Dunleavy signals support for a one-year, $175 million increase in education funding

Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Wednesday he will not veto $175 million in one-time funding for public schools included in this year’s state budget. That equates to approximately a $680 increase in basic funding per student.

He made the comments Wednesday at the end of a news conference discussing the fallout from a recent ruling on Alaska’s homeschooling system.

“I’ve told people that I’m open to an increase in one-time funding, an increase in one-time funding, especially to help with inflation issues. Yes,” Dunleavy told reporters when asked if he would support the funding increase.

Asked to confirm that his preferred one-time funding figure was consistent with the $175 million approved in the House and Senate operating budgets, he said, “I don’t have a pencil with me here, but if it’s close to eighty-six 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. The Alaska Constitution generally allows the governor to eliminate or reduce budget items.

Earlier this year, Dunleavy vetoed a larger education bill that would have continuously increased base funding for public schools by $680 per student. At the time, he said he vetoed the measure because it did not include key priorities related to charter schools and teacher bonuses.