School spending cuts hurt Anchorage students more than you think
# **Alaska’s School Funding Crisis: A Deliberate Undermining of Public Education?**
## **The Funding Gap: A State Falling Behind**
While most states increased education spending by **26%** from 2017 to 2022, Alaska’s increase was a mere **13%**—barely enough to keep up with inflation. Even when accounting for Alaska’s high cost of living, the state still spends **15% less per student** than the national average.
This isn’t just underfunding—it’s **systematic neglect**.
## **The Testing Trap: A Broken Accountability System**
Critics point to standardized test scores as proof of school failure, but the data is **incomplete and misleading**. Last year, only **14% of homeschooled students** even took the exams. When the state allows entire groups of students to skip testing and then uses the flawed results to justify budget cuts, it’s not accountability—it’s **a setup for failure**.
## **Poverty vs. Performance: The Real Story**
Test scores are heavily influenced by poverty, yet schools are punished for the struggles of their students. Instead of asking how schools can help kids overcome these challenges, leaders **blame the system** while doing nothing to fix it.
Anchorage schools, despite Alaska lacking universal pre-K, have actually helped struggling students make significant progress over time.
Empty Promises: The Governor’s Reading Law Without Funding
The governor pushed a reading law but failed to fund it properly. Mississippi, in contrast, spent $15 million yearly on literacy programs and built strong pre-K systems to support its own reading initiatives.
Alaska promised pre-K support through its reading law—but never delivered.
The Hidden Agenda: Defunding Public Schools for Private Gain
This isn’t just about money—it’s about a long-term strategy to weaken public education by redirecting funds to private and religious schools. Over the years, millions have been siphoned from public education into less-regulated private programs.
This shift wasn’t accidental—it was a deliberate choice.
The Pushback: Parents and Communities Fight Back
After recent school funding votes failed by narrow margins, parents and communities have started speaking up.
The real question isn’t whether schools need to change—it’s whether leaders will finally invest in kids instead of dismantling the system.
