Alaska School Districts Sue State Over Long-Term Education Funding Shortfalls

Districts Say State Is Failing Students

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Two Alaska school districts filed suit Tuesday in Anchorage Superior Court, accusing the state, the governor and the education commissioner of failing to meet constitutional obligations to fund public education.

The Kuspuk School District and the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District argue the state has not provided students with “a sound basic education and meaningful opportunity for proficiency” and that years of inadequate funding have harmed schools across Alaska.

The lawsuit seeks a ruling that the state is violating the Alaska Constitution, along with an injunction requiring the state to meet its duties. The districts also want a court-ordered adequacy study to determine what it actually costs to educate Alaska students.

Plaintiffs Cite Long-Term Underfunding

Matt Singer, the attorney representing the districts, said Alaska has never conducted a comprehensive study of school funding needs. “If you don’t know what something is going to cost, then you can’t have a conversation with the Legislature about how to fund it,” he said.

The complaint points to declining proficiency scores, the loss of teaching positions and the elimination of fine arts, career technical and vocational programs. District leaders also say school buildings have become unsafe.

Kuspuk Superintendent Madeline Aguillard said chronic funding shortfalls have taken a heavy toll. “That’s almost a decade of just starting at nothing and when you have to claw your way to even less than minimal funding, that takes a toll,” she said.

Fairbanks Superintendent Luke Meinert said the timing of the filing, which coincided with the start of the legislative session, was intentional. “I think it sends the message that the work on education funding is not done,” he said.

State Officials Respond

A spokesperson for the governor’s office referred questions to the Department of Law. Department spokesperson Sam Curtis said the appropriate approach is through legislation, not litigation. He wrote that Alaska’s constitution gives budget authority to the Legislature and the governor.

Education Commissioner Deena Bishop did not comment Tuesday. As Anchorage’s superintendent, she argued for increased funding, but after joining the administration she said she preferred targeted approaches, such as increased support for tutors. In 2024, she said her department does not control funding decisions and that “the Legislature creates” the money.

Concerns Over Buildings and Student Safety

District leaders describe deteriorating school facilities across the state. Investigations in recent years revealed black mold, toxic chemical leaks, unreliable plumbing and, in one case, bats flying through classrooms. In other schools, failing heating systems left buildings unsafe during a prolonged winter cold snap.

Aguillard said some buildings in her district are so compromised they should not be occupied. On Monday, she learned that broken roof joints forced the immediate closure of a high school gym in Aniak. “We are closing the high school immediately and beginning plans to demolish before it collapses,” she wrote.

During the recent cold spell, eight of the district’s nine buildings were unable to open on time because they lacked heat, water or electricity. “It’s unsettling,” Aguillard said. “Our buildings should not be shutting down so easily.”

Lawmakers Say Funding Issues Are Ongoing

Sen. Löki Tobin, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, said the lawsuit was expected. “Our local school boards have been bleeding,” she said. She noted that state support has been slowly diminishing.

Last year, lawmakers approved a $700 increase to the Base Student Allocation and later overrode the governor’s vetoes related to school funding. District leaders say the increase still falls short, and the lawsuit states that inflation has reduced districts’ purchasing power by 37% over the past decade.

Broader Impact on Communities

The lawsuit highlights disparities between districts with access to local tax revenue and those that rely entirely on the state. Many of the most underfunded schools serve predominantly Indigenous communities in rural Alaska.

Singer said the issues go beyond budgets. “The state is failing in all regards,” he said. “One of the things is a safe school building with a roof and heater. Another thing you need is a competent teacher standing in front of a classroom educating young people.”