News from the Senate Majority
Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary
716 West 4th Avenue, Suite 510
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Phone: 907/258-8184
http://www.akrepublicans.org
Broadcast Actualities: 800/478-6540

Wasilla and Kenai Town Meetings Called to Focus on State Education Funding -- November 18 & 19

For Immediate Release: November 17, 1997 Contact: Sheila Peterson at (907) 465-3709

State legislators will continue a series of six statewide town meetings focused on reforming Alaska’s education funding program on Tuesday, November 18 in Wasilla and in Soldotna on Wednesday, November 19. The Wasilla meeting will be from 5-7 p.m. in the Wasilla City Council Chambers and the Soldotna meeting will be from 7-9 p.m. in the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly Chambers.

The town meetings are sponsored by the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education and Social Services Committee (HESS). They have been called to generate constructive two-way dialogue between legislators and the public in respect to rewriting the education funding program. The goal in rewriting the formula is to make it more fair and easy to understand.

Senator Lyda Green (R-Mat-Su) said it’s important for us to understand the state education funding system and how the formula can be improved. “These meetings will help us explore solutions that will ensure each and every Alaska child receives the same quality education. I encourage all interested persons to attend,” Green said.

The town meeting format will include presentations from Senators John Torgerson (R-Kasilof) and Gary Wilken (R-Fairbanks). Torgerson will provide a brief summary of bills relating to funding currently in the legislative process. Wilken will provide a detailed discussion of current funding problems and present some ideas to foster discussion. Following the presentations there will be a question and answer session with the audience and testimony from the public.

Senator John Torgerson (R-Kasilof) has been a long time advocate of building equality into the current education funding system. "I hope these town meetings lead to an acceptable solution for allocating state educational dollars among each school district. By reworking our current funding program, we will better provide for the needs of all Alaska’s students,” said Torgerson.

Following the hearings in Wasilla and Soldotna, the final two meetings will be held in Bethel, November 24 and Fairbanks, December 2. Each town meeting will be teleconferenced on a listen-only basis. For more information please call Sheila Peterson in Senator Wilken’s office at 907/465-3709.

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