The Alaska Senate is planning to set aside around $15 million in its draft budget in extra school funding. Thats because the federal government says state funding was not adequate for the highest-need schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 American Rescue Plan Act gave over $125 billion to schools across the nation to help cover pandemic-related costs. As a condition of receiving $359 million in federal aid, Alaska agreed not to cut state funding to its highest-need schools in excess of school cuts made statewide.
Last month, the state was told it owed almost $30 million to four school districts because those reductions had effectively taken place. After a recent recalculation, the federal government said the state owes roughly $17.5 million to four districts.
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