Alaska Schools receive a one-time funding boost that arrived too late for many teachers

Laurie Duncan received her termination notice at the end of April, following her second year as a first-grade teacher at Xóots Elementary in Sitka. The news came during her prep period, while she was three months pregnant.

Amid financial uncertainty, nearly 20% of Sitka’s teachers were laid off this spring. This included all the district’s librarians and most of its reading specialists.

“I can’t easily secure a new job, given that I’m due to go on maternity leave in August and have a baby,” she said, chuckling. “I’m in a bit of a predicament. This baby is on the way, and there’s no turning back now!”

With a master’s degree in teaching, Duncan intends to remain in Sitka to raise her family alongside her husband, who is a native of the area. Although she had arranged for a long-term substitute teacher post-delivery, she lost her health coverage in late May. It wasn’t until July that she learned she had been rehired.

She, along with several other laid-off teachers, were recently reinstated after Gov. Mike Dunleavy approved the Legislature’s one-time, $680 increase to per pupil funding. This boost came in response to districts highlighting their financial dire straits during the legislative session and Dunleavy’s veto of a substantial, long-term funding increase, citing differing educational priorities.

Districts statewide acknowledge that the one-time increase has alleviated their financial burdens and permitted the rehiring of some of the laid-off teachers. However, for many, the reinstatements came too late, as numerous school boards had already opted for conservative budgets in anticipation of potential funding cuts.

Duncan mentioned that several of her fellow teachers departed due to the risk of unemployment. “Family considerations play a significant role, and it’s disheartening to lose exceptional teachers,” she expressed.