Dear Gov. Dunleavy,

As a student in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, and as someone who is invested in my own and my peers’ future, our education funding is falling short by exuberant amounts.

I am a senior at Soldotna High School, enrolled in dual credit college courses, and am involved in my school’s student council. Being in the student council this year, I have been involved in discussions about how we are going to adapt to these changes, and it has shown me how much of a difference this deficit is going to make. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District has a deficit of $17 million. Our entire state needs more funding, but I want to explain to you how this will affect the students on a personal level.

I have been an advanced student almost my entire education career. I was a Quest kid. It pushed me to reach for higher achievements than my regular classroom pushed me. One of my classmates was in quest his entire elementary life. He is our senior class president, and he is committed to attend Stanford in the fall. Quest has produced some of the most academically advanced people I go to school with. After this year, Quest will be eliminated to make up for the budget deficit. I am enrolled in dual credit college classes, and I am fortunate enough that my family can pay for my Jumpstart classes. Many students in my school can’t, so they work hard to be accepted into the middle college program, which is free college classes for those who test high enough to show they will be successful in the program. It gives high school students the opportunity to potentially graduate with an associate’s degree by their high school graduation. Middle college is some students’ only opportunity to attend college classes. After this year, middle college will be eliminated to make up for the budget deficit.

These are only two examples of how people will be affected by the lack of funding being given to our education system. Elective classes such as art and drama are at risk, which encourage kids to attend school so they can participate in activities that they enjoy, and can socialize in. Our district has to shut down entire elementary schools such as Sterling Elementary School and Nikolaevsk School, both of which make public learning much more accessible to those who live in rural areas. Our district has to close pools in public schools, such as Seldovia and Ninilchick. We live in a state where almost every town or community lives by a water source, and water safety is not only a concern, but a necessity to our state, especially the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. My school district is lucky enough that we only have a $17 million deficit. The Anchorage School District had to make up for an over $100 million deficit. No more middle school sports. No more high school hockey. No more high school gymnastics. 380 staff positions being laid off. All directly caused by lack of funding.

Our education system is failing. Education is single-handedly the biggest, most important aspect of not only our state, but our country as a whole. Without basic education, we don’t have functional members of society. We need education so our citizens can fill out a job application, understand politics and can vote, become teachers, architects, politicians, police officers, firefighters, doctors, surgeons, and literally every other occupation that general education is a necessity. Nothing happens without learning, and public education provides basic education and it teaches us how to learn and adapt in our adult lives. People who aren’t invested in education aren’t invested in the future of our state, or our country. I see great potential in my peers, but kids everywhere are struggling, and you can make a difference in your state by approving more funding for education. Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you make the correct decisions for our community. The future of our state and greatest resource depends on it.

Brooke Walters is a senior at Soldotna High School.