Schools facing cuts

Sports, kindergarten could be eliminated

May 11, 2007

By Will Elliott/Frontiersman

MAT-SU - Without additional funding, Mat-Su schools may have to cut programs and lay off teachers next year. Some caution that it is to early to say for sure.

The Mat-Su Borough proposes a $40.8 million budget for the 2007-2008 school year. Maintaining the current level of funding per student would require around $16 million more, school district officials said.

A list of priorities for funding was prepared for the school board by committees of administrators, teachers, parents and students. According to an e-mail sent to teachers by chief school administrator Bob Doyle, without additional funding, class sizes would increase, cocurricular programs such as sports would be cut, teachers and support staff would be laid off, and gifted education would be eliminated

districtwide. Career and technical education would reduce offerings as well. Kindergarten would disappear altogether at small schools, and building maintenance and technology resources would suffer.

For Wasilla High teacher Dewayne Joehnk, the proposed new budget is bad news.

Joehnk teaches advanced classes and heads the school's programs for gifted students. Five years ago, Joehnk said, Wasilla High was hailed

as an international model for gifted education by a representative from the University of California.

The school had a record-setting number of National Merit Scholars in 2002.

&#8220That's a prime example of what these programs could do at their height,” he said.

But because school funding has not kept pace with inflation or student growth, Joehnk said,

&#8220It hasn't happened since.”

Joehnk attributes the decline to budget cuts that have made it impossible to give students the support they once had.

To make matters worse, Joehnk said, the dwindling funds limit the district's ability to recruit and keep competent teachers.

&#8220That creates an incredible movement of underachievement,” Joehnk said.

Iditarod Elementary kindergarten teacher Rachelle Bates agreed.

&#8220Early education is critical,” Bates said. &#8220Without it, kids struggle later on. I'm sorry to see that these programs might lose their funding.”

Incoming superintendent George Troxel was out of the office Thursday and unavailable for comment. But school board member Cheryl Turner suggested some fears may not come to pass.

&#8220We really don't know yet what's going to happen with the funding. Nobody should be getting too upset,” Turner said. &#8220If we can hold our own and fund the middle of the road, that will be nice. My hope is at least to keep the status quo.”

For Joehnk, the status quo is still disappointing.

&#8220For the past 15 years we've been at the status quo,” he said. &#8220We need to be planning for five years in advance, not 15 years ago.” What may have worked in the past does not take into account new growth and expenses, he said.

School board member Sarah Welton agreed.

&#8220We can always ‘make do.' But we need to ask, is just ‘making do' enough?” she said.

Though the three Rs can be preserved at the expense of other programs, Welton said, core classes alone are not enough to give students a competitive education.

&#8220Without that extra background and experience from technology and activities, you just aren't going to be competitive in the marketplace, or in college,” she said.

Still, Turner sees some good news on the horizon. The U.S. House recently passed a bill to support Head Start, an early education program. Also, the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind Act has caused problems for Alaska schools in the past, but new amendments, such as one proposed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, intend to help correct this.

NCLB withholds funding from schools whose students do not score well on standardized tests. Under current law, special education students and students for whom English is not a first language (such students of Russian descent) can reduce funding for all students in the school. Truancy also costs schools money.

&#8220You can have one child who's absent, and that counts against everyone,” Turner said.

Murkowski's amendment would give the state more flexibility in meeting these NCLB standards.

But that may not be enough. Special education, language support and cocurricular activities that entice students to maintain good attendance, like sports and gifted events, could still see deep cuts or elimination in the 2008 budget.

&#8220I think that the cocurriculars are very important. They're a necessity,” Turner said. &#8220Cutting that, I'm not much in favor. Especially in Alaska for kids who don't have much opportunity.”

Both Welton and Joehnk suggested parents contact their legislators and let their priorities for school funding be heard.

&#8220We've gotten were we are because we've been complacent,” Joehnk said.

Welton suggested that a revenue-sharing bill just passed by the state Senate could free up additional money for schools next year.

&#8220Without that, we'll be in a world of hurt,” she said.

Contact Will Elliott at

352-2250 or will.elliott@

frontiersman.com.