Senators seek to increase support for Alaska student transportation costs as part of school funding bill

• News Home
• More from News of the North

Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 2:43 PM

By Sophia Carlisle/Alaska Beacon

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Messenger
• Share on Messenger
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Whatsapp

An empty hallway at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé in Juneau, Alaska, on July 20, 2022. (Photo by Lisa Phu/Alaska Beacon)

Juneau, Alaska (Alaska Beacon) - The Alaska Senate Finance Committee advanced a bill on Monday that would increase state support for student transportation along with a broader increase in state funding per student for public schools.

The committee added two amendments to Senate Bill 52 that would provide funds for student transportation, as well as housing costs at residential schools. The bill’s primary focus is to increase the base student allocation, which is the amount the state pays school districts for each student. 

The amendments would allow school districts to receive funding for student transportation costs between their home and school as well as give funding to schools that outsource their transportation needs. One of the amendments also has a provision that would give a stipend for students’ housing needs. 

“This will significantly go to helping our schools get kids to the classroom,” said Senate Education Committee Chair Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, who has been a strong supporter of the bill. 

Across the state of Alaska, some educators have said that increasing the base student allocation is just the start of what’s needed to better provide for students. Currently, the Senate is considering a version of the bill that has the base student allocation funding increase at $680 per student, which was recently voted on by the Alaska House Education Committee. That amount would translate into a higher amount once various adjustments are made for each district.

Transportation has largely come out of school base student allocation funding, according to Tobin. She said that the amendments providing funds for transportation-related expenses to and from school is necessary to help more Alaskan children get a quality education. 

“It is very clear to us that the Alaska public education system is struggling,” Tobin said. 

Ken Alper, staff member to Sen. Donny Olson, D-Golovin, said that the amendments would increase the cost of the bill by about $8 million. The base student allocation increase totals an estimated $175 million. If the bill is passed, the amendments to the BSA bill would go into effect in July.

More from News of the North

• Last-minute Anan Wildlife Observatory permits available at the end of June

  Wrangell, Alaska (KINY) - Visitors will soon be able to submit requests for the last four daily permits to Anan Wildlife Observatory, which are meant to accommodate last-minute planning and need to be requested in person at the Wrangell Ranger District, up to one week in advance

• Alaska Delegation frustrated by interior’s delay of the Ambler Access Project

  Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) and U.S. Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), today released the following joint statement after the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced an up to six-month delay for the finalization of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) for the proposed Ambler Access Project (AAP).

• Dozens evacuated from small cruise ship in Alaska after engine room fire

  Juneau, Alaska (AP) — A fire in the engine room of a small cruise ship in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve prompted the evacuation of dozens of passengers and crew on Monday. No injuries were reported, and the fire was extinguished, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

• CCFR on scene on Fritz Cove Road fire

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - CCFR responded to a fire toward the end of Fritz Cove Road at 2:31 AM.

• Murkowski leads bill to invest in blue cconomy, spark innovations in coastal communities

  Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Ocean Regional Opportunity and Innovation Act (Ocean ROI Act), legislation that would require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a federal strategy for investing in the nation’s ocean-based economy with “Ocean Innovation Clusters” (ocean clusters).

• Water & Sewer Utility Rates To Increase July 1

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - CBJ wants to remind citizens that there will be a utility rate increase effective July 1. The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly, in August of 2019, approved increases to both the water and sewer utility rates. The 2% rate increase will go into effect July 1.

• Comments exceed 100 in effort to shape future of integrated forest management on the Tongass

  Ketchikan, Alaska (KINY) - A public outreach designed to compile as much local input as possible to shape the future of integrated forest management on the Tongass National Forest is proving to be successful and there is still plenty of time to comment.

• Sitka Salmon Derby comes to a close

  Sitka, Alaska (KINY) - Yesterday, saw the 68th Sitka Salmon Derby come to a close. News of the North has the scores

• Brett Gilbert sentenced for 2017 hatchet murder

  Fairbanks, Alaska (KINY) - Fairbanks Superior Court Judge Paul Lyle sentenced 55-year-old Brett Gilbert to 75 years in prison for the murder of Mark Mitchell on July 30, 2017. Gilbert was convicted by a jury of murder in the first degree earlier this year.

• A study to monitor the potentially imperiled Aleutian tern kicks off in Alaska

  Yakutat, Alaska (Alaska Beacon) - Researchers fear the uncommon bird may be in severe decline

• Juneau Symphony closes their 60th season with epic 'Showdowns'

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau Symphony's theme for their 60th season was 'Epic' - and their final performance for the season went above and beyond.

• United Fishermen of Alaska announces support for Senator Lisa Murkowski’s Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Late last week, Senators Lisa Murkowski and Angus King (I-Maine) introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at supporting rural fishing communities.