2025-04 School District, Federal & State News

Anchorage – Uncertainty in education funding means less art, music and gym for Anchorage elementary students next year – Zachariah Hughes, ADN

Anchorage – More Anchorage educators face displacement due to lack of state funding – La’shawn Donelson, Your Alaska Link

Anchorage – Uncertainty in education funding means less art, music and gym for Anchorage elementary students next year – Zachariah Hughes, ADN

Anchorage – More Anchorage teachers receive notice of displacement – Lauren Maxwell, Alaska’s News Source

Anchorage – Anchorage School District students raise concerns over BSA funding – Ian Stewart, Your Alaska Link

Anchorage – ASD superintendent stresses crucial education bill to avoid cuts to staff, special programs – Joey Klecka, Alaska’s News Source

Anchorage – Anchorage School District ‘displacements’ could shutter or shrink 5 high school choir programs – Jenna Kunze, ADN

Anchorage – Anchorage schools approved to spend more, if state increases funding – Joe Allgood, Alaska’s News Source

Anchorage – Letter on job cuts sent to ASD staff citing lack of state funding. District spokesperson says ‘hundreds’ of jobs could be part of staffing cuts – Leah Thom, Alaska’s News Source

Anchorage – Anchorage School District notifies hundreds of educators and staff of potential ‘displacement’ – Jenna Kunze, ADN

Anchorage – Anchorage lawmaker seeks to boost Alaska early education funding – Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

Anchorage – Anchorage’s school language immersion programs — among the nation’s most robust for a city its size — are at risk – Jenna Kunze, ADN

Anchorage – Data breach affects thousands of Alaskan students & school staff – Quinn White, Alaska’s News Source

Anchorage – ASD pilot lunch program offers food cooked from scratch, more student choice – Alaska’s News Source

Delta-Greely – Delta High School hiring committee selects new school principal – Michele Trainor, Delta Wind

Fairbanks – Fairbanks school board prioritizes class sizes in memo, pending $1,000 BSA – Jack Barnwell, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – Alaska Legislators visit Fairbanks to address the House Education Bill – Kirk Chaves, KTVF

Fairbanks – Assembly sets minimum local education funding at $60 million – Jack Barnwell, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – Fairbanks businesses donate $500K in gift cards to 1,700 school staff members – Adrian Peterson, KTUU

Fairbanks – Fairbanks borough mayor requests at least $60M in local education funding – Alex Bengel, KTVF

Fairbanks – Increased Fairbanks class sizes included in school district’s budget proposal – Alex Bengel, Alaska’s News Source

Fairbanks – Fairbanks school district announces boundary changes for next academic year – Alex Bengal, Alaska’s News Source

Fairbanks – Fairbanks School District submits recommended budget to borough – Alaska’s News Source

Fairbanks – New school boundaries announced for Fairbanks students – Jack Barnwell, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Haines – Manager’s budget similar to last year, grants school district half of its ask – Will Steinfeld, Chilkat Valley News

Juneau – Assembly begins budget review process at April 5 Finance Committee meeting – CBJ

Juneau – Value of Alaska Native education emphasized by Sealaska Heritage Institute president at US Senate hearing – Jasz Garrett, Juneau Empire

Kenai – KPBSD budgeting in ‘no-win situation’ – Jacob Dye, Peninsula Clarion

Kenai – Students, others rally behind school programs proposed for cuts – Ashlyn O’Hara, KDLL

Kenai – Micciche says borough budget will include $57 million for schools. The mayor’s budget still has to be approved by the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly – Jacob Dye, Peninsula Clarion

Kenai – Students, parents speak against proposed defunding of Quest gifted program – Jacob Dye, Alaska’s News Source

Kenai – KPBSD considers 4 candidates for Homer High School principal position – Chloe Pleznac, Homer News

Kenai – Tułen Charter School set for fall opening – The school’s curriculum integrates Dena’ina language, culture and traditional values – Jacob Dye, Peninsula Clarion

