{"id":2424,"date":"2016-02-09T17:36:48","date_gmt":"2016-02-10T02:36:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/communications.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us\/wpmu\/?p=2424"},"modified":"2016-02-09T17:36:48","modified_gmt":"2016-02-10T02:36:48","slug":"balancing-budgets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpbsd.org\/schools\/comm-test\/2016\/02\/09\/balancing-budgets\/","title":{"rendered":"Balancing Alaska Budgets"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI think it\u2019s important for the people in my community to weigh in any opportunity that they get on the budget preference or revenue enhancements. And, while I don\u2019t know how that is going to turn out yet, it will take some combination of both of those in order to come up with a sustainable budget that will move Alaska forward and help my community.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u2013 Speaker of the House, Mike Chenault, February 8, 2016, in conversation with Soldotna High School student<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Brian<\/a>
KPBSD Board of Education student representative Brian Dusek talks with Speaker of the House, Mike Chenault, about a letter Soldotna High School students wrote to Alaska legislators about the budget and what the value of public education means to them.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Balancing a billion dollar state budget<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

On anything but a normal Monday in Juneau, when HCR 23<\/a> \u201cSuspend Uniform Rules 20, 21, 23, 24\u201d made fast tracks to pass through the House of Representatives, \u201crestricting committee meetings of the Alaska House of Representatives to measures that substantially relate to and have as their primary purpose appropriating, raising, or allocating state revenue, until the Alaska House of Representatives passes a state operating budget to the Alaska Senate,\u201d Speaker of the House Mike Chenault (and District 29 representative) met with one of his young constituents, a high school student from Soldotna, Alaska.
\nIn Juneau for a school board legislative fly-in with board member Lynn Hohl, the student school board representative, Brian Dusek, shared a letter that Soldotna High School students wrote to Alaska legislators. Speaker Chenault said, \u201cI hope we are on the right track, we are going to work on the budget, try to focus on the budget, and come up with a remedy for the budget. We\u2019ll look at revenue streams, we\u2019ll look at reducing the budget where we can. I think it\u2019s important for the people in my community to weigh in, any opportunity that they get\u2014either weigh in on the budget preference or revenue enhancements. And, while I don\u2019t know how that is going to turn out yet, it will take some combination of both of those in order to come up with a sustainable budget that will move Alaska forward and help my community. So that\u2019s where we will be and what we will work on for the next three weeks, and see if we can get a budget passed.\u201d Alaska residents are asked to weigh in with their ideas to The House Majority \u201cIdea Line\u201d 1-844-414-5949 to help solve the State\u2019s budget crunch.
\n\u201cI\u2019m having a great time advocating for public education and the KPBSD,\u201d said Brian Dusek, Soldotna High School student and school board student representative. \u201cIt was great to learn more about the legislative process, meet Governor Walker, our senators, and our representatives, speak to public officials, and have a voice that represents my peers and community. I appreciate the KPBSD school board for allowing me to attend the legislative fly in, and I hope that I helped advocate for public education so it remains a #1 priority in the state. It’s been an amazing experience!\u201d
\nThe Legislature and KPBSD<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0webpage<\/strong> offers helpful links, copies of legislator communications, KPBSD legislative priorities, LIO office locations, and more. This page is updated throughout the legislative session.<\/p>\n

Balancing a multi-million dollar school district budget<\/span>
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\u201cThe district is facing a fiscal gap for our 2016-2017 budget,\u201d said Sean Dusek, superintendent. \u201cWe are prioritizing the programs and services we will be able to offer in our schools. The district will likely need to make additional difficult decisions depending upon the level of funding we receive from the state and borough. This is an important year to be involved and engaged in all levels of our budget development, and understand the local (borough) and state level funding for public education.\u201d<\/p>\n

KPBSD Public Budget Meetings<\/span>
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Parents, staff, students, business partners, community members, and elected officials, are invited to bring your questions and ideas to a KPBSD public meeting, where you will learn about the district budget perspective, expenditures, revenues, and receive responses to your questions.<\/p>\n