The Legislature did its job — minimally, at best. With only tepid bipartisan support, it passed House Bill 69 to raise the Base Student Allocation (BSA) — the state’s core school funding formula — by $1,000 per student. The bill was simple and straightforward: no policy riders, just much-needed funds to help keep schools afloat. Some Fairbanks-area lawmakers played key roles in getting it across the finish line.

The governor vetoed the bill Thursday because it lacked the education policy reforms he wanted. Instead, he proposed a smaller BSA increase of $560, alongside targeted funding for homeschool and charter school programs — which serve some, but not the majority of students struggling in overcrowded, under-resourced classrooms.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t a policy disagreement — it’s a standoff. The governor is using school funding as leverage to force through his preferred policies. The Legislature, in turn, has refused to meet him halfway. And once again, Alaska’s students are caught in the crossfire.

Meanwhile, school districts across the state are in crisis. In Fairbanks, three schools will close at the end of this academic year, and district leaders say more cuts are likely without a permanent increase to the BSA. The $1,000 boost would have provided roughly $5.6 million in additional revenue for the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District — enough to stabilize class sizes and retain essential staff. The district has said that anything less than a $680 increase will force $15.5 million in additional cuts next year.

Instead, we’re back in budget limbo.

Dunleavy says there’s still time this session to negotiate. That may be true — but it’s hard to strike a deal when neither side is willing to compromise. The Legislature attempted policy negotiations. The governor rejected them. Lawmakers passed a clean funding bill. He called it a joke. Now he wants to start over, but only on his terms. That’s not leadership. That’s obstruction.

The Legislature is now headed to a joint session, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, where lawmakers could vote to override the veto. Doing so would require support from 40 of 60 legislators. Last year, the override failed by a single vote. This year, prospects appear even dimmer, as HB 69 passed with just 32 combined votes in both chambers.

It’s time to break the cycle. If lawmakers want to restore trust with educators, parents and students, they must override the governor’s veto — or at the very least, pass a final budget that delivers stable, sufficient school funding without digging the state deeper into deficit.

Otherwise, we’ll keep reliving the same tired scene — year after year — while Alaska’s students fall further behind.