Anchorage School Board Approves $43 Million in Cuts
To close a $43M gap, the Anchorage School Board axed select sports, eliminated the IGNITE program, and increased class sizes, hoping for BSA funding relief.The Anchorage School Board voted 6-1 on Tuesday night to adopt a budget that includes $43 million in cuts, eliminating all middle school sports, three high school sports, and the IGNITE program for gifted students. In addition, the plan increases the student-to-teacher ratio by four for all grade levels. These steps come in response to ongoing financial challenges and represent significant changes for both students and staff.
Despite the cuts, the board decided to retain an intervention coach and counselor fluent in American Sign Language who support the Alaska School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, according to reporting by Alaska Public Media. Public feedback had strongly emphasized the importance of these positions, and the board ultimately agreed. The Board acknowledged concerns that these budget decisions may negatively affect certain student outcomes, particularly those in special programs. There is hope, however, that the Legislature will agree to increase the Base Student Allocation (BSA), which is the state’s per-student funding formula. If legislators and the governor can find common ground on raising this funding, some of the cuts could be reversed. Currently, lawmakers have offered mixed signals: while there is broader support for boosting state education dollars, no firm compromise has been reached that could pass both the House and Senate. Rep. Rebecca Himschoot proposed a bill that would provide a solution, which would add about $500 million over three years to the BSA. The governor has stated he does not support this bill, creating uncertainty over whether such a significant funding increase will become reality. The local board has prepared a contingency plan in case the BSA is ultimately raised by $1,000. Under that scenario, most of the cuts, including core positions, would be reversed, and over 300 teachers could be added to restore the student-to-teacher ratio to 2016 levels. However, positions deemed administrative, which were removed in the initial budget, would not be reinstated under this plan. Teachers may therefore absorb additional tasks, leading to questions about how effectively the district will serve its diverse student population. The board spent three weeks listening to passionate public testimony on nearly every aspect of the proposed cuts and reviewed 39 written comments prior to the final vote. |