ISER researchers Matt Berman and Dayna DeFeo have released a new report updating their previous analyses of Alaska’s current per-pupil education spending. The report is available here: http://hdl.handle.net/11122/15717
In 2022, K-12 schools in Alaska spent $20,191 per student for current operations, which was 29% more than the national average of $15,633. However, after adjusting Alaska’s spending for its higher relative costs, their analysis finds that Alaska’s per-pupil current expenditures fall below the national average by 15%.
Between 2017 and 2022, per pupil current spending in other US states increased by 26%, whereas Alaska’s spending increased by only 13%. Meanwhile, the US inflation rate in that same time period was 19%. This means that the Alaska’s current K-12 education investments have increased by only half as much as those made by other states, and have not kept up with inflation. Given that the 2022 spending numbers include one-time federal COVID relief funds, the state faces additional pressure to fill the gap left by the phase-out of these funds.
“This is important context,” DeFeo said, noting that Alaska’s ability to attract and retain qualified teachers is tied to offering competitive salaries. “But we need to remember that these numbers don’t answer the question of how much Alaska should spend on education.” Berman added, “Our analysis does not make a connection between student achievement and funding. There is a need for more research on those questions.”
Berman and DeFeo testified about these findings to the Alaska Senate Education Committee on February 17, and to the Alaska House Education Committee on February 26.
