$62 million is simply not enough

JOEL DAVIDSON/Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU - State spending on education would jump by roughly $64 million over last year's historic increase if House Bill 1 makes it all the way through a series of House and Senate committees.

On Thursday, the bill took the first of many steps, with unanimous approval from the House Special Committee on Education.

While the bill would increase per-student spending to $4,896 - $320 more per student than last year - it still falls far short of what the Mat-Su Borough School Board and other school boards across the state are requesting for fiscal year 2006.

The Mat-Su Borough School Board voted 5 to 1, last week, in favor of a resolution asking Gov. Frank Murkowski and the Alaska State Legislature to increase statewide education funding by $85 million - $23 million more than what the governor has already requested from the Legislature for fiscal year 2006.

School Board President Mike Chmielewski, at the Feb. 2 school board meeting, acknowledged there was no guarantee the state would support the Mat-Su district's request, but he did say the additional funding was important for districts across the state.

On Friday, Chmielewski said he plans to push for the Legislature to increase the $64-million amount.

"It's a small movement in the right direction," he said. "I expect there will be opportunities to move it along further. There are very good reasons to move that number higher."

On Jan. 27, public school officials from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Kenai and the Mat-Su Borough teleconferenced on the issue of state education funding for fiscal year 2006.

Those participating in the conference agreed that the governor's proposed increases of $62 million would not sufficiently fund current education operations. The participants agreed that $85 million was justifiable according to local needs, state and federal education requirements and past budget underfunding.

Chief School Administrator Bob Doyle said the Mat-Su district could use the extra funding to help with a host of educational strategies, including: more instructional time with students, purchasing teaching supplies and textbooks, strengthening staff development and classroom assessments, continuing curriculum alignment and expanding vocational education.

He also cited a need to address challenges from growth and overcrowding in Valley schools.

"As we run out of classroom space, say at kindergarten, we may have to take a look at adding instructional aides to help, when we can't add an additional teacher because there are no more classrooms at that particular school," he said. "Other districts are probably advocating for more funding to lower class sizes and increase course offerings; that's no longer possible at Mat-Su."

While the resolution from the Mat-Su school board supports the governor's $62-million proposed increase for next year, it also asks for more, a fact Chmielewski said may not set well with everyone.

This goes $23 million further than the governor's request, he said at the Feb. 2 meeting. "There are some people who obviously feel that the $62 million the governor is requesting is too much."

School Board Member Larry DeVilbiss was the sole member to vote against the resolution.

"I still think we run the risk, in our greed, to jeopardize the governor's request," he said.

On Friday, however, Chmielewski said school districts all over the state can make a strong case for more funding.

"Every district is in a different place," he said. "We are talking about bringing all the needs to get [funding] that fits everyone."

Contact Joel Davidson at joel.davidson@frontiersman.com.