Alaska

Opinion: Alaska should take a page from Mississippi. Let’s spend a bigger share of our state budget on education.

Published

9 months ago

March 17, 2025

Opinion: Alaska should take a page from Mississippi. Let’s spend a bigger share of our state budget on education.

(iStock / Getty Images)

The ADN published an opinion piece on Sunday, March 9 by Win Gruening (”Alaskans need to decide what’s more important — unchecked school funding or improved student achievement”). In it, he took others to task for their positions on school funding. I agree that framing proposals to increase the BSA in terms of how it will affect the PFD is a false choice. He goes on to make it sound like the 14% increase in funding over the past 10 years is more than adequate since it resulted in the highest per-pupil spending in the country. He then goes on to make an argument that there is something wrong with our education system since Alaska spends the most per student yet is ranked 51st of 53 U.S. jurisdictions in reading and math at the 4th-grade level and 47th of 53 in eighth-grade math. He then makes the case that in Oregon and Washington, per-pupil spending went up and scores dropped 10-15 points below where they were 10 years ago.

He then uses Mississippi as an example that shows low per-pupil spending, 44th in the nation, in K-12, works so well that they lead the nation in fourth-grade reading scores for low-income students while upper/middle-income fourth graders ranked second in the nation for reading scores. He concludes by saying that it isn’t how much money you spend or how many teachers you have it is what you teach. If only it were that simple it would be nice.

There are a lot of fun facts that were omitted from his argument and I would like to fill them in here. Comparing absolute expenditures between Mississippi and Alaska is ridiculous. Alaska’s cost of living is sixth-highest in the nation, Mississippi’s is 50th, the cost of food in Alaska is the highest in the nation, Mississippi’s is 43rd. The cost of health care in Alaska ranks highest in the nation, Mississippi is 37th. Transportation cost in Alaska is 3rd highest in the nation, Mississippi is 45th. When one considers that the primary expense for any school district is personnel to operate the schools it is no wonder Mississippi would spend less per student. The cost of living makes it easier to provide a salary and benefits that afford teachers and staff a decent standard of living than we could ever achieve here for the same money.

If one wants to make a relevant comparison between the two states, how about looking at what percentage of the total state budget goes to K-12 education? The reason the anti-BSA increase folks don’t want to do this is that Alaska is embarrassingly stingy with support for K-12 education. The national average is 20.5% of the state budget going for K-12 education, while Alaska allocated only 15% in 2023 (data from Urban Institute and KFF.org respectively). Mississippi allocates a whopping 23% of state budget for K-12 education. Just imagine what the student-to-teacher ratio could be if Alaska matched Mississippi in terms of the percentage of the state budget going to K-12 education.

The author finishes up with the same old saw; commonsense reforms, consolidation of schools, etc. What he totally ignores is that the research on K-12 education clearly shows that student-to-teacher ratios do matter. Salary and benefits do matter. In fact, Mississippi has a 13% teacher turnover rate (elevate K-12) while Alaska has a 21-24% turnover rate over the last ten years. The lower turnover rate is probably related to the quality of life afforded in the local economy and other issues like the student-teacher ratio. Alaska is in the top ten highest student-teacher ratios along with high turnover making the teachers’ jobs harder, we are losing experienced teachers all the time, and also increasing the likelihood of lower performing students.

While I do not agree with many of Mr. Gruening’s points, I do agree with him that the state of Alaska should take a page out of Mississippi’s book. Specifically, increase spending on K-12 education from 15% of the state budget to at least 23% of the state budget and let the leaders of our K-12 districts do their jobs.

Frank Jeffries is a retired professor emeritus of management at the College of Business and Public Policy, University of Alaska Anchorage. He has 30 years of management and consulting experience.

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The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.

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Alaska

Opinion: When $100 stays home: Shopping small strengthens Alaska

Published

2 hours ago

November 28, 2025

Press Room

Opinion: When 0 stays home: Shopping small strengthens Alaska

A pedestrian walks past a pair of Christmas trees in Town Square Park on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 10, 2020. (Bill Roth / ADN)

The holiday season is a time of giving, but for many Alaskans, this season means tightening belts instead. Between rising costs, inflation and the lingering impacts of tariffs and supply chain disruptions, burdens may feel heavier than usual.

That’s exactly why it matters where we spend what we can, keeping dollars local.

This Small Business Saturday, on Nov. 29, the Alaska Small Business Development Center, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Visit Anchorage and the Small Business Administration are inviting Alaskans to take a small but meaningful step: pledge to spend at least 10% of your holiday gifting with local businesses.

Because in Alaska, sticking together isn’t just something we say, it’s a way of life.

Consider a $100 purchase. If bought from a major online retailer or national chain, about $22 stays in Alaska — mostly covering shipping, logistics and applicable local wages. The rest flows to corporate headquarters, distant warehouses and out-of-state shareholders.

Spend that same $100 at an Alaskan-owned business and about $63 stays here at home. It pays employee salary and benefits, allowing them to save for college or a first home, and to stay and grow their careers here. It supports local manufacturers and artists, suppliers and service providers. It funds youth sports, sponsorships and nonprofit donations. One purchase. Multiple local impacts.

The visible difference is keeping our main streets alive and our neighbors employed.

