JUNEAU — As Gov. Mike Dunleavy threatens to hold K-12 education funding hostage unless state lawmakers advance his charter school and teacher bonus initiatives, previous efforts to get new charter schools off the ground — including on the Kenai Peninsula — are being given statewide attention.

Lawmakers were jubilant last month after passing a comprehensive education package — Senate Bill 140 — that included an 11% bump to the amount of money school districts get per student, provided extra money for districts to provide reading intervention services as part of the Alaska Reads Act, created a new statewide charter school coordinator position at the state Department of Education and sought to improve internet quality and speed for rural schools.

However, Dunleavy said that the legislation fell short of what he wanted to see, specifically regarding charter schools and the absence of a $54.5 million teacher bonus program he proposed last session. He vetoed the package Thursday evening, saying it lacked his priorities.

Dunleavy has pointed to a recent study out of Harvard University, which found that Alaska’s charter schools are among the best performing in the United States, as a reason to expand charter offerings. Some lawmakers, though, have questioned whether the study alone is sufficient evidence to justify an overhaul of Alaska’s charter programs.

A theme of the changes Dunleavy would like to see implemented is a shift of authority over charter school approvals from local school districts to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

In addition to the statewide charter school coordinator position included in S.B. 140, Dunleavy’s also voiced his support for allowing charter school applicants to submit their petitions directly to the state. Currently, those applications are sent to the applicants’ local school board and, if rejected, may be appealed to the Alaska Board of Education.

A meeting of the Senate Education Committee last week brought together charter school leaders from around the state to share their thoughts on Dunleavy’s proposals. Speakers overwhelmingly said they support keeping control of charter schools local, including Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Clayton Holland and Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, who sits on the committee.

“I don’t see any advantage,” Holland said in response to Senate President Gary Stevens, who sits on the committee and asked all presenters whether they saw any advantage to moving charter approvals from the local school board to state level.

Holland said he’s not clear how the process would work in a case where a charter school’s budget didn’t pencil out, or if there are services the school is supposed to be providing but isn’t. Charter applicants also already have the chance for their petition to be heard by the state if it’s denied locally, he said.

There are four charter schools that operate under the umbrella of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District: Aurora Borealis Charter and Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences in Kenai; Soldotna Montessori Charter in Soldotna; and Fireweed Academy in Homer. Combined, they serve 653 students — about 7% of KPBSD’s total population.

Holland said that, in the past 10 years, four groups have tried to start new charter schools in the district. Three of those applications were approved, but later rescinded by petitioners, and one was rejected. Two of those applications were considered by the school board in 2022.

One came from a group that pitched a forest school in Homer. Organizers envisioned a school that used the outdoors as a classroom and in which learning took place “away from screens.” The group’s application, Holland told committee members, was on track for approval, but was pulled at the last moment because they couldn’t find a facility.

Separate from the Senate committee hearing, the House Education Committee on Thursday introduced a bill that would allow the state school board to authorize charter schools.

Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, who co-chairs the committee, on Thursday described it as “next in the line of options” to keep prioritizing Dunleavy’s initiatives. He said the bill was not introduced as part of negotiations with Dunleavy’s office in hopes that the governor might have signed S.B. 140 into law.

“This bill is not a condition bill and really isn’t linked in my dialogue with any members of the House Majority or with the governor’s office,” Ruffridge said Thursday afternoon. “They’re not really linked. It’s more in the vein of ‘Hey, this is something we still need to talk about throughout this session and please let’s talk about it.’”

Ruffridge said generally that he supports charter schools and that he views local control as a cornerstone of the Republican Party’s platform. He speaks often, he said, with Holland and with Cody McCanna, the principal of Aurora Borealis Charter School, and that it’s clear to him that they also value local control and are interested in both protecting and expanding KPBSD’s existing charter programs.

“Protecting what exists and then allowing that to expand in the capacity that exists already, I think, was a priority — at least in my district — which is why S.B. 140 was a bill that I supported and continued to support,” he said.

Ruffridge said Thursday that the bill introduced by House Education should have its first hearing next week.

This reporting from the State Capitol was made possible by the Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism’s Legislative Reporter Exchange. Alaska news outlets, please contact Erin Thompson at editor@peninsulaclarion.com to republish this story.