Juneau — Alaska elementary principals and the Alaska Council of School Administrators pressed legislators on March 31 to fund universal, developmentally appropriate pre‑K as part of the Base Student Allocation and to ensure districts have support to implement the Alaska Reads Act with fidelity.

Lori Rextaschel, principal of Chinook Elementary School and president of the Alaska Association of Elementary School Principals, told the joint education committees that early investment pays dividends. "For every $1 that is invested in early childhood produces a $16 return," she said, citing research presented in the association's materials. Rextaschel said early childhood funding should include "full 1.0 ADM funding for pre‑K students" and that programs must include appropriate curriculum, playground equipment and nutrition services.

Why it matters: Witnesses connected early childhood investment to later outcomes that the Alaska Reads Act targets: reading proficiency by third grade and reduced dropout rates. Rextaschel described using federal Title I funds at her school to finance a staff member dedicated to implementing the Alaska Reads Act, running school‑wide 35‑minute small intervention groups and using the Individual Reading Intervention Plan (IRIP) to inform parents and interventions.

Speakers emphasized equity and the need for funding to reflect the higher per‑student costs of preschool‑aged services, including adapted playgrounds and developmentally appropriate curricula. Representative Elam asked whether pre‑K funding would be statewide; presenters confirmed that Alaska Reads Act funding and pre‑K allocations are structured to be available statewide subject to statutory requirements for curricula and program supports.

Implementation and fidelity: Rextaschel said some districts can supplant state funding with federal Title funds to meet Alaska Reads Act requirements, but many cannot. That produces inconsistent implementation across districts and often forces schools to reallocate staff from other services.

Evidence: The pre‑K and Alaska Reads Act discussion began with Rextaschel's presentation on early childhood (topic intro) and closed with committee follow‑ups on funding design and program requirements (topic finish).