Speaker after speaker Sunday encouraged their legislators to address education funding and raise the Base Student Allocation.
“We need to think about what the next generation and the next generation and the next generation thinks, and we’re not going to be able to attract good teachers and good workers and good residents of this state unless we invest in our schools,” Suzanne Fleek-Green, a parent of two in the school district, said.
Dozens wore red, which they said showed support in raising the BSA this legislative session. Teachers, parents, and students spoke out on what they believe has been a lack of education funding for several years. “It has not increased, as we all know since students walked, biked, or rode to school in August of 2016,” said Celeste Hodge Growden of the Alaska Black Caucus. “The sad reality is this legislation in action has caused added pressure on our educators, forced key support staff to do more with less.”“It reduces poverty in the long run. It hires economy in the long run. It decreases violent acts in the long run. It decreases our prison population in the long run,” another testifier said.
Been shocked most money goes the higher ups and huge builds that look rich but was wasted because they didnt want to fix or pay for up keeps.