Gov. Mike Dunleavy signaled Wednesday that he won’t veto $175 million in one-time funding for public schools included in this year’s state budget. That’s roughly equivalent to a $680 increase in base per-student funding.
He made the comments near the end of a news conference Wednesday discussing the consequences of a recent ruling on Alaska’s homeschool system.
“I’ve told people I’m open to an increase, one-time funds, an increase in one-time funding, especially to help with inflationary issues. Yes,” Dunleavy told reporters when asked whether he’d support the funding increase.
Asked to confirm his preferred one-time funding amount was consistent with the $175 million approved in the House and Senate’s operating budgets, he said, “I don’t have a pencil on me here, but if it’s close to the six-eighty-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. Alaska’s Constitution generally allows the governor to strike or reduce budget line items.
Earlier this year, Dunleavy vetoed a larger education bill that would have increased base funding for public schools by $680 per student on an ongoing basis. At the time, he said he vetoed the measure because it did not include key priorities related to charter schools and teacher bonuses.
