How has Alaska’s K-12 education spending changed? Trends from 2017-2023

Abstract

Education funding in Alaska, as in most states, is one of the largest allocations in the state operating budget. In 2022, K-12 schools in Alaska spent $20,191 per student for current operations, which was 29$15,633. However, many things are more expensive in Alaska than they are in other parts of the nation, and this is also true for operating schools. After adjusting Alaska’s spending for its higher relative costs, we find that Alaska’s per-pupil current expenditures fall below the national average by 15%. In the five years between 2017 and 2022 (the first year we conducted this analysis and the most recent year with full data available, respectively), per pupil current spending in other US states increased by 26%, whereas Alaska’s spending increased by only 13