RSS 1.0Reports
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How much does Alaska spend on K-12 education? Research SummaryEducation funding in Alaska, as in most states, is one of the largest allocations in the state operating budget. In 2017, Alaska’s K-12 per-pupil spending was $17,838, which is 46% higher than the national average. However, a lot of things in Alaska are expensive relative to national averages: healthcare, food, and energy, to name just a few. In this paper we adjusted Alaska’s data from the US Census Bureau 2017 Annual Survey of School System Finances to state and national cost indices, and find that Alaska’s per-pupil expenditures are on par with national averages. As many drivers of Alaska’s education costs extend beyond education policy, we caution against cuts that leave districts with few choices but to diminish the teacher workforce by eliminating positions or hiring lower quality teachers with less competitive salaries.
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Are Alaska teacher salaries competitive?This paper explores how Alaska teacher salaries compare to the national average, between 1969 and 2021, adjusted for cost of living differences. It examines trends in salaries of Alaska and US teachers adjusted for inflation, and how the salary differentials have changed over time. The analysis reveals that Alaska teacher salaries have been lower than competitive levels for the past several decades, although the emerging national teacher shortage has increased the challenge that less competitive salaries pose for recruiting and retaining Alaska teachers. The paper discusses the implications of this trend, with attention to hiring and retaining teachers in Alaska schools.
