The “momentum” behind school funding that ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany had noted during March’s legislative recap webinars took another step in the right direction on Tuesday.

 

Members of the legislature’s Executive Board picked the school funding formula as a topic of study for the interim session. Fifteen legislators will be selected by the Executive Board to study the topic at a later date.

 

“The Executive Board’s decision is another example of the legislature’s commitment to moving forward with the discussion of how to improve school funding, which began during session,” Pogany said.

 

Legislators voted to give a three percent increase to the per-student allocation for the first time in three years during session. At $4,626, the 2013-14 PSA is $179 below its highpoint in 2010-11.

 

A return to the PSA highpoint, which would require a 3.8 percent increase, should be an advocating focus, said Pogany.

 

 

 

“School districts are still struggling with funding,” Pogany said. “Getting back to $4,805, while a stretch, is attainable and the study is a good forum to broach that idea.”

 

 

Pogany expected ASBSD would be involved in some form in the summer study.

 

Updates on the funding study’s findings will be available on the ASBSD Blog.