Opinion: Our Nome schools face a financial crisis

Nome Public Schools is facing a financial crisis and needs your help. Without increased funding for our schools, NPS will have to make some really hard decisions that will impact what our kids receive in their classrooms – and our kids deserve better.

We are asking for your help to reach out to the legislature to advocate for increased funding for schools in Alaska.

In the coming school year, NPS is facing a $1.5 million deficit, further handicapping an already struggling system. Many programs have been put to the side because we’re unable to fund them without more money. We know we need to do better: Our students deserve to have meaningful classroom experiences, our teachers deserve to be paid a living wage, and our community should have opportunities to be in the school with our kids.

Our state is constitutionally obligated to provide a public school system in Alaska. Like many things in our state, the funding formula is complicated. The important thing to know is the largest revenue line item is coming from a Base Student Allocation (BSA). There has been no significant increase to the BSA since 2015. This lack of funding makes us ask: What kind of education system should the State maintain? One that is not good enough, or one that is the very best possible?

Like all of you, NPS is feeling the cost of inflation and has been forced to do more with less. Our purchase power has been significantly reduced. We all know life is more expensive than in 2015 and stretching our dollars is becoming harder to do. We want to thank teachers and administrators who’ve really been creative in dealing with our fundings shortfalls. They truly have gone above and beyond.

Without an increase to the BSA, the NPS projected budget will likely include drastic cuts to staffing, including cutting classroom teaching positions. The NPS fund balance, which is our savings account, will be depleted this year. This all comes at a time when teacher retention is a priority as recruitment has been such a challenge. Our children deserve funding that keeps up with inflation and cost of living increases.

We need your help. The time to act is now while Education Funding is one of the main topics the legislature is addressing. To fund NPS properly we project a $1,740 increase to the current BSA. To maintain services at our current level we will need an increase of at least $1415. Please reach out to our local representatives and the State House and Senate Finance Committee Members and ask them to increase the BSA to $1740. You can reach them by email:

Representative.Neal.Foster@akle g.gov - local representative, CoChair of House Finance Committee

Senator.Donald.Olson@akleg.gov - local representative, Co-Chair of Senate Finance Committee

Representative.Bryce.Edgmon@a kleg.gov - Co-Chair of House Finance Committee

Representative.Delena.Johnson@ akleg.gov - Co-Chair of House Finance Committee

Senator.Lyman.Hoffman@akleg. gov - Co-Chair of Senate Finance Committee

Senator.Bert.Stedman@akleg.gov - Co-Chair of Senate Finance Committee

Senate.Finance.Committee@akle g.gov - entire Senate Finance Committee

House.Finance.Committee@akle g.gov - entire House Finance Committee

Contact to the governor’s office: https://aws.state.ak.us/CrmForms/H ome/Feedback