2024-12 School District, Federal & State News

Anchorage – Anchorage School Board votes to close two elementary schools under ‘rightsizing’ plan – KTUU

Anchorage – Anchorage School Board agrees to close 2 of 4 elementary schools proposed for repurposing – Jenna Kunze, ADN

Anchorage – Anchorage School Board amendment would save Lake Hood Elementary from closure – Tim Rockey, Alaska Public Media

Anchorage – Anchorage parents, staff and students brace for Tuesday’s School Board vote on closures – Jenna Kunze, ADN

Anchorage – Anchorage School District aims to pilot program providing affordable child care – Jenna Kunze, ADN

Anchorage – Anchorage School Board grapples with $107M budget deficit – Tim Rockey, Alaska Public Media

Anchorage – Anchorage School Board committees meet to discuss “Rightsizing,” student electronics – Alaska’s News Source

Anchorage – Anchorage School Board covers cell phone policies, ‘Rightsizing,’ no discussion of changes to remote learning – Olivia Nordyke, KTUU

Anchorage – Anchorage School Board hears public testimonies before final vote on closures – Your Alaska Link

Anchorage – ASD school board hears public testimony on school closures – KTUU

Anchorage – Anchorage School District reduces proposed school closures to 4, for the end of this year – Zachariah Hughes, ADN

Anchorage – Anchorage Revises School Closure Plan; Board Vote Set for December 17 – Your Alaska Link

Anchorage – Anchorage School District removes 3 schools from closure list – Tim Rockey, Alaska Public Media

Cordova – Council signals support for 2025 budget, including cuts to Cordova Chamber, school district – Camille Botello, Cordova Times

Cordova – Cordova City Council passes 2025 budget, which includes cuts to multiple entities – Camille Botello, Cordova Times

Delta/Greely – American Legion invites Delta Junction high school students to compete in a constitutional speech contest – Delta Wind

Delta/Greely – Local school board members serve at state level – Michele Trainor., Delta Wind

Fairbanks – ‘Our kids are suffering’: School board approves legislative priorities – Carter DeJong, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – Fairbanks teachers learn how to inspire students – Molly Rettig, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – School board to vote on contracting custodians – Carter DeJong, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – ‘Union busting’: school district custodians speak out against possible outsourcing – Carter DeJong, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – Ticasuk Brown Elementary receives national recognition – Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Juneau – Juneau’s share of the state’s school funding boost is $500K more than projected – Clarise Larson, KTOO

Juneau – Juneau School District announces third chief financial officer in less than two years – Clarise Larson, KTOO

Juneau – School district’s new financial officer coming from Fairbanks district with its own consolidation woes – Mark Sabbatini, Juneau Empire

Kenai – Homer area schools closed due to snowy roads – Nolin Ainsworth, KTUU

Kenai – Legislators talk funding, priorities at school board work session – Jacob Dye, Peninsula Clarion

Kenai – Assembly, school board OK $380K for new Soldotna school study – Ashlyn O’Hara, KDLL

Kenai – School board sets admin salaries for next three years – Ashlyn O’Hara, KDLL

Kenai – School board mulls community survey for possible 4-day week – Jacob Dye, Peninsula Clarion

Kenai – School board looks to create more restrictive cellphone policy – Jacob Dye, Homer News

Kenai – Board of education hears from schools about more restrictive cellphone policies – Jacob Dye, Peninsula Clarion

Ketchikan – Ketchikan School Board hears community frustrations as they consider cost-cutting measures – KRBD

Ketchikan – School Board set to discuss restructuring of elementary schools – Alex Abbeduto, Ketchikan Daily News

Ketchikan – With KTN schools facing budget decisions, what are factors in the budgeting process? – Alex Abbeduto, Ketchikan Daily News

Ketchikan – ELL Task Force to meet – Ketchikan Daily News

Kodiak – Chiniak School high and dry, after well equipment goes missing – Steve Williams, Kodiak Daily Mirror

Kodiak – Two cases of whooping cough confirmed at Kodiak schools – Brian Venua, KMXT

Kodiak – School district floats school closure idea – Andrew Wellner, Kodiak Daily Mirror

Kodiak – School Board adopts new health curriculum – Steve Williams, Kodiak Daily Mirror

Mat-Su – Mat-Su schools drop remote learning for weather closures – Zaz Hollander, ADN

Mat-Su – School board votes for change to application for renewal of charter schools – Katie Stavick, Frontiersman

Nome – NPS doesn’t have the funds to meet teacher demands – Anna Lionas, Nome Nugget

Sitka – Sitka School Board warns of another bad budget year ahead – Robert Woolsey, KCAW

Skagway – Skagway to host first-ever Battle of the Books competition – Andrew Cremata, KHNS

Unalaska – Unalaska School District considers tightening student cellphone policies – Maggie Nelson, KUCB

Unalaska – New Unalaska high school jamband makes official debut – Sofia Stuart-Rasi, KUCB

Yukon Flats – Arctic Village student earns math honors – Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Gov Dunleavy’s FY2026 budget: No increase for Education, $1.5 billion deficit, a large PFD – Arielle Ingram-David, Your Alaska Link

Dunleavy says he plans to introduce education bill pairing funding increase with reforms – Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media

‘Chronic absenteeism’ in Alaska: Education commissioner gives thoughts on connection to e-learning – Olivia Nordyke, KTUU

How new, bipartisan Alaska House leadership could impact education funding – Steve Kirch, KTUU

Alaska education commissioner says districts should stop relying on remote instruction when weather forces school closures – Iris Samuels, ADN

Recognition grows for children’s Sugt’stun language game – Jamie Diep, KBBI

REAA Election Results – Greg Lincoln, Delta Discovery

Alaska election results are official: Here are 5 takeaways – Andrew Kitchenman, Alaska Beacon

Alaska House and Senate leaders name committee chairs, talk priorities – Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media

Incoming bipartisan Alaska House and Senate majorities take shape with similar policy goals – Sean Maguire, ADN

New Alaska House majority caucus names priorities, committee chairs. School funding, energy needs top agenda for multipartisan majority group – Andrew Kitchenman, KTUU

Alaska State Capitol visitors won’t face airport-style security checkpoint – Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media

After speculation he’d join Trump administration, Alaska Gov. Dunleavy says he’ll finish term – Sean Maguire, ADN

Schools around the country are bracing for upheaval over fear of mass deportations – Bianca Vázquez Toness, AP/ADN

School delays and closures: How superintendents decide to cancel classes due to weather – Monica Danielle, AOL