Kenai – ‘We just need more time.’ Nikolaevsk advocated keeping their school open during a KPBSD community meeting last week. – Delcenia Cosman, Homer News

Kenai – Nikolaevsk advocates for school at school district meeting – Ashlyn O’Hara, KDLL

Kenai – School district, unions talk through contract proposals – Ashlyn O’Hara, KDLL

Kenai – Education hot topic at legislative town hall. More than 100 people attended a three-hour meeting where 46 spoke. – Jacob Dye, Homer News

Kenai – Cuts & displacements: A waiting game in Southcentral for education funding – Georgina Fernandez, Alaska’s News Source

Kenai – School board says no cuts to Homer Flex – Delcenia Cosman, Peninsula Clarion

Ketchikan – After restructuring vote, School Board to move on to bus scheduling – Alex Abbeduto, Ketchikan Daily News

Ketchikan – School Board continues with restructuring plan – Maria Dudzak, KRBD

Ketchikan – School Board continues with restructuring plan – Maria Dudzak, KRBD

Ketchikan – School Board vote results in proceeding with schools restructuring – Alex Abbeduto, Ketchikan Daily News

Ketchikan – School Board to begin board member, superintendent searches – Alex Abbeduto, Ketchikan Daily News

Ketchikan – Borough Assembly directs action on education funding – Alex Abbeduto, Ketchikan Daily News

Ketchikan – Assembly to consider Local Education Fund – Alex Abbeduto, Ketchikan Daily News

Ketchikan – Ketchikan principal tells lawmakers that the kids aren’t alright – Jack Darrell, KRBD

Ketchikan – School Board accepts president’s resignation, begins searches – Alex Abbeduto, Ketchikan Daily News

Lower Kuskokwim – A New School in Mertarvik Takes Shape – Samuel John, KYUK

Mat-Su – Mat-Su schools transgender bathroom policy lawsuit trial underway, Quinn White, Alaska’s News Source

Mat-Su – New Mat-Su diploma option would drop AP class requirement, boost electives – Amy Bushatz, Frontiersman

Mat-Su – Mat-Su Central School celebrates ribbon cutting – Katie Stavick, Frontiersman

Nome – School district blindly balances budget – Anna Lionas, Nome Nugget

Nome – ANSEP Acceleration Academy coming to Nome Schools – Anna Lionas, Nome Nugget

Petersburg – Schools officials respond to governor vow to veto education funding bill – Orin Pierson, Petersburg Pilot

Petersburg – Assembly urges Alaska Legislature to increase education funding – Orin Pierson, Petersburg Pilot

Sitka – School District Pre-K Wins Board Approval – Garland Kennedy, Daily Sitka Sentinel

Sitka – Sitka School Board expands its tuition-based preschool program – Robert Woolsey, KCAW

Unalaska – Unalaska students rally for education funding days before Gov. Dunleavy vetoes bill – Sofia Stuart-Rasi, KUCB

Wrangell – Bill Burr resigns as schools superintendent after 4 years on the job – Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel

Wrangell – Wrangell school district meets with borough about budget; both face deficits next year – Colette Czarnecki, KSTK

Alaska Gov. Dunleavy presses school policy changes with funding increase, after vetoing larger boost. Dunleavy introduced a new education funding bill with a $560 per student boost, plus policy changes like additional funding for homeschool students – Corinne Smith & James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

Alaska Gov. Dunleavy vetoes education funding boost for second year in a row – Corinne Smith & James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

Dunleavy vetoes education bill, announces competing bill – Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media

Alaska House passes operating budget with $1,400 PFD and a roughly $450 million deficit – Sean Maguire, ADN

Alaska Senate unanimously advances slim capital budget with school maintenance focus – Sean Maguire, ADN

Alaska House approves draft budget with large deficit and estimated $1,400 dividend. The under-construction state operating budget now goes to the Senate, which is expected to make further cuts – James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

