LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY

Grateful but Concerned: Reflections on the 2025 Alaska Legislative Session

Lon Garrison, AASB Executive Director

As the first session of Alaska’s 34th Legislature draws to a close, education leaders and public school advocates find themselves navigating a mix of gratitude and trepidation. What began as a bitterly divided session, defined by political brinkmanship and partisan gridlock, ended with a powerful affirmation of collective will — the successful passage and veto override of HB 57, a landmark education compromise bill. But even as we celebrate this hard-won progress, significant concerns remain about the road ahead.

For most of the session, education funding remained the most contentious and polarizing issue. The Base Student Allocation (BSA), Alaska’s primary education funding mechanism, had remained stagnant for over a decade, and districts across the state were bracing for financial collapse. Despite the overwhelming need for action, political factions remained entrenched. The governor, while projecting an image of cooperation, continually undermined real compromise by clinging to rigid positions and personal politics.



But in late April, something remarkable happened.

TRIBAL COMPACTING

Alaska Tribal Consultation Day Sparks Momentum for Deeper School Board & Community Engagement 

Dana Mock, President, AASB, Board of Directors

Margo Bellamy, Chair, AASB Tribal Compacting Ad Hoc Committee

The recent Alaska Tribal Consultation Day, hosted by the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) during its 2025 Spring Boardsmanship Academy in Anchorage, was a resounding success!!

Held in partnership with Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and the National Indian Education Association (NIEA), the event was designed to help Alaska’s school boards and school districts understand and meet the legal requirements for tribal consulting and to share best practices for engaging in tribal consultation and build strong and sustainable tribal partnerships.

Are you passionate about supporting students and school boards across Alaska?

This is your opportunity to make an even greater impact! The AASB Board of Directors currently has one vacancy, and we are looking for dedicated school board members to join us in shaping the future of education in our state. The newly appointed member will fill that vacancy until the next annual meeting in November.

Interested in Applying? Here's what we're looking for:

• Availability: Be ready to attend the in-person summer meeting, July 18-20, 2025, in Anchorage.
• Commitment: Represent all member school districts across Alaska.
• Support: Have the backing of your local school board, including a commitment of financial support to attend the November meeting of the Board in Anchorage.
• Integrity: Agree to uphold the AASB Board of Directors Code of Ethics.

If this sounds like you, we encourage you to step forward and apply! Serving on the AASB Board of Directors is a rewarding way to amplify your voice and help shape the policies that benefit all Alaskan students.

BOARD DEVELOPMENT

Recruiting and Supporting Future School Board Members: A Key to Stronger Governance

Pete Hoepfner, Board Development Coordinator

As a current member of the local board of education, you understand the vital role effective leadership plays in shaping the future of our schools.

One of the most important responsibilities of any sitting board is to ensure that future boards are prepared to lead with continuity, integrity, and vision. This means going beyond the day-to-day work of governance–it means investing in the future by identifying, recruiting, and mentoring the next generation of board members.

Navigating the RIFt: Things to Consider When Budgets Break

Daniel Bellerive of Sedor, Wendlandt, Evans & Filippi, LLC

Part 10 of the series Back to Basics

Ben Franklin famously said that “nothing is certain but death and taxes,” and this is certainly true of Alaska school funding. Uncertainty about levels of funding and education budgets complicates school districts’ ability to plan for upcoming school years. School boards have many tools to address funding challenges. One of those tools is the Reduction in Force (“RIF”).



RIFs are one of the most difficult and sensitive actions that your district may face. They impact your dedicated staff, classroom environments, and the wider school community. Grounding a district’s decisions in facts and law is essential to protect the district from legal challenges.

No second – should motion be recorded

in minutes?

Ann Macfarlane, Professional Parliamentarian

A member made a motion and no one seconded it. Should it be included in the minutes? This is a simple question with a slightly complex answer.

Our board meeting minutes have become quite lengthy and include details of board discussions. Could you provide any recommendations or best practices for what board minutes should capture?

Answer: We encourage boards to use Action Minutes as a best practice. Action minutes focus on documenting the decisions made by the board, including motions, votes, and actions taken—rather than attempting to capture a verbatim or detailed summary of the discussion.

This approach promotes clarity, reduces the risk of misinterpretation, and aligns with the primary purpose of minutes: to serve as an official record of board action.

Got a question? Email Jenni Lefing or Katie Oliver

Looking for a New Superintendent?

The Association of Alaska School Boards has been conducting successful and economical superintendent searches for over twenty years. Our Superintendent Search Service provides expert facilitation of the entire search process, including identifying the needs of the district, recruiting candidates, conducting background searches, facilitating interviews, and all the steps to help with the hiring process.

If you would like AASB to conduct a superintendent search for your district, or have questions, Learn More or Contact Us