The issue of whether public school funds can go toward private education is currently being reviewed by the Alaska Department of Law. Specifically, this question: Can families enrolled in a state-funded correspondence program use their allotment to pay for private school classes?
A state statute paves the way for it, there are families in Alaska excited about the option, and at least one correspondence school in the state already allows it. But the state Department of Education and Early Development is unclear if it’s allowed and opponents of the practice say it violates a provision of the Alaska Constitution.
Spokespeople for both the Department of Education and the Department of Law couldn’t answer the question and say the issue is currently under review. “The Department of Law will weigh in on it. But once I get an answer, we’ll be responsible for putting that information out,” said Don Enoch. Enoch is special education director for the state of Alaska and also works in correspondence, charter, early childhood and Head Start programs.
School districts in Alaska can establish state-funded public correspondence schools for families who choose to homeschool their children. In Alaska, Enoch said the terms correspondence school and homeschool are synonymous and are used interchangeably.
“There’s a very big, big interest in homeschooling your own children with your own curriculum and things like that here in Alaska and (the correspondence program) helps meet that need a little bit,” said Enoch.
Enoch says correspondence programs can offer a student funding allotment, which can be spent on educational-related needs of the student, like books, classes, school supplies, technology support, tutoring, music or activity lessons. Correspondence program students are funded at 90% of $5,930, or 90% of the base amount the state pays per student. Alaska has about 34 correspondence school programs in the state.
“To my knowledge, there’s no program that’s paying for private school programs,” Enoch said.
Mat-Su homeschool program lays path to private school classes
Mat-Su Central is a homeschool program within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Principal Stacey McIntosh said her school currently reimburses families for secular classes at private schools. She said a state statute allows it.
According to Alaska Statute 14.03.310, families may purchase nonsectarian services and materials from a public, private or religious organization with a correspondence student allotment provided.
McIntosh said her homeschool program has been reimbursing families for non-religious private school classes for three years, since right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“We have a vetting process that we do with private schools,” McIntosh said. A certified teacher carefully goes through the curriculum of a private school “to make sure that it’s not religious, makes sure it’s a secular curriculum” and provides a list of classes for each private school that Mat-Su Central can reimburse for, she said.
Mat-Su Central offers reimbursement for classes at 12 private schools; most are in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and a few are outside. For the allotment amount, the school offered $2,200 for grades kindergarten to 12. “But next year, we’re increasing our allotment to $3,000 for 9 through 12 and $2,600 for K through 8,” she said. If the student is on track proficiency-wise and the private school classes have passed the vetting process, McIntosh said a family could use their full allotment for private school classes.
“We don’t direct pay any private schools; we reimburse parents. Parents have to submit those (secular) receipts for us to reimburse,” McIntosh said.
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