Has been updated: 18 few minutes ago release date: 34 few minutes ago
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/adn/BZCJAEU7NBAK7JEVCNQSYXIXF4.JPG)
The Alaska State Legislature passed Senate Bill 140 (SB 140) with historic bipartisan approval for our students, staff, and families. This type of collaborative leadership at the beginning of the legislative session speaks to their dedication to public education. I can't thank them enough for their support.
We are extremely disappointed and deeply concerned by Governor Mike Dunleavy's decision last night to veto SB140. The governor's veto could not have come at a worse time for not only the Anchorage School District (ASD) but all school districts across Alaska. His 2025 budget for ASD was designed to stabilize class sizes and maintain popular student programs. Through SB 140, Congress made a good faith effort to fulfill its constitutional responsibility to provide and fund an excellent public education system. The governor's veto of SB140, a bill passed with 93% of the Legislature, undermines bipartisan efforts to make historic investments in the education of our children.
The implications of the governor's veto are dire and far-reaching. By stripping public schools of essential funding, he has exacerbated existing challenges that are pushing the education system to the brink. In ASD alone, he said, there are more than 600 vacancies, spanning key positions such as special education staff, paraprofessionals and classroom teachers. Vetoing SB 140 will do nothing to reverse this alarming trend. Undoubtedly, there will be further attrition of educators, the shortage of qualified education professionals will become even more acute, and the quality of instruction for students will decline.
The negative effects of the governor's veto will extend beyond immediate fiscal concerns and impede the long-term prosperity and development of Alaska's youth. Without adequate funding, schools are unable to invest in the critical resources, programs, and initiatives essential to fostering the academic, social, and emotional growth of their students in an increasingly competitive global climate. This will hinder the student's ability to grow.
For ASD, the governor's decision means our community could face additional cuts that will negatively impact the education of approximately 40% of Alaska's public school students. The environment for public education in Alaska is already challenging, and it is difficult to overstate the uncertainty and disruption this veto will cause to districts' progress toward improving student outcomes.
Senate Bill 140 is a landmark bill that significantly increases funding for public schools across the state, something that hasn't happened since 2017. The $680 increase in the Base Student Allocation (BSA) passed in SB 140 provides much-needed relief to ASD for the upcoming school year. After years of record inflation and corresponding flat state funding, the district's structural budget deficit has gradually widened. In fiscal year 2025, ASD is currently suffering from a budget deficit of nearly $100 million.
To balance the budget in recent years, we used up nearly all of our district's emergency savings, increased class sizes, and cut teaching positions. The BSA's $680 increase will inject approximately $50 million into schools, providing a lifeline to maintain critical positions and programs essential to the educational well-being of students. By vetoing this critical funding, Governor Dunleavy jeopardized the academic progress and future prospects of Alaska's youth.
We will continue to work with our elected leaders to adequately and equitably fund public education. We are ready to help you find common ground for common sense solutions.
We encourage local residents to make their voices heard with their state representatives to override the governor's veto. The future of our students and faculty is at stake.
Margo Bellamy I am the president of the Anchorage Board of Education. Edited by Jarrett Bryant, Ph.D. I am the superintendent of the Anchorage School District.
The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a wide range of viewpoints.To submit your work for consideration, please send an email Commentary(at)adn.com. Submissions of less than 200 words should be sent to: Letters@adn.com or Click here to submit from any web browser.Read all guidelines for letters and comments here.
