During the June 24 Regular Assembly Meeting, the Anchorage Assembly unanimously approved AR 2025-202​ to co-sign a joint resol​ution​ opposing Alaska Commissioner of Education Deena Bishop's request to the State Board of Education to further limit the ability of local governments to invest in public schools. The joint resolution will be submitted during the public comment period for regulatory changes in front of the Alaska Board of Education, open until July 23, 2025.​

“At a time when we are seeing unprecedented attacks on public education, I am proud to stand alongside the Anchorage School Board in defending our children's right to a quality education, and against the efforts by our Governor to defund and dismantle our schools," said Assembly Member Yarrow Silvers, who sponsored the resolution representing District 5, East Anchorage.

In May, the U.S. Department of Education issued a letter stating the State of Alaska's failure to pass the Federal Impact Aid Disparity test, an annual assessment of the gap between the most and least funded school districts. A similar letter was issued for FY22, and Alaska successfully appealed the claims. Despite the success of the ​​past appeal, Commissioner Bishop proposed “emergency regulation amendments" to the Alaska State Board of Education at their June meeting which would limit the amount of local funding that municipalities may contribute to a local district's public education system for the current and future fiscal years.

According to Anchorage School District (ASD) Superintendent Jarrett Bryantt, if approved, the regulations would immediately risk a minimum of $15 million in local funding for the Anchorage School District.

“The Department of Education's misguided proposal to limit local support for public schools would gut millions in critical resources from Anchorage classrooms at a time when public education is already in crisis," said Anchorage School Board President Carl Jacobs after the Assembly vote. “I'm grateful for the strong, bipartisan support from my Assembly colleagues as we work collaboratively to hold the governor and his administration accountable."

A rare joint action that was unanimous between both bodies, the resolution urges the Governor, Legislature, and Board of Education to reject any policy or regulatory change that would reduce local authority or limit local investment in public schools. In addition, the resolution extends the Anchorage Assembly and Anchorage School District's support to Commissioner Bishop to challenge the results of the disparity test as found by U.S. Department of Education.

The public comment period for the proposed regulatory changes is open until 5:00 P.M. on July 23, 2025. To provide testimony or to learn more, view the public notice online: notice.alaska.gov/219967
 

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Contact:
 
Erin Baldwin Day
District 4, Midtown
erin.baldwin.day@anchorageak.gov

Zac Johnson
District 6, South Anchorage, Girdwood, Turnagain Arm
zac.johnson@anchorageak.gov
 
Yarrow Silvers
District 5, East Anchorage
yarrow.silvers@anchorageak.gov

Carl Jacobs
ASD School Board President
(907) 632-7285 ​