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Update Senate Bill 140:
Broadband Access and Education
Last Saturday, the House Rules Committee hosted a public hearing on Senate Bill 140. It lasted nearly eight hours as many teachers and parents testified in opposition to its recent amendments. SB 140 originally passed the Senate as a bill to expand broadband internet access to schools in rural Alaska. Last week, the House Majority amended the bill to include several policies that impact the delivery of public education in Alaska and have not been fully vetted by either Senate or House Committees.
One of the most concerning changes that the House Majority introduced into SB 140 is a reduction in the Base Student Allocation, from $680 to $300 per student. Since 2016, inflation has risen nearly 27% in Anchorage, while the BSA has only increased by 0.5% in 2017. The Senate Majority has already announced that $300 is not reasonable funding and would continue to short-fund our public schools.
Another addition to SB 140 is a teacher bonus program. The Governor originally proposed this policy as an idea to improve teacher recruitment and retention. But this program omits support for all other staff, including counselors and teacher aids, who are critical to the well-being and success of students and teachers. The funds necessary to operate a teacher bonus program are better used for a higher increase to the BSA.
The amended version of SB 140 also includes two policies related to charter and correspondence schools. The first policy would replace local school boards with the State Board of Education as the authority to authorize new charter schools. This provision would reduce local control, as the Governor appoints the State Board of Education. Under current law, local school boards are made up of locally elected members.
The second policy involves correspondence schools and would increase per student funding for programs that provide advanced placement classes or vocation/technical curriculum. Correspondence schools do not have overhead, including building maintenance and transportation, like traditional public schools, but this policy would allot nearly the same per student funding to correspondence students as is currently allotted to students in brick-and-mortar public schools. This proposal raises questions of inequity by using State resources to benefit a small portion of the total student population.
With all of these unvetted policies packed into SB 140, I'm concerned that it jeopardizes the bill's original goal of expanding broadband internet access in rural Alaska.
I'm also concerned that our State is failing to meet its Constitutional obligation to adequately fund public education. I will continue to support efforts that meaningfully increase investment in Alaska's public schools. Public education is our best investment in Alaska's future.
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