Cordova students took part in demonstrations across the state last week, walking out of school to protest Gov. Mike Dunleavy's veto of last month's education funding bill.
According to Alaska Public Media, protests on April 4 were held across the state by students from more than 20 schools. Students walked out of class for 40 minutes, one for each member of Congress needed to override Dunleavy's veto.
Eleven students at Cordova Junior/Senior High School (CHS) were expelled last week, including students participating in student government, sports and music programs. Key Guzmen, a CHS senior and Córdoba Times intern, said none of the teachers tried to disrupt the protest, and in fact, Principal Kate Williams said the students who participated were asked to return to campus. At the time, he expressed his gratitude for the demonstration.
Senate Bill 140 (passed 38-2 in the state House and 18-1 in the state Senate) includes an increase of $680 per student, equal to 11% of the Base Student Allocation (BSA), and more funding. It was included. Student transportation. Dunleavy warned that unless the education bill is amended to include additional funding for charter schools, he won't sign the bill because it would cost the state $60 million.
The governor vetoed SB 140 as promised on March 14, but several days later, state legislators came one vote short of overriding his veto.
Cordova School District (CSD) is not unique in its funding challenges.
Before the March 14 veto, Cordova City School Board President Barbara Jewell told the Cordova Times that even with a $680 BSA increase, CSD would still face a significant funding shortfall. Ta. The veto and subsequent override failure prompted CSD officials to ponder difficult education budget decisions, including discussions on whether to eliminate school lunch services, certain school-sanctioned activities, and district positions. ing.
“Unless Congress can create additional funding for our schools, their actions will cause significant harm to our school district and our students,” Jewell said in a previous interview with the Cordova Times. “Schools will open, but they won't work. You can't take that much money out of the district and make it work.”
Guzmen said Cordova students learned about the demonstration through Alaska Student Government social media.
Disclaimer: Kyi Gasmen is an editorial intern at the Cordoba Times and also participated in the Cordoba Junior/Senior strike. high school.