Several community budget meetings took place in February, and the Board of Education met for two days this week to take a sobering look at what the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District would have to cut to begin to meet the Governor’s proposed FY20 reduction to state funding.
- The Governor Michael J. Dunleavy 2019-2020 State Budget proposed drastic cuts to education funding
- Alaska State Legislators could honor the FY20 education funding put into law in 2018 by the 30th Legislature, or put forth an alternative FY20 budget
- KPBSD schools are funded by both the State of Alaska and the Kenai Peninsula Borough
One-page printable PDF flyer: Snapshot of $22.4 million in cuts to the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
In addition to this list, $5 million further in cuts would be needed to meet the deficit the Governor’s proposed budget would create for the KPBSD.
State funding reductions link to how much the Borough can fund education for the school district, which results in an even further reduction to education funding to KPBSD.
Current bills before the legislature may also affect Borough revenue if passed, which would affect Borough revenue, and create an even larger deficit.
What can you do?
- Contact your state legislator via phone, email, or attend a town hall meeting
- Testify at a legislative hearing in a LIO office, make a phone call, or write a letter
- Attend Borough Assembly meetings, talk to Assembly members about “local” Borough funding
- Talk to your principal or school site council about the impact of education funding reductions to your school
- Advocate for a realistic state fiscal plan, speak up and share your positive stories about education
Links