March 1, 2024, Academy Charter School in Palmer (Tim Rockey / Alaska Public Media)
Matanuska-Susitna Borough voters will decide on a bond proposal that would provide $58 million for building improvements to three charter schools.
Massou Borough Council unanimously passed an ordinance in August that would put the proposal on the November ballot. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Rob Youndt, who has since resigned from the Legislature and is running for the state Senate to represent Wasilla.
If passed by a majority of Mattos and Sue voters on Nov. 5, the bond would provide $15 million to American Charter Academy, $16 million to Academy Charter School, and $27 million to Birchtree Charter School. dollars will be given.
American Charter Academy operates out of a strip mall in Meadow Lakes. The school has limited space and has dealt with heating issues, traffic issues and a shrew infestation. Principal Patty Farren said the school was licensed to provide high school instruction, but due to space, it is currently only offering classes for kindergarten through eighth grade.
“There’s a big difference between our facilities and the types of schools we have,” Farren said. “We have set aside 20 acres of land along Church Road, which has been given away for the school, and we have also designed the school using money from our own budget. So we have a plan and we just need the money to build it.”
Charter schools in Alaska are public schools supported by local school districts but maintain independence with their own budgets, curriculum, and employment. Although buildings typically do not receive taxpayer support, bonds have been passed to fund charter school facilities in the past.
“I believe that if this is approved, it will probably start a whole new path for the school moving forward,” Academy Charter principal Barbara Gerrard said.
Principals say finding suitable buildings to house charter schools is a major hurdle, and many see bond proposals as a viable way to expand access to charter schools in the state. It states that
If the bond passes, American Charter Academy would move to a location already secured and add about 100 students. Academy Charter School will add 180 students and a high school grade to the campus, making it the only Matusu charter school for kindergarten through high school. The building that Birchtree Charter School was leasing has been sold, so the school will have to move whether the bond goes through or not.
The bond generates an additional tax of approximately $31.40 per $100,000 of assessed property value, and these schools must use 12.5 percent of their annual budget to repay the bond. The three schools will contribute more than $1 million each year to debt relief, reducing the amount the public has to pay.
“It’s not all going to be at the taxpayers’ expense,” Mr Gerrard said. “Most of that cost will be paid by each of these three charter schools. This is a whole new way of thinking about how we fund our public schools.”
Tim Rockey is the producer of Alaska News Nightly and the director of education for Alaska Public Media. Contact attrockey@alaskapublic.orgor 907-550-8487. Read more about Timhere.
