Gov. Mike Dunleavy signaled Wednesday that he won’t veto $175 million in one-time funding for public schools included in this year’s state budget. That’s roughly equivalent to a $680 increase in base per-student funding.
He made the comments near the end of a news conference Wednesday discussing the consequences of a recent ruling on Alaska’s homeschool system.
“I’ve told people I’m open to an increase, one-time funds, an increase in one-time funding, especially to help with inflationary issues. Yes,” Dunleavy told reporters when asked whether he’d support the funding increase.
Asked to confirm his preferred one-time funding amount was consistent with the $175 million approved in the House and Senate’s operating budgets, he said, “I don’t have a pencil on me here, but if it’s close to the six-eighty-something, yes.”
That’s a change from last year, when Dunleavy vetoed half of a similar $680-per-student increase in one-time education funding. Alaska’s Constitution generally allows the governor to strike or reduce budget line items.
Earlier this year, Dunleavy vetoed a larger education bill that would have increased base funding for public schools by $680 per student on an ongoing basis. At the time, he said he vetoed the measure because it did not include key priorities related to charter schools and teacher bonuses.
Eric Stone covers state government, tracking the Alaska Legislature, state policy and its impact on all Alaskans. Reach him at estone@alaskapublic.org.
