Anchorage lawmaker seeks to boost early education funding for 3-to-5-year-old Alaska students
Alaska school districts that offer early childhood learning programs for children ages 3 to 5, such as programs to help children be ready for kindergarten, could see a state funding boost under new legislation currently being considered by the Alaska Senate.
Senate Bill 93 would boost funding for school districts that are currently enrolled in early education programs under the Alaska Reads Act. The bill would increase per-student funding from half funding to the full amount for other students within the state's public education funding formula.
The Alaska Reads Act program supports early literacy for pre-K through grade 3 with the aim of improving reading.
'The concept isn't new,' said Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, the bill's sponsor, citing a body of research supporting improved lifelong learning outcomes following pre-K programs. 'For every dollar we invest in high quality early learning, we see a $32 return on investment in increased earning potential, higher graduation rates, higher engagement and post-secondary opportunities.'
She explained with the outmigration of families and children from Alaska, funding early learning programs would encourage young student enrollment. 'Last year, the Legislative Finance Division indicated about 3,700 kids left our public education system in total,' she said. 'So what our hope is, is not only to provide districts with full funding to maintain their pre-elementary programs, but also to help balance out that outmigration with incoming students.'
School districts can choose to offer prekindergarten in Alaska, and districts' enrollment in early learning programs under the Alaska Reads Act is also voluntary. Currently the participating districts are Anchorage, Skagway and Valdez.
The Department of Education estimates the funding increase would cost roughly $7.6 million, already requested in Gov. Mike Dunleavy's budget proposal for next year, going towards funding the Alaska Reads Act, according to a fiscal note to the bill.
State Education Commissioner Deena Bishop said that the governor's budget includes roughly $4.7 million to sustain funding for existing early education programs and $3 million to expand the number of districts with these programs. The Alaska Reads Act planned for annual increases in funding and programs, Bishop said in a text statement through a spokesperson.
'We look forward to all Alaska school districts who desire to serve their communities with pre-schools, can do so,' she said. 'The Alaska Reads Act was a transformational piece of legislation. The present bill builds on its success.'
Tobin said the increased funding could also help alleviate child care costs for families. 'We know those pre-K kids are in their communities, their parents might be struggling to braid together support for child care, or for babysitting,' she said. 'And by not only providing stability for districts to offer these programs, we also are helping them in stabilizing their school population, and also helping families that are looking for child care options that are high quality and available.'
The bill now is set to be heard in the Senate Finance Committee, where Tobin hopes lawmakers support the education investment. 'We know it's not going to have an impact on our budget. And we do know the fiscal notes of the Alaska Reads Act were adopted when the bill was passed in 2022, so it's not going to have a discernible impact on our current budget projections.'
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Politico
6 hours ago
- Politico
Carney voices support for Trump's peace efforts — and encourages US security guarantees
The Canadian leader's message comes after several U.S. partners in Europe showed support for Trump's trilateral proposal on Friday. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signaled support on Saturday for President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine. | Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images By Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing 08/16/2025 06:21 PM EDT Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Saturday joined other Western leaders in support of President Donald Trump's work to end the war in Ukraine and lauded what he described as the 'openness of the United States to providing security guarantees' for Ukraine after peace is reached. 'The leadership of President Trump and the United States is creating the opportunity to end Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. Robust and credible security guarantees are essential to any just and lasting peace,' Carney wrote in a statement. 'I welcome the openness of the United States to providing security guarantees as part of the Coalition of the Willing's efforts.' The 'coalition of the willing' refers to a group of nations, including Canada, convened to provide military support for Ukraine after the war. A virtual meeting of the loose coalition is set to take place on Sunday, spearheaded by French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Politico
7 hours ago
- Politico
The Senate map suddenly looks a lot better for Democrats. But still not a slam dunk.
