A newly-formed group of fathers from central and southeast Alaska has strongly opposed Governor Mike Dunleavy’s recent veto of education funding, while some supporters of the veto argue it was a necessary decision to improve education in the state.
The group, called Alaska Dads for Economic and Student Capacity, was established at the beginning of 2025. The members are concerned about how ongoing funding challenges are affecting students. With about 60 members, the group has raised funds to send representatives to Juneau to speak with legislators and share advocacy efforts across Anchorage.
Matt Blakeslee, a father from Anchorage with two young daughters, expressed concern about the significant reduction in per-student funding, known as the Base Student Allocation (BSA). He emphasized that the BSA once provided essential resources that positively impacted his life.
“We need a $1,000 increase in the BSA right now,” Blakeslee said. “We also need to pass more revenue-generating bills to diversify how we fund education and ensure it keeps up with inflation.”
Blakeslee criticized the governor’s decision, noting that Alaska’s ranking in per-student funding had dropped from 32nd to 48th under Dunleavy’s leadership. “Flat funding has put us last, and you can’t ignore the impact this has on student outcomes,” Blakeslee added.
Supporters of the veto, including the Senate Finance Committee, argue that the bill passed in the legislature, which included a $1,000 BSA increase, was not enough to address the state’s long-term financial challenges. The proposed $250 million increase under House Bill 69 would have meant about $6,960 per student, but the governor vetoed it due to concerns over a struggling oil revenue system and lack of sustainable policy solutions.
Americans for Prosperity, a group opposing HB 69, supports the governor’s veto and questions the logic behind passing a bill that the governor had already opposed. Quincy Azimi-Tabrizi, Deputy State Director for the group, said the bill was a form of “performative politics” designed to create headlines rather than provide real solutions for the state.
Governor Dunleavy has countered with a new education bill that includes a $560 BSA increase, along with additional funding and policy reforms. These reforms focus on reading proficiency, homeschool funding, and charter school improvements, which Dunleavy claims make the increase equivalent to a $700 BSA.
Azimi-Tabrizi praised the governor’s alternative bill, seeing it as a step forward due to its transparency and focus on diverse learning needs.
The bill proposes reforms such as:
Charter School Reforms: Streamlined processes to support high-quality charter schools, including faster application timelines and protections against unwarranted closures.
Reading Incentive Grants: $21.9 million in funding to reward reading growth and proficiency for K–6 students.
Correspondence Program Adjustments: $13.6 million to ensure fair funding for public correspondence students.
School Choice Protections: Enhanced transparency and accountability in open enrollment to ensure families can access the best schools for their children.
Azimi-Tabrizi believes these reforms will give parents more control over their children’s education and ensure transparency in schools. “Families deserve to know what’s happening in schools and have the ability to help educate their kids at home,” she said.
However, members of Alaska Dads for Economic and Student Capacity disagree with the governor’s approach. Francis McLaughlin, a father with two daughters in Anchorage’s Scenic Park Elementary, expressed concern about proposed cuts to programs like IGNITE (Including Gifted Needs in Today’s Education). He criticized the governor for vetoing education funding for the third consecutive year and claimed the governor’s bill would divert funding from public schools to private institutions.
“I’ve talked to many parents, and they all agree that public school funding needs to increase,” McLaughlin said. “It’s been nearly a decade without an increase in the base student allocation, and it’s time for change.”
Azimi-Tabrizi, on the other hand, argued that spending $22,000 per student annually and still ranking 49th in national education outcomes requires scrutiny of how that money is spent. She emphasized that the state budget deficit and inflation require a careful review of how each dollar is spent in education to ensure it reaches the students and teachers.
“We need to make sure every dollar counts in improving education and outcomes,” Azimi-Tabrizi concluded. “The focus should be on making schools better for Alaska’s families.”
