Anchorage’s thriving marijuana industry appears to be a multi-million-dollar boon for the cash-strapped Anchorage School District.
Mayor Suzanne LaFrance wants to award $2 million in marijuana sales tax revenue to the school district’s daycare program, which will focus on four and five-year-olds who come from “at-risk, low-income families.” A memorandum to this effect will be considered by the Anchorage Assembly at their March 3 meeting.
The stated goal is to spend the money preparing young children for the day they enter the classroom by focusing on their social/emotional needs, language and literacy skills, physical health and cognitive abilities.
The grant is for one year of daycare programming with the option to continue the contract annually.
In 2023, Anchorage residents voted to dedicate 100% of the city’s marijuana retail sales tax proceeds to childcare and early education expenses to make it more affordable for parents to leave their kids under the watch of government and professional caregivers.
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According to Weedmaps, which tracks weed stores around the nation, Anchorage has 57 marijuana retail shops, or one for every 6,000 residents, making it one of the highest density cities in terms of marijuana shops per capita.
Thanks to the city’s booming weed industry, the 5% marijuana tax brings in about $5 million annually, all of which goes to helping parents offset the cost of leaving their kids in daycare or early education programs.
While national studies are mixed on whether marijuana negatively impacts parenting, daily cannabis use among U.S. parents has skyrocketed over the past 15 years. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, cannabis use among parents was quite rare in 2012, with just 1 in 80 parents using the drug daily. By 2024, it had risen to 1 in 20 – a fourfold increase.
4 Comments
What a brilliant idea! Provide a safe space for the children whose parents keep the pot shops in business. Incidentally, that safe space also happens to provide Marxist Indoctrination 101 classes five days a week! Thanks, LaFrance, for doing your part to corrupt the minds of the young and perpetuate their parents’ dependency on the state.
Very well said
What’s even crazier is the Anchorage School District is closing Lake Otis Elementary to save money due to lack of revenue and declining student population going to school. In April they will be asking voters to pay 20 million dollars for repairs/deferred maintenance/improvements via bond proposition which are repaid by taxed property owners for years and years.
On top of that 20 million, the School District wants the property owners to approve a “one-time” 12 million dollar education tax levy paid directly to the School District. If you believe the text of the proposed levy, it will be used for operating expenses of the Anchorage School District and to fund teacher positions and student programming. That money will be used up in one year, however, property owners will be on the hook to repay the levy for years. Hard pass on both the bond proposition and the “one-time” tax levy.
Back in the day I was working a fulltime job and a single parent of 3 children.
Of course I needed reliable daycare for my children. I worked hard to pay my bills without assistance but the State of Alaska’s ‘Daycare Assistance Program’ was the ONLY social program that I EVER used. The daycare available from the program was approved by the State, licensed, and had to jump through hoops to qualify. The portion the state paid to the daycare facility was in proportion to my income, meaning I paid the balance due. I was very grateful for the financial assistance which eased some of the stress of working outside of the home while balancing the daily requirements of raising my children.
Questions: Is this State Level Program still available? If so can it be used in combination with Anchorage daycare program?
For the Anchorage program, will there be the same consideration of a sliding scale income and will there be a validated workplace (away from home) requirement (in a nutshell, it won’t be used as a mommy needs a break dropoff)? I am assuming the Anchorage daycares are licensed and inspected on a regular basis?
Also what is the City of Anchorages financial oversight on this program to make sure it isn’t mirroring what happened in Minn. using empty daycares to ripoff the funds?
Seasoned Inquiring Minds Want to Know – Thank you for your attention to this matter.