MSBSD signals official opposition to proposed homeschool funding shift

Amid the discussions of the budget, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) school board introduced a resolution opposing a proposed a state senate bill that could impact Alaska homeschool funding.

Senate Bill 277, introduced to Alaska Legislature last week, is an education omnibus bill that proposes a $100 million increase in annual spending, adjusting the annual budget for inflation, and a modest increase to the Base Student Allocation from $6,660 to $6,785. It also includes changes for required accreditation for out-of-state teacher degrees, allows regional resource centers to reemploy retired teachers, and establishes $450+ grants for K-6 students meeting reading benchmarks or showing improvements.

It also seeks to change funding for correspondence/homeschool programs, increase charter school administrative cost caps that local school boards can retain from charter school budgets from 4% to 8%. If passed, it would also implement stricter regulations on how correspondence funding is used and allocated.

The proposed bill would grant millions in additional annual funding to homeschool and correspondence programs—which provide yearly cash allotments to families—fulfilling a long-held goal of homeschooling advocates.

However, the legislation stipulates that this funding must be channeled through the student’s district of residence, rather than the district that actually provides the educational program. Districts, such as MSBSD, would be required to enter into cooperative agreements with the districts that administer the correspondence programs. These agreements allow the home district to keep a percentage of student funding to cover administrative overhead and the costs of in-person classes and activities like sports teams.

According to School Board resolution 26-005, this restructuring threatens the viability of statewide correspondence programs by compelling enrollment in districts without appropriate instructional resources. As there has been a murky history of cooperation between brick-and-mortar and correspondence programs, SB 277 fails to justify this change, resulting in inequitable student treatment and compromised accountability.

It would also allow districts to divert charter school funding while placing "severe restrictions" on how homeschoolers use funds for special education, in-person learning, vocational training, and extracurriculars—effectively isolating correspondence students and stripping vulnerable learners of essential support.

The school board resolution also says that proposed changes in SB 277 threaten to sideline parents from their role as primary educators by placing undue financial and administrative strain on families using correspondence programs.

“There are some good things in there (SB 277) that could be helpful, but there’s a lot troublesome thing and I’m sad that they tied it all together,” said school board president Kathy McCollum.

Member Kendal Kruse concurred with McCollum, saying that items in the bill such as proficiency incentive grants of at least $450 for each K-6 student who meets or shows improvements in grade-level reading standards under the Alaska Reads Act, were welcomed, but that the “good parts” of the bill weren’t enough to approve the bill.

“There was a very large variety of things in there that seemed like they were not clarified…it’s too bad the good parts weren’t stand alone.”

Homeschooling remains a major part of the educational landscape in the Mat-Su Borough. Currently, there are over 3,000 students in the MSBSD who are enrolled in homeschool/correspondence programs, with approximately 2,800 attending Mat-Su Central School, the district’s largest school, and approximately 255 students are enrolled in the statewide IDEA homeschool program, while others attend Raven Homeschool or other options.

The school board resolution will be open for public comment and put to a vote for board approval at the next school board meeting on April 1.

To view School Board Resolution 26-005, see www.matsuk12.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/dbc67eda-8fd9-419e-b3e7-2ef2588b5472/

To view Alaska SB 277, see www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/34?Root=SB%20277