Forward funding for education was a hot topic of conversation at the Funny River Community Center Friday night, where a packed house of area residents had a chance to voice their concerns to the three candidates for Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor.
Seasonal issuing of pink slips to teachers, the uncertainty in school budgets, and remembrances of the pre-oil education tax equating to a day’s salary were voiced by frustrated participants.
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| Representative Paul Seaton |
The need for forward funding for education is a call to action voiced also by Representative Paul Seaton (R-D31).
The problem, Seaton offered, was to be found in the Senate Majority leadership, who offered dramatic cuts to education funding.Representative Paul Seaton: “The House Majority Coalition still says that funding education and having good schools is the most important thing that we can do for our future…I think that is the most important thing we can do to make sure our state thrives.”
“The House budget last years did do the POMV draws for ’17 and ’18, and that was specifically to forward fund education…and we would have had not the entire amount for next year, but we would have had half of the money already in the public education fund.”
Seaton said the Senate refused to compromise on forward funding for education, and subsequently the House’s effort was futile. He strongly suggested that community members who wanted forward funding mandated contact their Senate representative and let him know.
Story as aired on KSRM News:
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