Alaska Gov. Dunleavy vetoes Legislature-backed education package

• Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed the education funding package Thursday, defeating the state’s supermajority in the Legislature.
• Mr. Dunleavy followed through on earlier threats after the bill did not include sufficient provisions for teacher bonuses and adjustments to the charter school system.
• Independent House Minority Leader Calvin Schrage said lawmakers were “ready to override this veto.”

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy late Thursday vetoed an education funding package passed by lawmakers overwhelmingly, over teacher bonuses and charter school provisions that are at odds among lawmakers. He called for action to be taken.

Dunleavy, a Republican and former educator, announced his decision hours before the deadline to sign the bill, veto it or let it become law without a signature. Education leaders had urged the governor to pass the package into law as school districts struggle with teacher shortages and, in some cases, multimillion-dollar deficits.

In late February, Dunleavy announced a three-year program offering bonuses of up to $15,000 a year as a way to attract and retain teachers, as well as changes to charter schools’ application process to hire teachers. He threatened to veto the bill, complaining that it lacked provisions he favored. The aim is to promote such schools. He cited them again in his veto message to legislative leaders.

After heated debate, Alaska governor threatens to veto education package

Both provisions had difficulty gaining support from lawmakers. A recent Senate Education Committee hearing raised questions about the effectiveness of such bonuses, with bipartisan members of the Senate also raising concerns about the estimated cost of about $55 million annually. Senate leaders also expressed reservations about directly approving charter schools by the State Board of Education, whose members are appointed by the governor, saying it would erode local control and raising concerns about the wide range of issues surrounding charter schools, including facilities and transportation issues. He said there was a need to solve the problem. Needs further analysis.

Still, lawmakers said they held talks with Dunleavy after his veto threat aimed at reaching a deal. The Republican-led House Education Committee even introduced a bill Thursday that would allow the board to approve charters. However, no agreement was reached.

Lawmakers had planned a veto override meeting for Monday. Forty of the 60 members of Congress to pass would need to vote in favor of repeal. House Speaker Kathy Tilton, a Republican, said earlier Thursday that a veto override session would force lawmakers to “vote what they think is best for their conscience and their district.”

House Minority Leader Calvin Schrage, an independent, said members of the coalition, which is mostly Democrats but also includes independents and Republicans, “are ready to override this veto.”

The education package, which passed 38-2 in the House and 18-1 in the Senate last month, was billed as a compromise reached after a bitter fight in the House. The measure included a $175 million increase in aid to school districts through the School Funding System. Language encouraging school districts to allocate some of the additional funding to teacher salaries and retention bonuses. A state Department of Education position dedicated to supporting charter schools and providing additional funding for K-12 students who need reading assistance.

The funding was far less than what school officials had sought to combat the effects of inflation and high energy and insurance costs, but education leaders saw the bill’s passage as a positive step. .

Anchorage School Board Chair Margo Bellamy and Jarrett Bryant, superintendent of the Anchorage School District, Alaska’s largest, said the veto “undermines a bipartisan effort to make historic investments in the education of our children.” I’m going to ruin it.”

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“Alaska’s public education environment is already challenging, and the uncertainty and disruption this veto will cause to districts’ progress toward improving student outcomes cannot be understated,” the two schools said in a joint statement. asked for annulment.