School district representatives from around the state sit in for a Q&A with senators at the Capitol on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019. (Mollie Barnes | Juneau Empire)

School district representatives from around the state sit in for a Q&A with senators at the Capitol on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019. (Mollie Barnes | Juneau Empire)

Health insurance costs strain school districts’ budgets

Students, school representatives voice concerns to senators at Q&A

Even teenagers are getting worried about budget cuts to education.

In an emotional meeting on Monday, high school students and school representatives from all over the state spoke passionately about the importance of teachers at a Q&A with senators.

“It’s not taking money; it’s taking people,” said Kevin Lubin, a student from Anchorage, to a standing-room only crowd of about 80 people. “It’s not a budget, not an approval — it’s students lives.”

While the students gave emotional testimonies pleading the cause of education to the senators and representatives at the meeting, some school board representatives played to the numbers, specifically the high cost of insurance and retirement for teachers across the state.

Pete Hoepfner, former Association of Alaska School Board President, spoke about how Cordova School District is experiencing budget strain.

[University of Alaska officials expect major budget cuts]

“A lot of it boils down to money,” he said. “One of the things that struck me recently was the health insurance, we’ve seen in the last four years a huge increase, 16 percent of our total budget is going to health insurance.”

It costs $369,000 a year for Cordova School District to pay for health insurance, he said. Per student, that’s $1,130 dollars. He said this is money that is being taken out of the classroom. He also mentioned how cuts to the ferry system affect the Cordova School District, because then schools have to fly in students or eliminate education services.

“I know there isn’t money out there, but these issues that come up are going to start hitting pretty hard in our school districts,” he said. “It’s getting to such a point now that it’s going to start hurting pretty bad.”

[Alaska’s teachers are leaving at much higher than the national average. Here’s what’s being done about it.]

Some school districts said they were using a pool of city workers to decrease insurance costs, but Hoepfner said he hoped the state could do something to address the issue unilaterally.

Other issues brought up by audience members were the proposed $20 million cut to school districts in the governor’s proposed supplemental budget, rising costs of utilities for school buildings, internet bandwidth shortages, required certifications for people teaching Alaska Native languages and whether the formula used to determine school’s budgets is current and benefits all schools in Alaska, even in rural areas.

Juneau student Forrest Davis questioned the legislators about why the school’s budgeting formula hadn’t been revised in almost 20 years. Sen. Tom Begich, D-Anchorage, said the formula had withstood the test of time fairly well, according to an audit from two years ago that cost the state a quarter of a million dollars.

“We want to base (formula rewrites) on research and expert testimony,” said Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, adding that perhaps it would be better to look at reworking the formula once session was over.

The meeting lasted only an hour, but legislators encouraged all those in attendance to reach out to them personally to elaborate.

“We are doing everything we can to stretch those dollars that we have,” said Wrangell School District Board President Aleisha Mollen. “When we come to you guys, I want you to know we’re doing everything that we can.”


• Contact reporter Mollie Barnes at mbarnes@juneauempire.com or 523-2228.


More in News

A Kenai Peninsula Food Bank truck in the Food Bank parking lot on Aug. 4, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Food bank seeks turkey donations as Thanksgiving nears

The local food bank is calling for donations of $25 to “Adopt-A-Turkey” for a local family in need

Seward City Hall is seen under cloudy skies in Seward, Alaska, on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Seward budget hearing covers bed tax, wages, emergency medical services

The Seward City Council on Nov. 12 considered a series of legislative items connected to 2025 and 2026 budget

The results of ranked choice tabulation show Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, winning reelection in the race for Senate District D. (Screenshot/Gavel Alaska)
Bjorkman, Vance win reelection after tabulation of ranked choice ballots

An effort to repeal ranked choice voting and the open primary system was very narrowly defeated

Jacob Caldwell, chief executive officer of Kenai Aviation, stands at the Kenai Aviation desk at the Kenai Municipal Airport on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Aviation, Reeve Air submit proposals to bring air service back to Seward

Scheduled air service has been unavailable in Seward since 2002

Erosion damage to the southbound lane of Homer Spit Road is seen on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, following a storm event on Saturday in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
City, DOT work to repair storm damage to Spit road

A second storm event on Saturday affected nearly a mile of the southbound lane

Kenaitze Indian Tribe Education Director Kyle McFall speaks during a special meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Charter school proposed by Kenaitze Indian Tribe given approval by school board

The application will next be forwarded to the State Department of Education and Early Department

Suzanne Phillips, who formerly was a teacher at Aurora Borealis Charter School, speaks during a special meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Aurora Borealis charter renewal clears school board

The school is seeking routine renewal of its charter through the 2035-2036 school year

State House District 6 candidates Rep. Sarah Vance, Dawson Slaughter and Brent Johnson participate in a candidate forum hosted by the Peninsula Clarion and KBBI 890 AM at the Homer Public Library in Homer, Alaska, on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Saturday update: House District 6 race tightens slightly in new results

Neither incumbent Rep. Sarah Vance or challenger Brent Johnson have claimed 50% of votes in the race

A grader moves down 1st Avenue in Kenai, Alaska, during a snow storm on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Storm system to bring weekend snow to western Kenai Peninsula

Extended periods of light to moderate snow are expected Friday through Sunday morning

Most Read