The Juneau Assembly recently decided to fund schools next year to the maximum extent allowed by law, and give additional money for high school activities.
The Assembly also voted to retroactively give the district $500,000 for this current budget that ends June 30, making up for not funding to the cap last year.
Juneau School District’s finance head David Means says he was surprised at the how the Assembly voted during its finance meeting.
“I expected a number maybe less than $500,000. I thought maybe they would go halfway or somewhere in there,” he says.
Means says the money will be rolled into next year’s budget. Regardless of what happens with state funding, the Juneau district now won’t have to increase class sizes in kindergarten to second grade. Other class sizes will likely still grow.
Means wasn’t the only one who was surprised. Mayor Merrill Sanford, who voted no with Assemblyman Jerry Nankervis, thought more members were in the same camp.
“We put the school district in a very positive way so that their future year or two budgets are helped a little bit, but we didn’t do anything for our budget at the general fund in the city and borough,” Sanford says.
The city has been dealing with its own cutbacks due to a multi-million dollar deficit.
Sanford says the city unexpectedly received about $600,000 in federal money through the Secure Rural Schools Act, money the Assembly hadn’t budgeted for. He says even though the city manager and the Assembly have done a lot to balance next year’s budget, he says the city still might need that money.
“Next year is going to be really tough for us if the state keeps to the hard line that they’re at right now,” Sanford says.
He fears more state jobs leaving Juneau, which could mean a dip in property and sales tax revenue. Sanford says his no vote to back-fund the district doesn’t mean he doesn’t support education.
“I support schools in my town to the maximum that I can. I’m just a little bit more conservative than some people and I worry about our future budget more than sticking that money into the school district right now,” Sanford says.
Assemblywoman Karen Crane was skeptical at first about giving the schools the money, but with the city getting the Secure Rural Schools funding, she voted yes.
“It’s a one-time request. We funded next year to the cap so there is no additional money that can go in for next year,” Crane says. “This fiscal year, unfortunately, we weren’t able to do the cap. It’s what Juneau has always tried to do and so, since the money was there, I think it was the right thing to do.”
Assemblywoman Mary Becker was the first to propose back-funding the school district two months ago. She’s happy with the vote and is proud the city can give $500,000 to the district, but she says the schools will still be struggling due to declines in state funding.
The Assembly plans to finalize its budget and the school’s budget May 18.
