Percent doesn't come from district's coffers

As the Mat-Su School District prepares to cut $8 million from its budget, questions may arise as to the appropriateness of the Percent for Art program -- but those questions aren't the school district's to answer.

The Percent for Art program began in Alaska 1975, when the Alaska Legislature mandated that a percent of a building's construction cost be set aside to acquire art, or commission it, for the building.

"I've had people ask why we spent this money for art when the school district is in a budget crisis, so I have to explain to them that they aren't the same," said Teeland Middle School art teacher Deb Myers. "The Percent for Art is set aside in the funding for the school, not the district's budget."

The Percent for Art program isn't just for schools, either.

The money is set aside in the construction of every public facility, from schools to ferries and other buildings, such as courthouses and public office buildings.

The program has come under scrutiny by legislators since its inception. Just two years after the program originated, legislators reduced the amount of spending mandatory for rural public schools to one-half of one percent.

In 1997, the Legislature tried to eliminate the program entirely, but it failed in committee. And just last year, Rep. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak, introduced a bill to eliminate the state's responsibility in the program. That bill was sent to the Senate last May, where it sits in the Finance Committee.