Green constituents voice education concerns

WASILLA -- Sen. Lyda Green held a town meeting Saturday to get a better feel for what voters in her district wanted in terms of education. The overall response was that, while applauding the efforts Green has made to fund education, there is still work to be done.

"I really want to take the time to say thank you, I am really impressed with the bold moves you have made," said Kris Moore, a member of the grassroots group Valley Voices for Children. "But I cannot rest until my children can have opportunities in their schools, and I am unsettled now because they do not."

VVC member Katie Manglesdorf agreed.

"I appreciate the effort that you have made," Manglesdorf said. "But your funding is not enough. I hope you are crying, because I am."

Last week Green requested an amendment to Senate Bill 1 that would bring the education foundation formula up by more than $400 per student. The amendment passed unanimously in the Senate Finance Committee, and now SB 1 sits in committee until SB 35, which appropriates education funds, is finalized.

Green said she hopes the bill will not only pass, but pass quickly, so that districts can stop wondering if there will be extra funding next year.

Most in the audience also requested that inflation proofing be introduced into the bill as well, but Green said she felt that the Legislature would not pass such an amendment.

"Inflation proofing and cost price index are very difficult to build into law," Green said.

There were those in the audience who felt what Green had done so far was enough for this year.

"The money this year is worthwhile; it's going to be a tremendous help," Darrell Hargraves said. "All you have to do now is the same thing next year and we will start catching up."

"I want to say thank you, Lyda," Steve Miller said. "This problem didn't arise overnight, and it won't be fixed overnight."

Others at the meeting voiced concerns about particular district services, requesting Green to set aside state funded money for those services.

"The services my children got 10 to 15 years ago in gifted services are two to three times better than the services they get now," Ken Slauson said.

Mat-Su Borough Assembly Member Bill Allen also spoke at the meeting, asking parties to set aside their differences and work together, and acknowledging that Green had already made such effort.

"I just really want to encourage the Legislature to bite the bullet and not use education and the future of this state as a political football," Allen said.

Green promised the group that she and the other legislators would continue to work toward funding education.

"There is not anyone in Juneau who says, 'By God, we're just going to sit back and watch it [education] rot,'" Green said.