Buy Alaska: Go local first

We know shopping local isn’t always easy. Prices can feel higher, and options can be harder to find, especially across such a vast state.

That’s why BuyAlaska.com was created. This free online directory connects shoppers with more than 1,200 Alaskan-owned businesses across our great state. You can search by product, service or location, from Utqiagvik to Ketchikan, and discover just how many local options already exist. BuyAlaska also helps businesses find local suppliers through the B2B Exchange, keeping even more money circulating among Alaskans.

The 10% shift

Redirecting just 10% of your regular purchases to Alaska-owned businesses could keep hundreds of millions of dollars in our economy. That money fuels paychecks, keeps doors open and gives small-business owners breathing room to weather rising costs and invest in growth.

Before you click “add to cart,” check BuyAlaska.com. If there’s a local option, choose it. If not, that’s OK, just look for the next opportunity. Every small shift adds up.

Alaska’s entrepreneurs operate in one of the most complex business environments in the country: high shipping costs, unpredictable seasons and supply chains that stretch across oceans. Yet they continue to adapt, innovate and show up for their communities.

They’re not just business owners, they’re our neighbors, parents at the hockey rink, and volunteers at local schools. Nearly 140,000 Alaskans work for small businesses. When they thrive, so does Alaska.

Your economy, your choice

Downtown Anchorage will kick off Small Business Saturday with local deals, community events and the annual Holiday Tree Lighting, a bright start to the season. But the opportunity to support each other extends far beyond one weekend.

Leave a positive review on a small business you frequent. Share your favorite local finds. Take the 10% Challenge and encourage others to do the same.

Our state’s economy grows stronger when we grow together. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of community we want, one that is resilient, connected and uniquely Alaskan.

This Small Business Saturday, and every day, you have the power to help Alaska thrive, one meaningful choice at a time.

Kendra Conroy is acting state director and associate state director, UAA Alaska SBDC.

Gretchen Fauske is director of Special Programs & Strategy, UAA Alaska SBDC.

Radhika Krishna is executive director of the Anchorage Downtown Partnership.

Julie Saupe is president and CEO of Visit Anchorage.

Kathleen McArdle is president and CEO of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.

• • •

The Anchorage Daily News welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.

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Alaska

The Sun

Published

20 hours ago

November 28, 2025

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Alaska

Opinion: Typhoon Halong’s aftermath revealed Alaska at its best

Published

2 days ago

November 27, 2025

Press Room

Opinion: Typhoon Halong’s aftermath revealed Alaska at its best

Kipnuk resident Garrett Kashatok holds 11-month-old Shameka while attending a town hall for people displaced by ex-typhoon Halong at Bettye Davis East High School on Wednesday evening, Nov. 12, 2025. (Bill Roth / ADN)

As we enter this holiday season, it is important to recognize and give thanks to the countless Alaskans who helped in Western Alaska’s emergency response to Typhoon Halong. In doing so, you helped preserve the dignity of your fellow Alaskans in need.

At the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp. (YKHC), we had medical, behavioral health, construction and remote maintenance teams who worked very long hours and slept in affected villages. We shipped tens of thousands of pounds of critical supplies throughout the region. We set up and managed the Bethel shelter, its travel, meal preparation, laundry and cleaning operations. In future months, we will continue to lead water and sewer rebuilding efforts.

Since October, the daily local/state/federal emergency operations center has been hosted by YKHC at the Bethel hospital. YKHC helped lead and coordinate the local emergency operations center with other local agencies until the beginning of November and has since transitioned out of that role. YKHC assisted the Alaska National Guard and Coast Guard and evacuated more than 100 residents from affected villages to safe places of their choosing with more than 50 YKHC charter flights. We shipped more than 22,000 bottles of water, 12,000 ready-to-eat meals and other supplies throughout the region. Most of that was accomplished within the first five days after the storm.

We hosted Sen. Dan Sullivan, Sen. Lyman Hoffman, Rep. Nellie Jimmie, Speaker Bryce Edgmon, and other state and federal officials at YKHC for disaster coordination meetings. The state emergency operations center moved more than 600 evacuees out of the shelters to hotels and other noncongregate lodging by Oct. 31 — which for disasters, must be in record time. Hundreds more were taken in by family members from around the region, Anchorage or beyond.

I thank all 1,600 YKHC employees who helped survivors of Typhoon Halong. Your dedication and devotion toward achieving our mission and vision is applauded.

A special thank you to the Alaska National Guard and Coast Guard for their heroic and life-saving missions during the storm and those that continue today in order to help ready survivors’ homes for winter. The professionalism, urgency and compassion shown by the Guard, President Trump, Gov. Dunleavy, state of Alaska emergency operations center, FEMA, the Alaska Divisions of Forestry and Transportation, American Red Cross, AVCP, AVCP RHA, City of Bethel, Lower Kuskokwim School District, Samaritan’s Purse, Team Rubicon, World Kitchen, airline/cargo operators, local churches and businesses, the Municipality of Anchorage and many others is truly commended.

While recovery and repatriation will continue for months and years, if Alaskans continue to act with the same resolve as we did with this emergency response, more can be accomplished in the future.

Although many lost much during this tragedy, each of us still has much more to be thankful for during this holiday season.

Dan Winkelman is president and CEO of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp.

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