JUNEAU – In light of Friday’s ruling by the Alaska Superior Court striking down allotments in correspondence school programs, the Alaska House Coalition urges quick action by the legislature.

Alaska’s schools are faced with woefully inadequate funding, a worst-in-the-nation retirement system that results in drastic barriers to recruiting and retaining skilled educators, and uncertainty around Alaska’s correspondence education programs. The Alaska House Coalition stands ready to address these critical issues.

“In the wake of Friday’s decision and the many crises that continue to face our schools, the legislature must quickly act to provide adequate funding for our schools, reinstate a fair and competitive retirement for our educators, and provide certainty for students in correspondence programs,” said Minority Leader Rep. Calvin Schrage (NP-Anchorage).

“I have already heard from parents concerned with the impacts to correspondence school programs from the recent court ruling. Alaskans are calling on the legislature to find a swift solution,” said Rep. Maxine Dibert (D-Downtown Fairbanks). “To provide certainty, legislators need to focus on supporting our schools and passing new correspondence statutes that are both constitutional and that support Alaska’s families and students who attend home-school programs.”

“For ten years, Alaska’s school’s purchasing power has been cut by more than twenty percent, and there will likely be another adequacy lawsuit in the near future if the state doesn’t substantially increase education funding” said Rep. Rebecca Himschoot (NP-Sitka). “The legislature must focus on increasing the Base Student Allocation (BSA) and index it to inflation to provide predictability so that we can keep class sizes in check and promote better outcomes, and stabilize all of Alaska’s school options.”

The Alaska House Coalition supports all students, parents, and educators – whether our children are learning in a local neighborhood schools, public charters, or correspondence programs.

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