Vetoing bipartisan solutions hurts students and working families

As president of the Mat-Su Classified Employees Association—and someone who has worked in Alaska’s public schools for decades—I’ve seen what it takes to make our system work: consistency, respect, and common sense. House Bill 57 wasn’t perfect, but it was a solid, bipartisan step forward. Governor Dunleavy’s veto has undone months of hard work and compromise that could have provided much-needed stability to schools across Alaska.

This bill was not a windfall. It wasn’t radical or reckless. It was a measured attempt to address our state’s education crisis with tools that communities, teachers, and support staff could use to keep the wheels turning. It passed with overwhelming support from both parties—something rare in today’s politics—because it put real solutions above partisan talking points.

Like many others, I hoped HB 57 would include a 75/25 split and tie the Base Student Allocation (BSA) to the Consumer Price Index. Those changes would have made funding more sustainable and transparent for the long haul. But even without those improvements, the bill still provided critical relief. It stabilized the foundation that every school relies on to plan, hire, and deliver services to students.

So why veto it?

The governor claims the bill “lacked sufficient education policy reform.” But if you don’t fund the system, there’s nothing left to reform. You can’t lift outcomes on a crumbling foundation. A $700 BSA increase wasn’t a silver bullet—it was a safety net. For many districts, it was the difference between cutting staff or keeping classrooms open.

This veto doesn’t just delay progress—it undermines trust. Alaskans who spent months building consensus across ideological lines now see that hard work dismissed in a single stroke. Educators, administrators, and lawmakers came together to find common ground. The governor walked away.

We hear a lot about charter schools, outcomes, and flexibility—concepts that sound great in speeches. But most Alaska families depend on their local public schools. They need buildings that are open, buses that run, and support staff who show up. They need safe classrooms, steady leadership, and basic operational funding. That’s not bureaucracy—it’s infrastructure.

My members—paraprofessionals, tech staff, office workers, custodial, and more—are not asking for handouts. They are asking for the stability to do their jobs. We’ve negotiated smart contracts, saved taxpayer money, and kept services going under immense strain. But there’s a limit to how far you can stretch a dollar when the state won’t provide a dependable base.

Now the Legislature has a choice. They can let this veto stand and send districts into deeper crisis—or they can override it and keep the momentum going.

I urge every lawmaker, regardless of party, to stand with Alaska’s students, parents, and educators—not just in words, but in action. Override the veto. Send a message that common ground still matters. And let’s get back to the real work of fixing education in this state—together.

Rick Morgan is President of the Mat-Su Classified Employees Association and a longtime public education employee in Alaska.