As business owners and community members, we are thrilled that legislators in both the Alaska Senate and Alaska House have organized pro-education bipartisan majorities. Over the last decade, outmigration and economic stagnation, gridlock and dysfunction in the Legislature have destabilized our school system and impacted our businesses’ ability to attract and retain skilled workers. This legislative session represents an opportunity to work efficiently and finally stabilize state support for public schools.
School districts craft their budgets in February. Since the state Legislature is the primary funder of public education, the Legislature should always act quickly to appropriate funds for schools so districts can budget efficiently. Delaying state decisions on education is massively inefficient and expensive — districts cannot plan staffing and instead “pink slip” teachers, then rehire them. The absurd process of pink-slipping is a significant contributor to teacher turnover, which negatively impacts student achievement. We are hopeful that the bipartisan House and Senate can act quickly to update the Base Student Allocation (BSA) classroom funding law early in the upcoming legislative session, and appropriate funds so districts can operate efficiently.
Education is just one issue where a more efficient Legislature creates hope for entrepreneurs and investors. Across Alaska, unstable and unpredictable state services such as snow plowing, behavioral health services and policing mean businesses often do not know if employees will be able to get to work, or if police can quickly respond to emergencies. Basic, functioning public services are essential for a growing economy. Education is part of this equation and is a valuable investment for the future. Let us hope two bipartisan majorities can work together and provide the kind of basic services all businesses and the broader community can rely on.
We are all entrepreneurs with young children. However, even if you do not have kids in the school system, a well-educated and contributing younger generation boosts the community and business opportunities for all. We hear from our peers with concerns about class sizes, whether they can justify staying in Alaska, and how hard it is to attract families here when school systems are under stress. Not so long ago, Alaska had one of the best public education systems in America. It is no coincidence that our strong education system helped fuel a time of economic prosperity and population growth. We have an opportunity to return to a strong economy and an education system of which we are proud.
With the most pro-education Legislature in decades, we are hopeful about getting our economy and schools back on track. We urge legislators to move swiftly and act collaboratively to rebuild our public education system. Dedicated support for schools and basic services provide entrepreneurs like us with a business climate where we can invest and grow Alaska.
— Rachel and Mack Pennington, Mary and Jimmy Miner, Elissa Brown and Maxwell Kubitz
Anchorage
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