I listened to all of the seven- hour legislative hearing on Jan. 20 for SB 140, which was originally about internet access for schools; however, a multitude of other education items were added — mostly to the detriment of public education and local control.
Other ADN readers have commented on these ‘add-on’ items, but I feel compelled to highlight the need for the Legislature to do its own fact-checking.
After reading the reports that Commissioner Deena Bishop cited in her testimony — saying the Base Student Allocation (BSA) didn’t need to be increased — I’m amazed at her inability to interpret the studies correctly and the House Rule Committee’s lack of due diligence to fact-check.
The 2023 study by Allen Odden and Lawrence Picus, ‘An Evidence-Based Approach to the Basic Student Allocation in Alaska,’ actually found the BSA should be more than doubled — and it outlines an approach that is designed to increase outcomes.
From page 92 of that study: ‘In sum, this study has produced (a) new BSA for Alaska that we estimate is adequate to meet the needs of the state’s students. That number is $13,612.’
— Dianne Holmes
Anchorage
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