Full funding for kindergarten through 12th grade education wouldn’t mean more money in Juneau School District coffers, administrators said.<\/p>\n
When Gov. Mike Dunleavy unveiled his proposed budget for fiscal year 2021 this week, he noted it called for full funding for K-12 schools<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kristin Bartlett, chief of staff for the district, said in an interview she’s pleased he did not propose a cut, but the proposed budget doesn’t mean more money for the district.<\/p>\n The budget announcement with full funding comes on the heels of a Juneau Superior Court judge’s ruling<\/a> that the Legislature’s 2018 vote to fund K-12 schools in both fiscal years 2019 and fiscal year 2020 — this year — was constitutional. The Dunleavy administration had argued the funding wasn’t valid, and the Legislature sued the governor<\/a>.<\/p>\n The reason full funding isn’t a boost for the district is mostly because the amount of money allotted to districts per student has stagnated since fiscal year 2017, said Sarah Jahn, director of administrative services for Juneau School District. That amount, known as the base student allocation, was raised to $5,930 that year.<\/p>\n [Dunleavy unveils 2021 budget<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n “When they don’t raise the BSA, the base student allocation, and expenses continue to rise, it has a net-negative effect on us,” Jahn said.<\/p>\n Before the BSA settled at its current total, it had risen from $5,680 in fiscal year 2014 to $5,830 in fiscal year 2015 and then to $5,880 in fiscal year 2016, according to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development<\/a>. The BSA was flat from fiscal year 2011-2014.<\/p>\n