We need adequate funding for every student in every public school

As lawmakers in Juneau take up House Bill 204, which includes a proposed $560 increase to Alaska’s Base Student Allocation (BSA), we want to acknowledge the step forward this represents. But we also want to be clear: this increase is not enough to stop educator layoffs or protect the essential services students depend on every day.

HB 204 raises the BSA to $6,520—a number that, while higher on paper, still falls short of the actual cost of delivering quality public education in today’s economic climate. Inflation has outpaced this funding for years, leaving districts to operate with fewer resources while needs grow.

Across the state, school districts are already drafting budgets that include reductions in force. That means real people—classroom aides, bus drivers, custodians, secretaries, and food service workers—could soon be without jobs. These aren’t extras. They’re the backbone of our schools, the first to greet children in the morning and the last to ensure the building is safe and clean at night.

The $560 increase in HB 204 might slow these cuts, but it won’t prevent them.

To be sure, HB 204 includes promising policy changes: expanding open enrollment, increasing transparency, supporting charter schools, and incentivizing reading proficiency. But none of these reforms will succeed if we don’t address the most basic need—adequate funding for every student in every public school.

The Classified Employees’ Association represents those who work behind the scenes but play a central role in every child’s education. We know firsthand what it looks like when funding falls short—when positions go unfilled, when students miss out on services, when buildings go without maintenance and meals are rushed because there aren’t enough hands in the kitchen.

We urge the Legislature to amend House Bill 204 to include a larger, long-term BSA increase—one that reflects the real cost of running schools and the real value of the people who do the work.

Because if we don’t act now, we won’t just be losing jobs—we’ll be losing opportunities for students, the trust of families, and the promise of a strong future for Alaska.

Let’s not settle for "better than nothing." Let’s fund education like it matters—because it does.

Rick Morgan is the president of the Classified Employees’ Association.