There's no doubt that Republicans are still favored to hold onto the Senate after next year's midterms. Democrats need to flip four GOP-held seats while also holding onto states that President Donald Trump won like Michigan and Georgia. Everything would have to go perfectly for them to pull it off — and this is not an era when things have typically gone perfectly for Democrats. Still, Democrats are increasingly optimistic after former Sen. Sherrod Brown decided to run for his old seat and former Gov. Roy Cooper launched a bid in North Carolina. 'I'm not going to say we're taking back the Senate right now, but it looks more possible than it ever was,' said Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.). 'We're recruiting great candidates, and it looks like they're not really doing the same. The map is expanding week by week.' Earlier this year, many Democrats were pessimistic that Brown would run again — and without him, Ohio was considered hopelessly out of reach. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer doggedly pursued Brown anyway, repeatedly calling and meeting with him. Brown is expected to officially launch his campaign against Republican Sen. Jon Husted any day now. Brown, a frumpy populist who won three terms in the Senate even as Ohio grew increasingly redder, lost reelection by fewer than 4 percentage points last year. What makes Democrats nonetheless hopeful is that Brown kept the contest close even as Trump carried the state by 11 percentage points. With Trump in the White House but not on the ballot, they hope, next year's midterm elections will almost certainly be a better political moment for Democrats. 'Unless you believe we're headed into another negative environment for Democrats again, this is almost by definition a toss-up race,' said an Ohio Democratic strategist who was granted anonymity to speak frankly about a still-developing race. Schumer also worked to persuade Cooper, a popular former two-term governor, to run. Cooper broke fundraising records when he announced his Senate bid and is now leading Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley in early polls. Schumer's recruitment efforts are reflective of a larger strategy to stake his party's chances in several key states on well-established, older candidates, even as much of the Democratic base hungers for generational change. Along with Cooper, 68, and Brown, 72, Democrats are hoping to lure Maine Gov. Janet Mills, 77, into the race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, 72. The Democrats' game plan doubles, in theory, as a way to avoid costly and divisive primaries. Cooper effectively boxed out most of the North Carolina field by keeping the door open to a run, and the sole other Democratic candidate, former Rep. Wiley Nickel, exited the race after Cooper launched his bid. Brown is also expected to clear the field in Ohio. Nickel told POLITICO his initial decision to run was about 'fighting for the best chance to flip North Carolina's Senate seat,' but with Cooper getting in, he said the former governor 'gives Democrats our best shot to flip this seat.' The success that Senate Democrats have had in luring battle-tested candidates into the arena stands in contrast to Republicans' efforts this cycle. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, widely seen as a strong potential contender to oust Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, decided against a run. Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu similarly opted against a bid for the seat left open by the retirement of Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, even after winning Trump's support. Republicans have also lost an incumbent to retirement — and there could be more. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis announced he was not running for reelection after Trump attacked him for voting against advancing his megabill. In Iowa, Sen. Joni Ernst has not formally announced she is seeking reelection, and the White House saw it necessary to encourage her to try for another term. Collins got her dream job as Senate Appropriations chair only to see her power undermined by Trump, and Democrats are praying she could be next, though she's said she intends to run again. Democrats are also hopeful that contentious GOP primaries could bolster their chances to hold Ossoff's seat in Georgia and turn Texas blue if MAGA darling Attorney General Ken Paxton ousts incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn as polling indicates he might. 'From nasty, expensive primaries to a string of embarrassing recruitment failures and a toxic agenda, Senate Republicans are falling apart at the seams,' said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Maeve Coyle. But Democrats have their own crowded primaries to contend with. An ambitious field of three well-funded Democrats in Michigan is threatening to divert resources from defeating Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman who narrowly lost a Senate race to Elissa Slotkin last year. The GOP quickly consolidated behind Rogers rather than risk a contested primary. And Democrats are still hoping for other top recruits to enter races. In Maine, Schumer has yet to persuade Mills to get into the Senate race. Ditto for former Rep. Mary Peltola in Alaska, where she is also eyeing the gubernatorial contest after narrowly losing reelection to the House last year. There are other hurdles for Democrats. They lack a clear leader, are struggling to raise money, and remain unpopular with voters after their resounding defeat in last year's election. 'The idea that Democrats, saddled with historically low approval ratings, will win in red states with candidates like Brown and Peltola — who voters just rejected — is absurd,' said Joanna Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. But optimistic Democrats know that a single strong candidate — perhaps a Cooper, Brown, Mills, Peltola — can singlehandedly reshape a race. And maybe if they can get a few more of them, their path to control starts to get a little clearer. Even without squinting so hard.
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Canadian government ends Air Canada strike, imposes binding arbitration
The Canadian government brought the Air Canada strike to a screeching halt Saturday by imposing binding arbitration on the airline and its flight attendants. The move came less than 12 hours after Air Canada's 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job, at 1 a.m. Saturday, after months of stalled negotiations over a new contract. Canada's labor policy minister, Patty Hajdu, said she met with both sides Friday night and determined there was a low likelihood of a near-term deal. 'They are so far apart on a number of issues that they are going to need some help,' she told the Wall Street Journal. 3 The Canadian government imposed binding arbitration Saturday to bring a strike by the country's largest airline carrier to a screeching halt. AFP via Getty Images 'This is not a decision that I've taken lightly, but the potential for immediate negative impact on Canadians and our economy is simply too great,' she said. The most contentious issue in the contract talks has been the Canadian Union of Public Employees' demand for compensation for time spent on the ground between flights and when helping passengers board. Flight crews are currently only compensated when their airplane is moving. 3 Striking Air Canada workers walk the picket line at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. AFP via Getty Images Montreal-based Air Canada formally requested this week the government impose binding arbitration, arguing talks were at an impasse. 3 Air Canada said it was premature to discuss when flights would resume as the arbitration order was just unveiled. AP The union in a statement said the government gave Air Canada what it wanted. The union, known as CUPE, made 'reasonable proposals for a fair cost-of-living wage increase,' it said. 'Air Canada responded by sandbagging the talks.' Air Canada said it was premature to discuss when flights would resume as the arbitration order was just unveiled. Air Canada transports about 130,000 passengers daily, operates nearly 200 flights daily to the U.S., and flies to nearly 60 countries.
