Alaska’s Gov. Mike Dunleavy approved the $16.4 billion budget for 2027 on June 24, with $1.5 million appropriated for the Haines High School and $6 million allocated for airport improvements. The final budget includes $782,700 for the permanent fund.

The funds for the Haines High School locker room,  $864,954, will provide 65% of the funding needed for the project that has an estimated total cost of nearly $1.3 million. 

The locker room project has long been discussed but construction has not started yet. But funds for the school’s roof replacement, $623,006, will reimburse the borough for some of the costs of the now-completed project.

The other $6 million is for the second stage of work at the Haines airport which is a project to repave the runway and taxiways and replace drainage culverts and lighting. The first stage of this project received state funding in 2025, with the same improvement goals.

Before passing the budget, Dunleavy vetoed $89 million in funding from both the House, Senate and mental health budgets.

Some of the education funding vetoed by Dunleavy include: $450,000 in funding for teacher-incentive payments and reimbursements, $3.75 million in HeadStart grants, $355,000 in funding for parents as teachers, $123,000 to fund the lead maintenance generalist position at Mt. Edgecumbe High School and $217,000 to fund the statewide library electronic doorway.