Researchers with ISER study a number of important topics related to education, including what the state spends per pupil and how it invests in school facilities. Two legislative briefs from 2021 analyzed the cost for school districts in providing basic but critical needs: internet access and energy.
Internet access
Rural Alaska schools face challenges in using technology for teaching and learning, especially for access to fast internet. This became especially apparent during the pandemic, when schools had to move to distance delivered options.
Diane Hirshberg, ISER director and professor of education policy, and Jessica Passini, ISER research professional, detailed these costs in School District Internet Costs and Access in Alaska.
“Access to fast internet is limited in many rural schools, and the challenges this creates are compounded by many families not having internet access in their homes,” Hirshberg said. “The opportunities are changing rapidly as new satellite-based options come on line, but we need to make sure district, schools, and families can take advantage of them. This will require considerable investment, not only in paying for access, but in making sure the technology is in place in schools and homes that facilitates this access.”
The Hirshberg and Passini report showed that both quality of internet access and cost vary greatly around the state, ranging from $3 to well over $1000 per student per year in a few districts.
Reliable internet, speed, and bandwidth also vary across the state. Since their brief was written, Hirshberg and Passini noted that new initiatives to provide broader and faster access have been announced. However, they said it is important to improve the data gathered so that policymakers can better identify where to focus limited state resources.
“It is critical that Alaska continues to increase bandwidth in schools,” they wrote. “One-to-one laptop initiatives, games-based learning, distance delivered advanced courses and other innovations require strong and reliable access. Some districts and schools need support around building infrastructure and capacity in school sites to take advantage of existing networks and, especially for communities that have been underserved, forthcoming improvements in bandwidth.”
Energy costs
Energy costs are a consistent issue for school districts in Alaska. Hirshberg collaborated with Nathan Green, a researcher with the Alaska Center for Energy and Power, on a legislative brief to analyze school district energy costs (both heating and electricity) around the state, along with the factors that influence those costs.
School District Energy Costs in Alaska covers energy sources and energy use in schools, trends in energy expenditures, renewable energy in schools, and school district costs listed by climate zone and road access.
“As policy makers tackle difficult budgetary issues, it’s important that they keep these fixed energy costs in mind, and avoid putting more burden on schools,” said Hirshberg. “Better data is needed to understand energy use in schools systematically, but it is clear that significant outlays are needed to renovate buildings and energy systems to maximize efficiency and cut costs. The savings to doing this are likely to be considerable and, in a time of budgetary uncertainty, we need to look at the long-term savings that could come from a short-term investment.”
Additional Alaska K-12 spending reports authored by ISER researchers:
K-12 energy costs (2021 report)
K-12 internet costs (2021 report)
K-12 per-pupil spending (2022 update)
K-12 per-pupil spending (2019 report)
K-12 capital spending (2021 report)
