In response to Governor Mike Dunleavy’s veto of SB 140, the Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA) wrote to the Alaska Legislature to for their original bipartisan support for the recent education bill.
Prior to the bill being sent to the Governor, 56 out of 60 legislators were in favor.
“This legislation represents a collective acknowledgment of the importance of public education in our state. We urge our legislators to maintain this momentum and act decisively to override the governor’s veto on Monday,” originally wrote the ACSA.
The ACSA expressed ‘profound disappointment and concern’ when regarding the governor’s decision to veto SB 140. The action, in the association’s words, suggests a disconnect with the critical and urgent challenges confronting education in Alaska.
“The veto of SB 140 directly impacts students in remote areas of Alaska by failing to increase bandwidth for school districts eligible for the BAG Grant, effectively limiting their internet speeds to 25Mbps. This decision exacerbates existing disparities in educational resources between remote, rural, and urban schools. Access to connectivity should not be a privilege determined by geography. It is imperative that the governor listens to the voices of Alaskans and the majority of our legislators who have demonstrated unwavering support for public education and have shown they are prepared to invest in it through an increase in the Base Student Allocation (BSA)” wrote the ACSA.“The reality is undeniable: education funding in Alaska has been stagnant since 2017. The repercussions of this chronic underfunding are increasingly evident, with the current economic climate exacerbating the situation. Inflation rates are at historic highs, and the education sector is experiencing unprecedented shortages. These factors have led to school closures, staffing cuts and a host of other serious impacts across the state. The governor’s veto of SB 140, a bill that garnered broad bipartisan support, places the responsibility for the lack of education funding squarely on his shoulders.”“ACSA stands firmly behind our public charter schools and celebrates their achievements. We recognize the dedication of Alaska’s school boards and educational leaders who have devoted their careers to student success. They have made it clear that local control over charter school authorization is paramount. The governor must consider the concrete needs of our students, educators, schools, families, and communities rather than aligning with a national agenda that does not serve all Alaskan students’ educational outcomes or interests. Governance is best when closest to the people.”
However, on a joint held on Monday, Mar. 18, the Alaska legislature voted to sustain Governor Mike Dunleavy’s veto of SB 140 by the slimmest margin possible: one vote. The joint session went for nearly two hours as one legislator after another delivered passionate speeches for or against an override.
The failure to override the Governor’s veto now requires legislature to return back to the drawing board on education, which has been the most pressing issue throughout the first half of this session.
It is very possible that this current legislative session go beyond the standard time frame.
