The Sitka Schools administration last week (Monday 2-25-19) began to confront the reality that education funding may be cut far below anyone’s expectations next year.
On February 13, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy introduced his first-ever budget: It includes a cut of nearly $300 million dollars statewide for schools. In Sitka, that could total a loss of nearly $5 million, or one-quarter of the district’s funding, with major layoffs and building closures possible.
While the governor’s announcement may have been only the first shot in a prolonged battle over Alaska’s finances, Sitka’s educators are preparing for the worst.
District business manager Cassee Olin projected that, should Dunleavy’s budget become reality, Sitka schools would come up short by $4.6 million, out of a total budget of just under $20 million.
See the Sitka School District’s full budget presentation.
This was staggering news for everyone present in the Sitka High library, and people hardly knew where to start when it came to testimony.
Board president Jenn McNichol noted the change in tone.
“I was just reminiscing that last year we had about 100 people in here, all but one of them spoke in favor of the PAC (Sitka Performing Arts Center),” she said. “Definitely we’re in a different time right now, and that’s an interesting memory.”
For the far fewer people at this budget hearing, it was mainly about processing their disbelief — or in this case, their anger. This is district teacher — and former state Board of Education member — Rebecca Himschoot.
“I resent the time and effort we’re all going to have to put into this, should it be a bluff, or should it not come to pass,” Himschoot said. “Because what we should be talking about is how do we make our schools better. Instead, we’re talking about how do we even keep our schools going? That, after 25 years in education, makes me angry.”
Himschoot noted that only 50-percent of registered voters turned out in last November’s gubernatorial election, and Dunleavy won with just slightly over half of their votes. Himschoot said, “Our governor’s making a very extreme move, that you would make if you had a mandate of 75-percent of the people behind you.”
Since this was a community budget hearing, the Sitka School Board was silent on any plans it might be drafting to make ends meet next year. Roughly speaking, a district teacher costs $100,000 in salary and benefits. So the governor’s budget effectively puts 46 teaching jobs at risk.
Some districts elsewhere in the state are already discussing elementary classrooms with 55 students.
Baranof teacher Joe Montagna had trouble envisioning this, and he wondered if Gov. Dunleavy could either.
“If Dunleavy sees this… I mean, does he have kids?” Montagna asked. “I just don’t understand. I can’t fathom in my school seeing a kindergarten class with more than 25 kids. And the ladies and gentlemen of my school can do it — we all know that — but it’s just not right for the kids.”
Gov. Dunleavy has three grown daughters. He’s also been a school teacher, principal, superintendent — and served as president of the Mat-Su School Board for two years.
But the governor’s budget is far from becoming reality, and legislators — including Sitka Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins — will make drafting an alternative a priority. Consequently, the district administration presented two other budget scenarios — the mid- and low-range options. The low end assumes that the legislature adopts — and the governor signs — a budget much like those of recent years. This would put the district in much more familiar territory of having to close a deficit of just over $1 million.
The mid-range alternative assumes that the legislature meets the governor somewhere in the middle, and leaving the district with a deficit to $3 million.
The School Board only listened at this hearing, which lasted less than an hour. They’ll discuss the budget next as an agenda item at their regular meeting, 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, also in the high school library. In the meantime, the district is urging residents to take action to oppose cuts to education. The district website has tips on advocacy, and links to the offices of key legislators.
Note: Sitka School Board members will appear live on KCAW, 6:30 – 8 p.m. Monday, March 18, to take listener questions about next year’s budget.
