Alaska governor threatens to veto education package that he says doesn’t go far enough

JUNIAU, Alaska — Alaska’s Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy has threatened to veto an education package that was overwhelmingly passed by lawmakers after a heated debate. He says it lacks provisions he favors, including a pilot program with annual bonuses of up to $15,000 as a way to attract and retain teachers.

Dunleavy, a former teacher, said this week that there is still time for lawmakers to address issues such as the proposed bonuses and changes to the charter school application process aimed at promoting such schools. The governor has 15 days, excluding Sundays, to act on a bill sent to him when the Legislature is in session.

He can sign the bill, veto it, or let it become law without his signature. A decision is expected on March 14.

Some key lawmakers say the package was a compromise and question whether the state can afford the bonuses — and whether they would even work.

The debate over education funding has dominated this term. The House of Representatives voted 38-2 last week to approve a compromise package that included a $175 million increase in aid to districts through a school funding formula; a position in the state education department dedicated to supporting charter schools; additional funding for K-3 students needing reading assistance; and language encouraging districts to use some of the funding for teacher salaries and retention bonuses. The vote followed a period of intense debate, which also showed divisions within the Republican-led majority.

The Senate, led by a bipartisan coalition, voted 18-1 on Monday to support the package and sent it to Dunleavy.

The compromise emerged from negotiations after the House failed to bring up a version of the bill introduced by the House Rules Committee. That version included Dunleavy’s bonus plan, charter provisions and an increase in state aid of about $80 million through the formula.

After the bill passed the House of Representatives, Republican Speaker Cathy Tilton said that while the compromise “didn’t live up to the previous proposal,” “I would still call it a ‘qualified’ success.”

School officials had demanded an increase in funding of about $360 million, citing the impact of inflation and high energy and insurance costs. But the state, which relies heavily on oil and revenue from Alaska’s oil fund, has faced deficits over the past decade, and some lawmakers questioned whether that amount was realistic.

The Legislature approved a one-time $175 million increase last year, but Dunleavy vetoed half of that. Lawmakers did not have enough votes for an override.

Dunleavy has used the bonuses and support of charter schools as a way to do things differently. He questions whether simply increasing funding to districts will improve student achievement.

He has proposed paying teacher bonuses of $5,000 to $15,000 a year over three years, with the highest amount going to those in the most remote areas. Estimates suggest the program could cost about $55 million per year.

Language in the education package encouraging districts to use some of the money for bonuses “does not guarantee that desired goals will be achieved,” Dunleavy spokesman Grant Robinson said by email Thursday.

Republican Senate President Gary Stevens told reporters this week that there is a limit to what the state can afford. A revised revenue forecast is expected in mid-March, and lawmakers haven’t even started publicly debating how big this year’s dividend payout to residents from oil fund income should be — usually one of the most contentious debates of the session .

Sen. Bill Wielechowski, a Democrat from Anchorage, raised questions about how well bonuses might work. He said he thinks there is a “fair expectation” that teachers from out of state or the Lower 48 will leave after the three years are up.

He said support for the compromise bill was “pretty unheard of these days” for a controversial measure.

Tom Klaameyer, president of NEA-Alaska, a teachers union, said if Dunleavy vetoes the education package, “our schools will remain in crisis.”

The measure “was simply a lifeline that was thrown or could have been thrown at schools to defuse the crisis,” he said.

He added: “We say throw away the life preserver.”