Both Cordova lawmakers Rep. Louise Stutes and Sen. Gary Stevens voted on Tuesday to override Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s education funding bill.
The override vote came after Dunleavy vetoed House Bill 57 yesterday, which outlined a $700 increase to the state’s Base Student Allocation (BSA) – Alaska’s per-student public school funding model. The governor’s veto on May 19 was the third time in two years he has vetoed education bills to increase the BSA.
Stutes said her constituents have been clear that they wanted the Legislature to see this through.
“I am proud of my vote and thrilled at the outcome for Alaska’s parents, educators, and students,” she said. “This is the first step, and I will continue to support legislation that moves our education system forward.”
Stevens said the override vote “demonstrated remarkable unity” between state lawmakers.
“This bipartisan action ensures our students and teachers have the resources and opportunities they need to succeed, without cutting teachers, essential advanced curriculum, or extracurricular activities,” Stevens said. “It’s an opportunity to stabilize our schools and support our students, teachers, administrators, and school boards, and give families a reason to stay and thrive in Alaska.”
But even with a BSA bump likely incoming, Cordova school officials say they are still barely staying afloat.
During a May 7 work session with the City Council, staff with the Cordova School District Board of Education outlined $900,000 worth of budget cuts for the 2025-2026 school year. That will likely come from not filling multiple staff positions, cutting down on classroom supplies, eliminating coach and chaperone per diems, and limiting students to one school activity trip per year (including varsity sports), to name a few.
“Full transparency, I wouldn’t be doing my job in good faith for the district if I wasn’t asking for what we needed,” Cordova School District Superintendent Alex Russin said during the work session. “If there is any additional revenue that we do not receive from whomever, whether that’s the state or the city, quite honestly I’m not sure where we go as a district.”
The Cordova School District has been balancing its budget based on a $680 increase to the BSA, to safely underestimate. The board has to OK the budget and submit it to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) by July 15.
But Russin, who has been the Cordova School District superintendent for 10 years, said there’s also a worry the governor could still line-item veto elements of the BSA funding. In that case, the district might have to re-work its budget again – potentially cutting more services.
“Any time there is uncertainty, people will experience a variety of emotions,” he told The Cordova Times. “Generally speaking, there is a great level of concern among all stakeholders that when revenues are not adequate to meet the needs, operations and programs are likely to be reduced.”
This story has been updated to include quotes from Stutes and Stevens.
