On Monday, Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, asked the finance committee to support the bill, which would increase the base student allocation by $680 starting in July.
“After 99 days of public testimony, hearings and meetings, it is very clear to us that the Alaska public education system is struggling,” Tobin said. “We need to do something drastic. This bill does just that.”The first increases monthly room and board stipends for students who attend residential schools.
The second amendment increases school transportation funding. Ken Alper, a staff member for committee co-chair Sen. Donny Olson, D-Nome, said it would add $8 million in annual transportation funding, an 11% increase from the amount set in 2016. Tobin said flat funding from the state has caused many school districts to use base student allocation money to help pay for busing. Districts across the state have faced