Resolution supporting equitable school funding for

Southeast Alaska’s kids

Whereas:

• Under the District Cost Factor mechanism of Alaska’s Education

Foundation Formula, the Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka and Wrangell
school districts have been erroneously calculated at the urban baseline
of 100.0 since the passage of SB 36 in 1998.

• The operational need of the Pelican and Southeast Island School

districts exceed the state entitlement provided under the multipliers
currently assigned to each respective district.

• An adequate and equitable allocation of resources are needed to

maintain a quality public school system for all children in our state.

• Both statistical analysis and common sense affirm that the cost
associated with operating the schools in Senate District A are far
greater than the equivalent costs in urban Alaska.

Therefore Be It Resolved:

• The undersigned Boards of Education fully support the

implementation of the proposed Geographic Cost Differentials as
recommended by the University of Alaska Institute for Social and
Economic Research for use in determining the accurate adjusted daily
membership required to meet the basic need of our districts.

• The undersigned Boards of Education fully support an adequate base

student allocation as reflected by the educational needs of Alaska’s
urban school districts, and strongly encourage the legislature to hold
these districts harmless during the implementation of the
aforementioned Geographic Cost Differentials.