Alaska students hold silent Capitol demonstration

A pack of 18 youths walked the halls of the state Capitol on Wednesday in a silent demonstration asking for more education funding.

Most of the legislators, staffers and lobbyists they encountered in the narrow hallways and stairwells made way, watched for a few moments, and then went back to business as usual.

The youths held signs that said, “WE ARE THE FUTURE” and “BSA 400-125-125.”

“BSA” means “base student allocation.” It’s the $5,680 the state of Alaska annually pays public schools per pupil, plus or minus a number of adjustments.

Bridget Galvin, a junior at Steller Secondary School in Anchorage, organized the demonstration.

“I took a few days to come down here and talk with different legislators and make sure students have a voice in this issue,” Galvin said.

Galvin and the group she founded, Students With a Voice, want the BSA to increase by $400 this year, followed by two annual increases of $125.

Jeremy Hsieh

Local News Reporter, KTOO

I dig into questions about the forces and institutions that shape Juneau, big and small, delightful and outrageous. What stirs you up about how Juneau is built and how the city works?

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