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

Anchorage Town Meeting Called to Discuss Education Funding

For Immediate Release: November 10, 1997 Contact: Sheila Peterson at (907) 465-3709.

Anchorage -- To discuss Alaska school funding reform with Anchorage residents, state legislators will hold the second of six statewide town meetings on Thursday, November 13, from 5-7 p.m. at the West High School Library in Anchorage at 1700 Hillcrest Drive. The town meetings are sponsored by the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education and Social Services Committee (HESS).

Senator Randy Phillips (R-Eagle River/Anchorage), member of the Senate Finance Committee, said school funding equity and taxpayer equity must be addressed. Phillips is the sponsor of Senate Bill 36, one of four legislative options introduced to modify the education funding program to provide a more equitable distribution of Alaska’s education dollars.

"The Anchorage School district has 37 percent of Alaska’s students, but under the current school funding formula, Anchorage receives only 29 percent of the funding," Phillips said.

Senator Dave Donley (R-Anchorage), Co-Chair of the Anchorage Caucus -- a bi-partisan group of Anchorage legislators, said the group has made rewriting Alaska’s Education Foundation Formula a top priority.

"It’s time Anchorage stood up for itself and demanded a fairer share of state education spending," said Donley. "Rewriting the education funding formula can make the distribution of educational money fairer across our state so all children receive an equal opportunity for a good education."

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 more 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.

The first town meeting was held in Ketchikan, Tuesday, November 12. Following the Anchorage hearing on Wednesday, the Senate HESS and Finance Committees will conduct meetings in the following cities: Wasilla, November 18; Soldotna, November 19, Bethel, November 24; and Fairbanks, date to be announced. 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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