The Senate version of the state operating budget for next fiscal year, approved Wednesday, includes roughly $5.5 million owed to the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District.
According to a letter sent to the Department of Education and Early Development Commissioner Deena Bishop, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District was shorted over $5 million in funding in February.
The letter identifies three school districts that experienced a “Maintenance of Equity Shortfall”: the North Slope, Juneau, and the Kenai Peninsula. According to the letter, the North Slope District was shorted $193,725, the Juneau School District $2,557,336, and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District a whopping $5,485,666.
The KPBSD and the Anchorage School District are owed a large sum of money because of the aftermath of the pandemic.
Due to COVID-19, the state accepted a total of $380 million from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Education did warn the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) that it was potentially becoming non-compliant with the requirements originally agreed upon.
DEED has ignored the warnings.
This will be reviewed by Senators Burt Stedman (R), Lyman Hoffman (D), and Donald Olson (D), as well as House Representatives Delana Johnson (D), Bryce Edgmon (I), and Dan Ortiz (N/A) in a conference committee to resolve any differences between the budgets passed by each of the chambers.
Accoridnig to the Peninsula Clarion, Per the American Rescue Plan Act, states are required to comply with the provisions that are intended to support school districts that are serving a large number of students who come from low-income families.
However, the federal government says that Alaska hasn’t heeded these provisions and, thus, owes a combined total of $29 million dollars to four different school districts.
More information about the budget bills lawmakers are considering can be found at akleg.gov.