Schools May Feel Budget Imbalance Fallout

Maggie Wall/KMXT

A few hackles were raised during last week’s regular Kodiak Island Borough Assembly meeting when the discussion turned to funding the school district.

The school district has requested increased funding for the next school year. But the assembly is concerned there may not be enough money to fund schools at the present rate.

KMXT’s Maggie Wall has details.

-((School Funding 5:42 "The Kodiak Island…Stewart McDonald."))

The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly is tasked with balancing a budget that looks to be 30 percent short of expected expenses.

The Kodiak Island Borough School District is feeling the fallout from the budget shortfall.

Last week the assembly committing $8.5 million for school funding for the coming year with the possibility of more to come. That is substantially less than the schools asked for.

Understandably, that proved a disappointment with local school administrators.

The borough has traditionally funded schools at a much higher rate than mandated by state law. In 2009 the borough funded the maximum possible under state law-known as funding to the cap. Since then funding has gone down slightly and flattened out.

Borough manager Rick Gifford told the assembly a good return on investments and reassessing property in the borough made it possible to fund to the cap in 2009. But, the money’s not there now and such high rate of funding is unsustainable:

-((Rick Gifford :55 "In order to do this…and tax rates."))

Kodiak Island Borough School Superintendent Stewart McDonald argued that a big cut to the schools is a change of direction for the community:

-((Stewart McDonald 1:03 "I’m not really sure…to do next."))

Luke Fulp, the school district’s finance director, was critical of the assembly’s handling of the borough’s budget:

-((Luke Fulp 1:07 "Tonight I also heard…changes at the last minute."))

Assembly man Jerrol Friend said the borough has $8.5 it can give schools based on the numbers right now. If they find more, they’ll make more available:

-((Jerrol Friend :15 "I realize…next year even worse."))

Superintendent McDonald told the assembly later in the meeting that the school district was hoping for some state money that doesn’t look like it will materialize. If the borough does not fund schools to the cap the reality is bigger class sizes and other cuts in the classrooms.

-((Steward McDonald :44 "So we’re actually…really where we are."))

School Superintendent Stewart McDonald.

I’m Maggie Wall.