The U.S. Department of Education is withholding about $6.8 billion in education funding for programs serving students in programs that range from migrant education to English language instruction and gifted education.
A Tuesday estimate from the Senate Congressional Appropriations Committee says that breaks down to more than $47.6 million withheld from Alaska.
Lon Garrison is the executive director of the Association of Alaska School Boards. He said that’s about 15% of federal funding the state receives for education. Garrison said the funding loss builds on an overall lack in education funding in Alaska.
“It continues to compound itself,” he said. “We’re losing federal funds to help do the things that we want to get done, and then the state itself is not funding education adequately, so we continue to be kind of hit from all sides, where the funding keeps getting rolled back for public education.”
The money goes toward programs for migrant students whose families move around for farm work and fishing, English language learners, academic enrichment like STEM and college counseling, before and after-school programs and training teachers. The department also blocked funding for adult education and literacy courses.
Garrison said the funding is vital to help students that need additional support.
“The whole reason for this is we want to make sure students have every opportunity to get a great education, and that great education needs to be responsive to what those students need,” he said.
Bryan Zadalis, a spokesperson for the state Department of Education and Early Development, confirmed in an email that the federal department withheld funds as part of a broader review process, but could not specify the amount of funding blocked from each program or how individual Alaska school districts would be affected.
