Secure Rural Schools payments announced

Federal Secure Rural Schools funding has been issued for another year.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office announced Friday that communities across Alaska will receive about $11.5 million through the program to help fund local schools.

Congress approved a two-year extension of the program last year.

Secure Rural Schools is essentially a way for the federal government to pay taxes. The Tongass National Forest makes up about 97 percent of the land within the Ketchikan Gateway Borough.

According to a Forest Service spreadsheet, Ketchikan’s borough will receive about $1.17 million from Secure Rural Schools this year. Last year’s payment was about $1.05 million.