2024-09 School District, Federal & State News

Anchorage – Anchorage School District explains possible school closing process – La’shawn Donelson, Your Alaska Link

Anchorage – Anchorage and Mat-Su schools to close to students on Election Day – Sean Maguire, ADN

Anchorage – District and school board meet to discuss “rightsizing” plans – KTUU

Anchorage – The Anchorage School District is moving ahead with plans to close and consolidate schools but wants the community’s opinion – KTUU

Anchorage – Anchorage School District to release multi-year school closure plan next month – Tim Rockey, Alaska Public Media

Anchorage – Anchorage schools give out whooping cough vaccines to students and staff – KTUU

Anchorage – Anchorage School District student tests positive for whooping cough – Rachel Cassandra, Alaska Public Media

Anchorage – Another whooping cough case confirmed in Anchorage schools, officials say – Joey Klecka, KTUU

Anchorage – Disconnected: Student cellphone bans take hold in Anchorage – Tim Rockey, Alaska Public Media

Anchorage – Anchorage school board considers policy update to encourage patriotism in schools – Tim Rockey, Alaska Public Media

Anchorage – 3 schools in Alaska recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools – Peggy McCormack, KTUU

Denali – Denali Borough’s Dan Polta is Alaska Superintendent of the Year – Kris Capps, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – Fairbanks school board makes changes to public comment format – Carter DeJong, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – Standardized test results show Fairbanks district performing better than state average – Carter DeJong, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – North Pole Middle School auditorium closed over asbestos concerns – Carter DeJong, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – School district employees speak out against insurance premium hikes – Carter DeJong, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – Assembly to consider $2M high school boiler replacement – Jack Barnwell, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks – Blog followers protest sex education – Robyne, KUAC

Fairbanks – Fairbanks North Star Borough School District to send test emergency messages – KTVF

Hoonah – Ousted Hoonah superintendent seeks damages in Alaska district court – Claire Stremple, Alaska Beacon

Juneau – Consolidated schools during first month of classes are great, awful or illegal, depending on who’s asked – Mark Sabbatini, Juneau Empire

Kenai – School board hears bond update, seeks way forward for Soldotna schools – Jacob Dye, Peninsula Clarion

Kenai – Home-school families fret over KPBSD activity fee hikes – Ashlyn O’Hara, KDLL

Kenai – KPBSD mulls visa programs, incentives to address rural staff shortages – Ashlyn O’Hara, KDLL

Kenai – Former KPBSD custodian charged with sex abuse of a minor – Jacob Dye, Peninsula Clarion

Kenai – Former middle school custodian arrested for alleged sexual abuse of student – Ashlyn O’Hara, KDLL

Kenai – This month hundreds of students returned to class across the peninsula – Simon Lopez, KBBI

Kenai – Hundreds gather for KIBSD convocation ahead of 24-25 school year – Brian Venua, KMXT

Lower Kuskokwim – AVTEC Signs Teacher Housing Agreement with Lower Kuskokwim School District – Alaska Business

Lower Kuskokwim – A conversation with LKSD’s new superintendent, Andrew ‘Hannibal’ Anderson – Sage Smiley, KYUK

Lower Kuskokwim – Bethel teen arrested for alleged threats of school violence – Sage Smiley, KYUK Bethel

Mat-Su – ACLU files injunction in lawsuit over Mat-Su schools bathroom policy – Tim Rockey, Alaska Public Media

North Slope – Arctic Alaska House race focuses on issues that candidates say unite the remote region – Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon

Northwest Arctic – Kivalina families scramble and students miss class amid extended school bus woes – Alena Naiden, ADN

Northwest Arctic – With weeks of no bus service in Kivalina, parents are expected to get kids to school 7 miles away – Alena Naiden, Arctic Sounder

Sitka – With internet down, Sitka’s students go old-school – Robert Woolsey, KCAW

Skagway – Skagway School tops the academic bar again – Gretchen Wehmhoff, Skagway News

Unalaska – New UCSD staff share first impressions of Unalaska and hopes for upcoming school year – Andy Lusk, KUCB

Wrangell – Wrangell intends to plan school budget early in wake of state’s school budget scare – Colette Czarnecki, KSTK

Wrangell – School Board decision was split on electric school bus grant – Colette Czarnecki, KSTK

Wrangell – New school counselor has to wait for state ferry before getting to town – Sam Pausman, Wrangell Sentinel

How a single education vote is shaping legislative races across Alaska – Iris Samuels & Sean Maguire, ADN

Feds to withhold COVID relief funds as state feud continues – Ashlyn O’Hara, KDLL

EDITORIAL: Why is the state repeatedly dropping the ball on federal funding? – Anchorage Daily News Editorial Board

NEA-Alaska president speaks about potential loss of federal education funds – Adrian Peterson, KTVF

Alaska pursues appeal of $17.5 million penalty over federal education funding equity dispute – Claire Stremple, Alaska Beacon

Feds plan to withhold $17.5 million in pandemic era aid for Alaska schools due to ongoing equity dispute – Sean Maguire, ADN

Homeschool correspondence, healthcare, mental health laws signed by governor – Steve Kirch, KTUU

Alaska education department will compile data on correspondence schools under new law – Iris Samuels, ADN

Alaska schools to be stocked with anti-overdose kits, under new law – Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon

Homeless students in Alaska, nationally could lose access to added aid – Claire Stremple, Alaska Beacon

Most Alaska students are not proficient in reading, math or science, state test results show – Claire Stremple, Alaska Beacon

Whooping cough spike reaches epidemic level in Alaska, public health experts warn – Rachel Cassandra, Alaska Public Media

Alaska youth need expanded access to mental health support, advocates tell lawmakers – Claire Stremple – Alaska Beacon

A new film highlights the traumas inflicted on Indigenous children by residential schools – Nathaniel Herz, Northern Journal

Tight Anchorage election races show targeting of incumbent’s education records – Steve Kirch, KTUU

Top 10 high school mascots in Alaska: From Dateliners to Shamans to Strivers, meet the best high school mascots in Alaska – Mike Swanson, Sports Illustrated

Anchorage, Juneau school districts respond to apparent national school threat – Joey Klecka & Lauren Maxwell, KTUU