The U.S. Department of Education has resolved a dispute with Alaska over how COVID-19 aid was disbursed to the state’s schools. The federal agency had withheld $17.5 million in funding in September, alleging that Alaska had not funded schools equitably during the pandemic. However, the department now says that a one-time funding boost of $175 million provided this year has addressed their equity concerns.
Alaska officials had denied the allegations, stating that the state’s school funding formula had maintained equitable spending. The dispute had escalated over the past year, with Alaska being designated as a “high-risk grantee” in March, putting federal funding at risk. The state Legislature had appropriated $11.9 million to school districts to resolve the issue, but this funding was vetoed by Governor Mike Dunleavy in June.
Following the resolution of the dispute, Dunleavy and Education Commissioner Deena Bishop celebrated the decision, with Dunleavy expressing support for eliminating the federal education department altogether. However, some state officials, like Democratic Senator Löki Tobin, believed that a one-time boost to school funding would not be enough to resolve the federal government’s equity concerns.
The U.S. Department of Education did not immediately comment on whether Alaska’s high-risk grantee status would be lifted as a result of the resolution. Overall, the state education officials are pleased that the matter has been resolved, ensuring that schools will receive the necessary funding to support students during the ongoing pandemic.
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