This is the first in a series of stories about how Gov. Mike Dunleav’s vetoes will affect Haines residents.
Haines students attending University of Alaska stand to lose thousands of dollars in state scholarships, and preschools will be out programs— and maybe even a school to attend this September.
Higher education accounted for the largest dollar amount Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed from the state budget last month —with the University of Alaska losing out $130 million, or 41 percent of its total state funding.
For a handful of Haines students enrolled at University of Alaska, in addition to classes and degree programs that may be in jeopardy, the students could lose their state scholarships. The scholarships, already promised for this year, have been pulled because of an accounting decision by the governor’s office amid the budget dispute between the governor and legislators.
Junior at University of Alaska Fairbanks, Madeline Andriesen, will lose two state-sponsored scholarships totaling about $16,000 over the next two years — a little less than a year of tuition for her.
She’s also at risk of losing her entire program, music, where she’s working toward a double major in vocal performance and music education.
“It’s hitting me on all fronts because not only am I worried about having a department to go back to, but I’m also worried about being able to finance it,” she said.
Andriesen‘s department is small — with just 15 students — and she fears it might be the first to go while the university scrambles to make up for its loss of state money. Andriesen said she doesn’t know what to make of mixed responses to the potential outcome.
“I have classmates that have applied to different schools already and professors that are applying for different jobs just in case, but other professors saying it’s going to be okay,” she said.
The university board of regents will meet July 30 to continue their discussion of the budget cuts and how to deal with them.
Andriesen’s two scholarships were merit-based, for scoring in the top tier of grade point averages at Haines High School and among the top 10 percent of students statewide. She said she worked hard in high school, often missing out on fun events to stay home and study.
“I put so much importance into the grades because I knew it would help me in the future,” she said.
Now, Andriesen said, if she loses her state scholarships, it won’t be worth staying at University of Alaska Fairbanks.
“It’s heartbreaking to be thinking that all of that’s gone and that I have to start over again in the middle of my bachelor’s degree,” she said. “There are less scholarships open to upperclassman in college, making the struggle to find other scholarships to replace (these) even harder.”
Similarly, brothers at University of Alaska Fairbanks, Dylan and Keegan Palmieri, will each lose scholarships.
Dylan Palmieri, a junior at University of Alaska Fairbanks, is expecting to be out $4,500 a year in Alaska Performance Scholarship funds, the same one Andriesen had for a high-ranking grade point average. His brother, sophomore Keegan Palmieri, will lose $3,700.
Dylan Palmieri said he’s disappointed by his government’s lack of prioritization for education. “I would be totally willing to give up this money in the PFD to keep our education going,” he said.
For toddlers in Haines, things are also looking grim.
The governor stripped all state money for early childhood development from the budget. In Haines, that means the elimination of the Parents as Teachers program, the Imagination Library where children are mailed a book a month up until 5 years old, and Head Start.
Twenty preschool-aged kids from low-income families may not have a place to go to school this fall.
Head Start, the federal program that promotes school readiness for children under 5 years old from low-income families, is at risk for partial or total defunding.
Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RuralCAP), the nonprofit that funds Head Start, will apply for a waiver to exempt the agency from paying state-matched funding for one year so that it can continue operating with other money.
“If we get the waiver, we still lose $2.6 million, “ RuralCAP CEO Patrick Anderson said. Such a loss would force closure of 8 to 10 Head Starts across the state, out of a 24 total branches. “Every site is under consideration (for closure) based on criteria.”
If no waiver is granted, all Head Starts will close, he said.
The cut could hit the Maidy family on two fronts — for Rory, 4, who’s enrolled in Head Start, and for her father Sean, who was set to begin a position as a part-time family advocate and part-time custodian at the school this fall.
“Not only do I lose child care I would also lose two-thirds of my income,” Maidy said. “If Rory doesn’t have preschool, I don’t have a job but unemployment is still funded by the state.”
Fifteen families in Haines will lose out on the Parents as Teachers Program, a family support program funded by the state Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The program paid for toys, books and activities for families with children up to age 3.
Jae Lampkins was enrolled in Parents as Teachers from the time her son was born until this year, when he turned 3. She said she had visits from the parent educator every other week throughout the winter.
Lampkins said she learned tips on how to potty train her son, get him to sleep and transition to solid foods. The program worked to mentor her in motherhood, childhood development and parenting, she said.
“None of my family has early childhood development education. Some things are obvious once you know it, but if nobody ever tells you then you’d never know,” Lampkins said. “The loss of Parents as Teachers in Haines and Klukwan will be a huge hit to our community.”
Thirty-three children under 5 years old in Haines will lose access to monthly books mailed through the the Imagination Library, a national program Dolly Parton started in 1996, though funded through the state.
“When they enter kindgergarden, they have 60 books,” Southeast Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children director Joy Lyon said of the program. “It increases the amount of time that parents spend reading with children and it increases their vocabulary all around.”