’ law for surrendering infants

Published

3 hours ago

April 8, 2026

Press Room

Alaska Senate approves ‘baby box’ law for surrendering infants

Sen. Robert Myers, R-North Pole, speaks during a floor session at the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau on January 21, 2026. (Marc Lester / ADN)

JUNEAU — The Alaska Senate passed a bill that would allow parents to surrender infants in safety devices, or “baby boxes.”

The measure passed 18-2 on March 31, with supporters saying the bill could save lives while critics say it would leave adoptees without knowledge of their background, among other concerns.

As of 2008, under Alaska law, a parent is able to turn over an infant under 21 days old to a doctor, nurse, firefighter or peace officer without being prosecuted.

The bill — introduced by Republican Sen. Robert Myers of North Pole — would also allow for a parent to surrender an infant into a baby box, installed at facilities like fire departments and hospitals, without being prosecuted.

Since 2013, three Alaska infants have been abandoned, according to Myers. One in Fairbanks was found alive in 2021, despite subzero temperatures. One in Eagle River died in 2013, and another in Anchorage died in 2024, about a block from a fire station.

The idea behind the boxes is that they allow for anonymity, as shame and fear can be barriers to surrendering a baby directly to a person, Myers said.

Manufacturers design the devices to be installed into the exterior wall of a facility. The boxes are temperature-controlled and have a livestream camera on the inside. When a baby is closed inside, the outside door automatically locks. Opening the boxes also triggers an alarm — with a slight delay to allow for the parent to leave anonymously — after which a responder can retrieve the baby from an inside door.

The Bowling Green Fire Department’s Safe Haven Baby Box at BGFD’s Fire Station 7 is seen Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, in Bowling Green, Ky. (Grace Ramey/Daily News via AP)

Adoptee advocacy groups from the Lower 48 opposed the devices in written testimony about the bill, saying they are a “gimmick” solution to the broader societal issues that lead to a person surrendering an infant. Stop Safe Haven Baby Boxes Now and Bastard Nation: the Adoptee Rights Organization wrote that the devices represent relinquishment practices that are “rooted in shame and secrecy,” and “create a population of adopted people who have no birth records, identity, or history.”

Sen. Löki Tobin, an Anchorage Democrat, cast one of two no votes on the bill in the Senate. The other no vote was from Sitka Republican Sen. Bert Stedman, who declined to comment on why he voted no.

Tobin said that although she agrees with the underlying premise, she cited a series of concerns about the boxes, including that a lack of person-to-person interaction takes away informed consent and could lead to increased coercion in the surrender of infants, and that could leave the non-surrendering parent without a say.

When an infant is surrendered to a nurse, for example, that nurse must advise the parent that they may, but are not required to, provide the infant’s or parents’ names and medical history.

After an infant is surrendered, the child goes to the custody of the state Office of Children’s Services.

Infants are then placed in OCS custody, which conducts a “diligent search” for relatives, including contacting tribal and community partners, according to the Alaska Department of Family and Community Services.

That process would still apply to a baby surrendered in a baby box, said Carla Erickson, chief assistant attorney general for child protection in the state Department of Law, at a committee meeting in February 2025.

Erickson said that in her experience, OCS had never begun a case where the child’s surrender was completely anonymous.

During the Senate floor debate ahead of the vote on March 31, Tobin said the boxes could leave OCS guessing whether the infant is a tribal member. That, Tobin said, could open up the possibility of violations of the Indian Child Welfare Act, which requires the state to try to place Native children up for adoption within their tribe.

“It is our responsibility to pass law rooted in sound public policy supported by evidence. Baby boxes are not that,” Tobin said.

Myers responded saying that the same documents used to request health and family information at in-person surrenders would be available in the baby boxes.

He also said questions of identity are secondary to ensuring the child is safe.

“It’s tough to find out what your heritage is when you’re not alive,” Myers said.

Safe Haven Baby Box Inc., the primary infant surrender device manufacturer in the U.S., has contracted installation for over 400 baby boxes across the Lower 48, according to its website. Time magazine reported last year that about 62 babies had been left in boxes since the nonprofit’s founding in 2016, according to its founder, Monica Kelsey.

The bill does not require the state to install or pay for baby boxes, so installation would come at the expense of facilities themselves.

The state Department of Public Safety estimates that each box would cost $16,000, excluding installation. A Fairbanks City Council member said at a February 2025 committee hearing that he estimates a baby box would cost about $22,000 for his community.

Doug Schrage, fire chief at the Anchorage Fire Department, said at the same hearing that members of AFD have consulted with Safe Haven Baby Boxes Inc. and led fundraising efforts to raise enough for a baby box in Anchorage.

Christian and anti-abortion organizations have also said they plan to fundraise to install the boxes, as well.

Pamela Samash of Nenana, and a member of Interior Right to Life, said at a committee meeting for the bill last session that the organization is “just waiting” to do a fundraiser for this cause.

The bill now heads to the House for committee hearings.

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Alaska

Opinion: Alaska needs to curb crypto-kiosk scams

Published

15 hours ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

Opinion: Alaska needs to curb crypto-kiosk scams

Bitcoin tokens. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Imagine receiving a call from a law enforcement agency, state or federal court or some other “official” government entity saying you have an outstanding fine, fee or warrant. Pay it immediately or you’re going to jail. The phone number matches that of the identified agency, thanks to AI, and you’re directed to a nearby “Bitcoin ATM” to send cash.

This isn’t hypothetical. This happens to dozens of Alaskans every day. In 2024, Alaskans lost more than $26 million to online fraud, with seniors bearing a third of those losses. These cryptocurrency kiosks have become a preferred tool for criminals because they offer instant, irreversible and often anonymous transactions.

Unlike traditional banks, these kiosks currently operate in a regulatory “black hole.” Scammers exploit this by using high-pressure tactics to force victims into making untraceable transfers. To protect our most vulnerable residents, I introduced Senate Bill 249. This legislation creates a necessary shield for Alaskans by requiring:

• Clear warnings: Operators must post conspicuous notices warning users about common scams.

• Identity verification: Requiring a government-issued ID creates a vital “speed bump” to break the spell of a high-pressure scam.

• Blocking fraud: Operators must use analytics to block transactions to known illicit or overseas criminal wallets.

• Fee and transaction limits: There are limits on fees for using the machines, but more importantly there are daily and monthly transaction limits to minimize the financial damage from these scams.

Our seniors spent decades building their life savings. They deserve the same financial “guardrails” in the digital age that we expect in every other sector. SB 249 doesn’t ban technology; it simply brings it out of the shadows. It is time to provide our seniors with the protection they’ve earned and stop digital predators from draining Alaskan bank accounts.

Sen. Cathy Tilton represents Senate District M in the Alaska State Senate. Senate District M is composed of House districts 25 and 26 in the Mat-Su. Sen. Tilton is a former speaker of the Alaska House.

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Alaska

VIDEO: World’s first wingsuit skydive through Alaska’s northern lights

Published

1 day ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

VIDEO: World’s first wingsuit skydive through Alaska’s northern lights

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Three men completed a world’s first above Palmer’s night sky, wingsuiting through Alaska’s aurora borealis while catching it all on video.

Jeff Provenzano and Jon Devore jumped together in darkness, along with photographer Mike Brewer.

According to Red Bull, with the help of Red Bull Airforce, a one-shot moment was captured amidst -40°F temperature, pitch-black landscape and a disappearing Northern Lights — all while the photographer was moving as 100MPH.

“It was pretty much the coldest temperature that I ever jumped in,” Provenzano said.

Alaska skydiver returns to sky after crash

Devore’s first jump was in Juneau as a teenager.

“My very first jump was in Juneau and that’s when the addiction set in and I realized I wanted to do that with my life,” Devore said.

He spent three decades skydiving until 2021, when a crash changed everything.

“I had a really bad crash, completely severed my spine in half, open book pelvic fracture, the list goes on,” Devore said. “Was told I’d never walk again, definitely never skydive again.”

Devore said he chose to prove doctors wrong.

“It was a better state of mind for me to be in a, I’m going to prove them wrong instead of accept what I’m being told,” he said.

Teammate completes 50-state mission

Provenzano had his own mission: skydive in all 50 states. Alaska was the last one, and he said he wasn’t going without Devore.

“He couldn’t go to Alaska without Alaska John,” Devore said.

Devore said he didn’t know if he would jump or provide ground support.

“Whether I went there as just ground support and encouraged him jumping or if a miracle happened and I was able to jump with him, who knew back then?” Devore said. “But as miracles go, it happened.”

The two men jumped together above Palmer with photographer Mike Brewer.

“That jump, I actually had a moment where I could truly take a second to look at what was going on and appreciate it,” Provenzano said. “And it was definitely a wow moment.”

For Provenzano, Alaska completed his 50-state goal.

“Alaska was truly the last frontier for me,” Provenzano said. “I just, I was actually really sad. I felt very depressed when I was flying out of there.”

Devore said the experience reinforced the importance of support.

“Surrounding yourself with the right group of people is very important,” Devore said. “People that believe in you and encouraging you to push through barriers that you’re being told aren’t breakable. Even if you don’t achieve the summit, sometimes just getting halfway to it is more than you’re being told you could do.”

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