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Alaska’s Education Committee probes risk of losing education funding


Members of the Alaska Senate Finance Committee make closing statements in an April 3, 2023 meeting on a summary of the implementation of the Federal Maintenance of Equity” Provision.

Alaska is asking the U.S. Department of Education to waive a federal requirement placed on federal COVID relief funds after the feds alleged the state failed to pay $29 million to four urban school districts. At the center of the dispute: a hold—harmless provision designed to protect school districts with students from low-income families and high-poverty areas from significant drops in funding.

The state’s Education Committee held hearings last week after DOE sent a letter on March 27 to the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) stating it was not in compliance with the conditions of receiving the funding. The federal government claims Alaska accepted federal grants in 2021 and 2022, but some school districts received less state funding, putting the state at odds with the national maintenance of equity (MOEquity) provision.



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