Dive Brief:

• Alaskan lawmakers — whose quarreling resulted in overtime sessions — have finally reached a compromise.  
• Over the next three years, the state will give $300 million to additional public school funding, half of which will be used within the state's per-pupil funding formula to raise the average spending per student by $250.  
• The major point of contention, before reaching an agreement, was the per pupil funding formula.  The Senate wanted extra funds to be allocated outside the formula, believing it to be broken, and the House wanted to see funds funneled within the formula to increase the average per-pupil spending in the state.  

Dive Insight:

The  compromise appears to include aspects of both proposals. The Senate wanted $100 million in additional aid over the next three years (they will end up with about $150 million). The House wanted to increase per pupil funding by $300 per student (they will end up with an increase of about $250).  

An interesting topic that rises from this back-and-forth is per-pupil funding. The Senate believes the system to be broken and wanted to fund schools outside of the formula, but the House felt the per-pupil funding approach was the best way to ensure schools saw the funds and would know what to expect.  The clear disconnect between the two sides shows a major discussion must happen on the per pupil funding formula if Alaska wants to avoid overtime legislative sessions in the future.