Alaska education department delays review of July school improvement grant applications

Alaska school districts that submitted School Improvement grant applications in July will wait longer for approval, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development said in an Aug. 3 bulletin. School Recognition and Support administrator Christy Roe is on maternity leave through August, and the new School Improvement program manager will not start until August.

The timing matters. Initial grant applications must be approved by Oct. 31 for districts to submit first-quarter reimbursement requests. The department did not give an estimated date for finishing the delayed reviews.

Districts with general questions during the gap are directed to three empowerment specialists: Evan Hummel, Kevin Dennis and Kristie Parsons. Districts with concerns about a specific application are directed to their school improvement point of contact.

A separate approval requirement also applies. FY26 final expenditure reports are due Aug. 15, and the department said those reports must be completed before any FY27 application can be approved.

The grants flow from the federal 1003(a) school improvement program. Under the department's published directions, staff review each request for alignment of needs, goals and expenditures before releasing allocated funds. An earlier Alaska News article noted districts had to file three-year improvement plans and budgets for designated schools in the state's grant system by May 15, 2026.

The bulletin describes the delay only from the department's side. It does not include any district response.