By MICHAEL TAVOLIERO

House Bill 57 introduces targeted reforms to Alaska’s public education system, including suggested smaller class sizes, increased vocational funding, and reading incentive grants.

However, these measures fail to address the foundational problems plaguing Alaska’s education system: poor academic outcomes, systemic inefficiencies, and top-heavy bureaucratic control.

In 2024, Alaska ranked 51st in fourth-grade reading proficiency with only 22% of students meeting grade-level standards. Eighth-grade reading scores also declined, underscoring systemic instructional failure. Despite HB 57’s attempt to incentivize reading improvements, it does not fundamentally reform curriculum standards, instructional delivery, or the accountability structure that has allowed these deficiencies to persist.

Alaska spends over $20,000 per student, among the highest in the U.S., yet ranks 46th in return on investment. HB 57 increases expenditures with no structural accountability, continuing a pattern of high costs with poor outcomes. 

In other words, the Legislature is caving, as it always does, under the NEA-Alaska’s pressure techniques. 

This inefficiency is compounded by central administrative bloat and state-directed mandates that limit local responsiveness. Nothing is really changed, just let’s throw more money at the problem.

HB 57 maintains the existing centralized education framework, merely adjusting administrative processes and metrics. It does not empower local districts with meaningful autonomy or give parents greater control over their children’s education. Power continues to reside in DEED and school district hegemonies. Neither have a history of any success in education nor educate children. Reporting reforms and modest charter school updates fall short of enabling flexible, locally driven innovation. Alaska’s education system requires structural reform, not superficial adjustment. Lipstick on a pig or in this case shellac on moose pellets to make a swizzle stick. 

Real improvement depends on restoring local control, enforcing academic accountability, and redirecting funding to classrooms and students rather than bureaucracy. Without these changes, HB 57 risks becoming another costly policy with minimal long-term benefit.

The time for bold, systemic correction is now. If HB 57 passes and is fully implemented, Alaska’s public education system may experience modest financial stabilization and program restoration over the next five years, particularly through the $700 BSA increase and targeted incentives like reading proficiency grants. However, without deeper structural reforms—such as curriculum improvements, teacher support, and meaningful local control—academic outcomes will likely remain stagnant, and systemic inefficiencies will persist.

HB 57 may provide short-term relief, but without bold, accountability-driven changes, Alaska risks continuing its pattern of high spending with low educational return.

I’m open to the opportunity of discussing these reforms (review my MRAK opinions especially on the Alaska Education Reform and Local Act), but my concerns are the Legislature has already made up its mind. The sad part is this will impact future Alaskans with no productive future.

Michael Tavoliero writes for Must Read Alaska.