Parents say uncertainty over school funding is stressing families

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Governor Dunleavy has made it clear, he plans to veto an education funding bill unless legislators make some changes that include more of his priorities.

The funding bill, known as HB 57, was passed by the legislature, and some school districts, including Anchorage, have revised their budgets in the hope that funding will come. But on Thursday, the governor met with more than 50 school superintendents around the state, telling them he would veto the bill if it did not include additional priorities.

“Those would include open enrollment and creating due process for charter schools when a school district is considering closing the school,” a spokesperson wrote in an email to Alaska’s News Source. “These are not just the governor’s preferences. They are policies that have broad support among parents and students statewide.”

Superintendents say the uncertainty over funding has been extremely challenging as they try to budget and plan for next year. Not only are many teachers in limbo about their positions, but families say it’s been difficult for them, too. The possible loss of programs, staffing, and increased class sizes has many of them worried.

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