You're spot on about the status quo not continuing in an educational  system that has been out of control for years. And when faced with FLAT TO DECLINING enrollment numbers and asked for an explanation as to why spending keeps escalating they just stare at the floor because the cold truth is that there could NEVER BE ENOUGH!  Kudos to the senate for being willing to do this heavy lifting as opposed to the jellyfish in the house that simply scramble for more money from any source they can find including the pockets of hard working Alaskans in an ever challenging economy. And lest we forget, resuming an income tax at ANY level, opens the door for increases whenever it suits them,much like the liberals that run the city of Anchorage with property taxes. Sales taxes make much more sense along with additional cuts to our bloated state government. Stay the course Senators!