Alaska schools have had a tough summer for education funding.
Governor Mike Dunleavy slashed an increase in a line-item veto in early June, and the federal government froze billions of dollars in education funding in early July, including money for the state's schools.
But now, both pools of money have been restored.
“It doesn’t stabilize us – we’re still going to have to have really hard budget discussions with the board and the board’s going to have hard decisions ahead of them, but it helps,” said Cyndy Mika, the Kodiak Island Borough School District’s superintendent. “It gives us a little bit of breathing room.”
But that breathing room comes after the district already faced an $8 million deficit due to years of flat funding from the state.
Kodiak’s school district took some drastic measures to balance its budget this year. Its board voted to close a school as well as drain their reserves. That was before Dunleavy vetoed part of a legislature-approved education funding increase. Then the federal government froze funds too.
“We went on a steep dive roller coaster and then we went through a few loop de loops and now we’re coming out of the loop de loops,” Mika said.
The Alaska Legislature overturned the governor’s vetoes to increase education funding twice. The first during the Legislative Session in May, and again in a special session on Aug. 2.
Mika said she’s grateful for the elected officials that support boosting education funding.
“It’s about the kids and they’re standing behind public education,” she said.
The federal government released billions in education grants a few weeks after freezing the funds, including about $1.5 million headed to Kodiak schools.
The superintendent said the relief is great, but all the changes leave the district in a difficult spot as she plans for the next year’s budget.
“We don’t know what’s next – is it going to be a corkscrew? Is it going to be just a steady/flat to the end of the year?” Mika said
And even though the school district will receive nearly the same amount of federal money from year to year, it’s appropriated differently.
The district will have about $40,000 more to work with migrant students – that includes kids from fishing families, who may travel during the school year. But other programs like the free and reduced lunch program, professional development, and English Language Learning programs are all receiving less money this year.
Mika said the district needs every dollar it can get right now.
“I think we’re just going to stay on this roller coaster for a while and the district’s going to have to be ready to pivot with the federal funds,” she said.
The White House submitted a discretionary budget request in May that would cut about $4.5 billion in education funding. The federal fiscal year starts Oct. 1. Some officials are warning a rescission package aimed at education could be on its way too.
For now, Mika’s easing out of a hiring freeze gearing up for the upcoming school year, which in Kodiak, starts Sept. 2.