Alaska lawmakers say pension reform is a ‘2-year project’ – Iris Samuels, ADN

Education funding, the budget, and other legislative priorities – Lori Townsend, Talk of Alaska

Alaska education funding boost, sent to governor, awaits his veto – James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

Education funding boost advances to governor’s desk – Meredith Redick, KCAW

Alaska Head Start programs in limbo after regional office closed – Corrine Smith Alaska Beacon

Opinion: Help the Alaska education funding bill get across the finish line – Kelly Lessens, ADN

Gov. Dunleavy promises veto as education funding bill passes Legislature – Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media

Students stage statewide walkout urging BSA increase as education funding bill passes – Quinn White & Alex Bengel, Alaska’s News Source

The outrageous and effective 1946 Anchorage High School student strike – David Reamer, Histories of Alaska, ADN

Alaska Legislature narrowly approves $1,000 BSA boost after Dunleavy vows veto – Sean Maguire, ADN

Alaska Legislature passes $1,000 per student funding boost, despite governor vowing to veto it – Corinne Smith & James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

House education funding bill advances from Senate committee with $1K per-student payment; Dunleavy calls it ‘a joke’. HB 69 is slated to be taken up by Senate lawmakers Friday, while governor threatens to ‘veto immediately’ – Beth Verge, Alaska’s News Source

Alaska Senate poised to pass stripped-back education bill with $1,000 BSA boost as Dunleavy threatens veto  – Sean Maguire, ADN

Alaska Senate prepares to vote on public education funding boost as Dunleavy vows veto – James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

Funding for Alaska’s schools remains a question mark. Here’s where things stand – Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media

Alaska Senate poised to pass stripped-back education bill with $1,000 BSA boost as Dunleavy threatens veto – Sean Maguire, ADN

Whether a ‘pickle’ or a ‘crisis,’ the Alaska House is struggling with a deficit budget – Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media

Bill offers relief for Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s maintenance backlog – Robert Woolsey, KCAW

Opinion: Alaska has an education crisis. As lawmakers, it’s past time that we took action. – Sen. Löki Gale Tobin, Rep. Rebecca Himschoot & Rep. Andi Story

As key bills advance, here’s an update on the Alaska Legislature’s biggest issues. Lawmakers still haven’t resolved the looming deficit caused by a collision between education spending, the PFD, and lower oil revenue – James Brooks & Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

Funding for Alaska’s schools remains a question mark. Here’s where things stand – Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media

Alaska House advances deficit-fixing budget bill, but there’s a catch: The House failed to pass a supermajority vote that unlocks a key state savings account – James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

Alaska House panel advances draft budget with full PFD and $1.9B deficit – Sean Maguire, ADN

$3,892 PFD advances as part of House committee’s deficit-laden budget draft – Alaska’s News Source

Alaska House passes FY25 budget, CBR draw vote splits legislature – Your Alaska Link

Alaska Senate committee advances school funding bill with $1,000 per student formula boost. The Senate Education Committee amended House Bill 69 with policy changes, including capping class sizes – Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

Alaska Senate Education Committee advances new school funding bill with $1,000 per-student boost – Sean Maguire, ADN

Key school funding bill advances from Senate education committee – Joe Allgood, Alaska’s News Source

Alaska school officials say layoff notices are going out, budget uncertainty costing districts. Education officials and advocates testified Monday to the high costs of teacher layoffs, budget uncertainty and difficulty of recruiting new educators to Alaska – Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

Education bill advances with homeschool testing requirement and UA Regents rebuked for anti-DEI measure – Matt Buxton, The Alaska Memo

Tribal education leaders speak out against Trump’s plan to close the Department of Education – Alena Naiden, KNBA

Value of Alaska Native education emphasized by Sealaska Heritage Institute president at US Senate hearing – Jasz Garrett – Juneau Empire

New bill proposed to require financial literacy class to graduate high school in Alaska – Jonson Kuhn, Alaska’s News Source

Thirteen Alaska schools earn Purple Star designation for military support – Your Alaska Link