Alaska House Education Committee Public Testimony on HB 69 BSA Increase

Taking Public Testimony on HB 69 "Increasing the BSA"

Alaska Legislator, Special Interests like NEA-Alaska and Alaska AFL-CIO want you to believe that our education system doesn't have enough money to keep operating as one of the worst ranked schools in the USA. They are asking over the next three years to take the states portion of BSA funding and increasing it $1,808 dollars per student. Here is how that breaks down, On July 1, 2025 the BSA will increase $1,000.00, on July 1, 2026 it will increase by another $404.00 and on July 1, 2027 it will increase one more time $404.00 for a grand over all total of $1,808.00. There is nothing in this bill requiring them to have improved outcomes for our students. That currently is Ranked one of the worst in the USA. They are also the highest per student costs of anywhere in the nation.

These increases will have a economical impact at the local level that this bill does not address. The increased BSA levels will mean the funding at the local level will increase to match their required percentage based on the state level of funding they receive. If you think your property taxes are bad now. Just wait till this passes and watch how high they climb to cover the Local level increase to education funding.

In the bill HB 69 it has another catch all addition that isn't being publicized that will increase the funding they will receive at the state level. This is directly from what is in the bill:

"Beginning July 1, 2025 and every year there after, the department shall, on July 1 of each year, increase the base student allocation in effect on June 30 of the previous fiscal year by a percentage equal to the average percentage of increase over the first three of the preceding four calendar years in all items of the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers for urban Alaska prepared by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics."

I have yet to find what that actual increase percentage will be.

So what did Alaska Spend in 2024?

*In 2024, Alaska's total education funding included $1.6 billion in state funding, $594.5 million in local funding, and $571.2 million in federal funding. This amounts to a total of $2.88 billion in funding for K-12 public schools.

Here is how this all breaks down:

* State funding: $1.6 billion in state funding, or $12,270 per pupil
* Local funding: $594.5 million in local funding, or $4,550 per pupil
* Federal funding: $571.2 million in federal funding, or $4,370 per pupil

For a Grand Total of $21,190 per student.

Alaska's public schools are funded by a combination of state aid, local contributions, and federal impact assistance. Alaska is the state that spends the most on students overall in the United States.

Never forget the increase the Special Interests are demanding having will not improve the overall outcomes our students are currently receiving. With half empty schools that should be shutdown and consolidated, top heavy administration costs trying to run 53 School Districts that should be reduced to just three and the DEI/CRT policies that have only compounded the problems Alaska's Education System are having, making it nearly impossible to get a quality education in Alaska.

Until they make changes to the fundamental way of providing a Education in Alaska. No amount of money is going to fix the failure our education system has become.
This bill HB 69 needs to be thrown into the trashcan and major reforms need to be made first to improve the overall outcome of education of our children before receiving one more penny, from any of us Alaskan's.

Here are the number to call in and give Testimony or send them a email:
907-563-9085 from Anchorage
907-586-9085 from Juneau
844-586-9085 All Others
For those who wish to send their testimony by email:
HOUSE.EDUCATION@AKLEG.GOV

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