Today, April 21, the Alaska State Senate approved the Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Budget (Senate Bill 214), which allocates a total $2,428,273,719 for capital projects and improvements impacting Alaska’s transportation system, public facilities, education, commerce, environment, natural resources, military, public safety, and more.
Approximately $248 million is allocated from the Unrestricted General Funds (UGF), $69 million from Designated General Funds, $104 million in other funds, and the remaining nearly $2 billion comes from federal matching funds.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities will receive 72% of the budget with $1.74 billion ($1.5 billion from federal matching) allocated to DOT&PF.
The Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) will receive $83.5 million to be used for major maintenance projects at Mt. Edgecumbe High School, Craig Elementary and Middle Schools, Sidney C. Huntington Elementary and High Schools, Sandpoint K-12, Tri-Valley School, Blackwell K-12, East High School, Service High School, North Pole High School, West Homer Elementary School, Mears Middle School, Schoenbar Middle School, Nenana School, Mears Middle School, Arctic Light Elementary School, Marshall K-12 School, Hooper Bay, Tuluksak K-12, and Stebbins K-12.
The capital funding for education will help DEED complete its top 15 priority projects and fund tank farm repairs at three rural schools.
A press release from the Senate Majority emphasized the urgency of the funding, which “was brought back into focus in February, when a delegation of Senate Finance members made an impromptu visit to Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka.” They found leaking roofs, rodent infestations, and crumbling dormitories. The members declared conditions “deplorable.”
The rest of the capital funds to state departments in order from greatest to least amount of funding are as follows:
Department of Revenue: $94 billion
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs: $66.3 million
Department of Environmental Conservation: $32.3 million
Department of National Resources: $29.5 million
Department of Fish and Game: $20 million
Department of Labor and Workforce Development: $3 million
Department of Public Safety: $2.4 million
Additionally, the budget allocates $17.1 million to the University of Alaska and $5.7 million to the Judiciary.
Readers can access the full text of SB 214 below:
