The Anchorage School District Finance Committee discussed the budget timeline and public outreach on May 29, asking administration for clearer pro forma timing, more public engagement and improved explanatory materials. Laura Cooper, Senior Director of Finance, and other administrators told the committee they will prepare budget materials for the fall and can build out additional narratives on administrative costs and FTEs requested by board members.

Board members proposed separating the pro forma budget (an informational estimate of next year’s revenues and expenditures) from board guidance to administration. Several members said the pro forma should be presented as information so the board can issue a separate guidance memo that sets policy guardrails for budget preparation. The committee discussed public education strategies to explain why a historic Base Student Allocation increase does not eliminate the district's structural deficit, and members suggested deeper community outreach through principals and the superintendent’s communications channels.

Members also discussed use of the Balancing Act budget tool. Administrators reported the district used the tool this winter and found it helpful; the committee asked staff to expand the tool's narratives to clarify what each budget category includes and to allow iterative public input as projections are refined.

On contingency planning, administrators said they would consider a hard hiring freeze if the governor vetoes appropriations that the district was counting on; the committee noted differences in contract protections for certificated staff versus others (certificated employees have next‑year contracts while noncertificated staff are governed by bargaining group notice periods). Committee members asked staff to return in the fall with options for community engagement, a refined pro forma timeline, and more detailed narratives on administrative spending.