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:

 

  1. The City of Homer supports recent legislative fact finding in the American Institutes for Research report advancing the position that the educational foundation formula cost ratio for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District be changed from 1.004 to 1.03, and
  2. This resolution in support of a changed educational foundation formula as identified by the American Institutes for Research be adopted to provide relief to public education and approximately a 1.4 million dollar increase to the KPBSD’s state portion and about a $300,000 increase to the local effort portion, and
  3. The City of Homer initiate dialog with Homer High School/ Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, UAA – Kachemak Bay Branch, Kachemak City, Anchor Point, and local nonprofit organizations to explore other alternatives to maintaining curriculum at Homer High School should this legislature not take the necessary and basic measures necessary to insure equal funding for education on the Kenai Peninsula, and
  4. The City of Homer encourages other Kenai Peninsula Borough communities to enact similar resolutions of support of education and to submit approved resolutions to the Legislature for consideration. 

 

            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.