CITY OF HOMER
HOMER, ALASKA
LADD
RESOLUTION 03-30
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF HOMER, ALASKA,
ENCOURAGING THE STATE OF ALASKA TO PROPERLY SUPPORT THE KENAI PENINSULA BOROUGH
SCHOOL DISTRICT THROUGH CHANGING THE STATE FOUNDATION FORMULA TO MORE FAIRLY
REFLECT THE PENINSULA’S UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY, CULTURAL NEEDS, AND RESLUTING IN
KENAI PENINSULA STUDENTS HAVING THE SAME OPPORTUNITY AS OTHER ALASKA STUDENTS
TO MEET CONTENT AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
WHEREAS, the State of Alaska has
adopted content and performance standards that represent what Alaskans want
students to know and be able to do as a result of their public schooling, and
WHEREAS, standards adopted in December, 1995 have shifted educational emphasis from what goes into our education system to what comes out of it, and
WHEREAS, the opportunity for a student to successfully achieve an Alaska educational standard is dependent upon his or her time and energy dedicated toward learning as well as support from family, educators, community, the Kenai Peninsula Borough, and the State of Alaska, and
WHEREAS, students within the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, including all public students in the Homer area are placed at a distinct disadvantage due to an unfair State of Alaska foundation formula used to calculate the distribution of funds to schools throughout the Kenai Peninsula, and
WHEREAS, Peninsula schools are costly to operate, staff, and maintain due to the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s unique geography encompassing remote locations and schools accessible only by water or air, and
WHEREAS, the cost differential within the State of Alaska educational foundation formula only slightly recognizes this difference from Anchorage at a ratio of 1.004, and
WHEREAS, projected revenue based upon the 1.004 ratio provides about 39.8 million from the State and limits the Borough’s local share to about 31.1 million, and
Page Two
Resolution 03-30
City of Homer
WHEREAS, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District has a FY 04 budget shortfall of 2.9 million after laying off 52 teachers across the district, raising the teacher/pupil ration by three in every grade over third grade, and staffing reductions will negatively impact curriculum offerings such as the reduction of Spanish at Homer High School, and
WHEREAS, the loss of the Spanish program at Homer High School is in direct conflict with the State of Alaska content standard stating that, “a student should be able to communicated in two or more languages, one of which is English,” and
WHEREAS, “a student should possess the language skills and cultural knowledge necessary to participate successfully in multilingual communities and the international market place,” and
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY OF HOMER RESOLVES THAT:
PASSED
AND ADOPTED BY THE HOMER CITY COUNCIL this 24th day of February, 2003.
CITY
OF HOMER
Jack
Cushing, Mayor
ATTEST:
Mary L. Calhoun, City Clerk
Fiscal Impact: Not identified.