2023-01 School District, Federal & State News
Alaska School District News
Anchorage – From next week to March 9, Anchorage school days will be 30 minutes longer – Wesley Early, Alaska Public Media
Anchorage – Anchorage schools now prepared for remote learning during snow days – Wesley Early, Alaska Public Media
Anchorage – For students at 8 Anchorage schools, chicken jerky and crackers are replacing hot lunches – Wesley Early, Alaska Public Media
Anchorage – 8 elementary schoolers were dropped off at the wrong stop in Anchorage last month – Morgan Krakow, Anchorage Daily News
Anchorage – An Anchorage charter school centered around Alaska Native values is searching for a permanent home – Morgan Krakow, Anchorage Daily News
Anchorage- As Anchorage’s Abbott Loop Elementary is singled out for closure, parents there worry about being the ‘experiment’ – Morgan Krakow
Anchorage – ASD moves forward with snow day make-up plan – Lauren Maxwell, Alaska’s News Source
Anchorage – Anchorage School Board considers changing school start times – Wesley Early, Alaska Public Media
Anchorage – Mountain View Elementary debuts community-funded ice rink – Nolin Ainsworth, Alaska’s News Source
Bering Strait – Polar bear’s fatal attack on young mother and son leaves Northwest Alaska community reeling – Alena Naiden, Arctic Sounder
Fairbanks – Borough mayor makes a pitch for increased school funding, calls for legislative action – Jack Barnwell, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks – Fairbanks school board adopts legislative priorities – Jack Barnwell, Fairbanks Daily News Miner
Fairbanks – School board starts superintendent candidate selection – Jack Barnwell – Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks – Activist Natalie Cevasco and the Fairbanks school district embark on a mission to prevent opioid deaths – Hank Nuwer, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks – North Pole Middle School gets a new principal – Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks – Teachers and Support Staff at impasse with FNSBSD – Robyne, KUAC Fairbanks
Fairbanks – Hecht named Lathrop High principal – Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks – Student musicians from Denali Schools, Nenana and Palmer make big sound together – Kris Capps, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Haines – Haines Superintendent Roy Getchell on the state of the school in 2023 – Brandon Wilks KHNS
Juneau – City, school district draft legislative priorties – Mark Sabbatini, Juneau Empire
Juneau – Juneau School Board votes against investigation into district’s communication about floor sealant incident – Katie Anastas, KTOO – Juneau
Kenai – School district feeling effects of plateaued education funding – Riley Board KDLL Dillingham
Kenai – School district forecasts $13.1M budget deficit – Ashlyn O’Hara, Homer News
Kenai – 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school district calendars OK’d – Ashlyn O’Hara, Peninsula Clarion
Kenai – Following car wreck and insurance dispute, Soldotna teacher fights termination – Riley Board, KDLL
Ketchikan – Staff cuts eyed to balance budget, District says tentative cut of 57.5 full time positions may be needed – Sam Stockbridge, Ketchikan Daily News
Ketchikan – Ketchikan’s school board tentatively considers staff cuts to balance budget – Maria Dudzak KRBD
Ketchikan – Exchange of gifts in Metlakatla Long House aims to strengthen bond – Sam Stockbridge, Ketchikan Daily News
Ketchikan – Board looks to budget ahead, Directing staff to begin process earlier amid consideration of significant cuts – Sam Stockbridge, Ketchikan Daily News
Ketchikan – Ketchikan’s Borough Assembly green-lights agreement with school district to address health care debt – Eric Stone, KRBD
Ketchikan – School Board to consider 23-24 calendar, contract to replace the high school’s aging boiler – Sam Stockbridge, Ketchikan Daily News
Ketchikan – ‘The sound of the trombone — It can bring the sunshine’ – Rebecca Brown, Ketchikan Daily News
Kotzebue – Iñupiaq teachers use storytelling for language immersion classes – Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News
LKSD – Newtok’s school loses power plant in fire – Chris Klint, Alaska Public Media
Mat-Su – Mat-Su school bus drivers vote to authorize strike – Carly Schreck, Alaska’s News Source
Mat-Su – Troopers say they mistakenly transported Mat-Su principal to hospital for psychiatric evaluation on invalid court order – Tess Williams, ADN
Mat-Su – Former Mat-Su substitute teacher arrested on charges of sex abuse of minor – Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News
Mat-Su – Social media livestream made by Colony High School principal prompts concerns – Lauren Maxwell, Alaska’s News Source
Nome – School board hears of Nome’s need for arts education – Megan Gannon, Nome Nugget
Northwest Arctic – Shungnak School students process meat, practice Inupiaq – Arctic Sounder
Petersburg – District seeking public input for 2023-24 school calendar – Petersburg Pilot
Skagway – New face on school board, former president resigns to counsel students – Melinda Munson, Skagway News
Wrangell – Wrangell Public Schools begins FY24 budget process with projected deficit – Sage Smiley, KSTK
Yukon-Koyukuk – Students get training alongside welding pros – Haley Lehman, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
State and Federal News
An education funding bill is expected to be introduced this week – KINY Juneau
Ahead of education-funding bill, supporters of Alaska public schools pitch their case – James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
Alaska lawmakers consider education funding boost, with no agreement on its size – Iris Samuels, ADN
Education groups explain their school funding requests before Senate committee – Jack Barnwell, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Alaska teachers hone their craft at education conference – Joe Kineen, Alaska’s News Source
Lawsuit says Alaska statute allowing public funding to go to private schools is unconstitutional – APRN News
With songs and speeches, Alaskans rally in Juneau for more education funding – Katie Anastas, KTOO Juneau
Alaska’s teachers, parents and school leaders to rally for state education funding – Katie Anastas, KTOO Juneau
Gov. Dunleavy appoints 4 to University of Alaska Board of Regents – Sean Maguire, Anchorage Daily News
Tilton elected Alaska speaker of the House as rural legislators join Republicans in new coalition – Skagway News
State senators hear oil production outlook – Amanda Bohman, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Dunleavy discusses legislative priorities – Elena Symmes, Alaska’s News Source
Traditional Games return to Juneau for its 6th year-registration now open – KINY, Juneau
Legislative priorities include education spending, PFD resolution – Elena Symmes, Alaska’s News Source
Alaska’s big class of freshman legislators gets ready to work – Sean Maguire, Anchorage Daily News
Education tops Legislative priorities – Sam Stockbridge, Ketchikan Daily News
UAF adds 1970s audio reels of Aleutian history to digital catalog – Maggie Nelson, KUCB Unalaska
A coordinated nationwide agenda dominated local school board elections last year – Sequoia Carrillo, Kerry Sheridan, Elizabeth Shockman, NPR
University of Alaska Southeast announces chancellor finalists – Clarise Larson, Juneau Empire
Seattle Public Schools sues tech giants over harm caused by social media – Gene Johnson, AP News
Legislative leader touts consensus approach and outlines likely priorities for Alaska Senate – Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon
What It’s Like to Live and Work in a Tiny Village in Alaska – Taryn Williams, Business Insider
Once a boarding school, a college now aims to reclaim education for Native people – Stena Sieg, NPR
University of Alaska set to receive thousands of acres of land in federal spending package – Morgan Krakow, Anchorage Daily News