Education bill aimed at increasing BSA passes House in 24-16 vote

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) - The first hearing on the education funding bill - House Bill 69 - has been set for Monday after passing through the house on Wednesday in a 24-16 vote. The bill would increase the Base Student Allocation by $1,000.

In addition to the $1,000 per-student increase, subsequent increases would also take place on July 1 of each year through 2028, with the allocation for 2026 and 2027 including an additional $404 on top of those funding boosts.

If signed into law — as the bill currently stands — it would annually increase K-12 public school funding by roughly $250 million.

Those in opposition to the bill raised many concerns regarding funding for the bill. Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, was one of those to take issue with what he said was “no reliable funding source.”

“I don’t actually know how much this bill costs — my guess is it’s around $255 million — but the reason I don’t know that is because we’re about to pass a bill that doesn’t have a fiscal note,” Stapp said. “I will say that there are two ways to pay for this bill; if you vote yes, that you’re either gonna murder the rest of the PFD, or you’re gonna tell folks you’re gonna tax people.”

Rep. Ky Holland, (I-Anchorage), expressed support for the bill, saying that it’s an investment in Alaska’s future.

“It is time for us to stop arguing over and debating how we will manage the decline of our state, it is time for us to build a future for our families, a future for our community,” Holland said. “I urge support for this bill and then let’s move on to building the businesses in the communities that will then welcome the graduates of our great schools.”

Last week, HB 69 passed the House Rules Committee on a 5-2 vote. That vote was followed by an attempt to amend the bill to include Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s alternative bill proposal, which failed in a 4-3 vote.

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