Two closed Anchorage school buildings head back to municipal hands

Two closed Anchorage elementary school buildings, Abbott Loop and Campbell STEM, are set to return to the Municipality of Anchorage as excess property, meaning it no longer needs them. That moves decisions about the sites from the School Board to the Assembly.

The School Board voted 4-3 on Feb. 24 to approve a rightsizing plan closing Fire Lake, Lake Otis and Campbell STEM elementary schools at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Rightsizing is its word for shrinking buildings to match enrollment. The plan offers Fire Lake to Eagle Academy Charter School and Lake Otis to Rilke Schule German Immersion School. Once Rilke Schule relocates, the old Abbott Loop building and Campbell STEM become excess. Abbott Loop was not among them.

The district's Sept. 1 board recap says both are approved for return, and Campbell STEM is already declared excess, to be cleaned for hand-off in winter 2026-27. Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt described talks with the Mayor's office about a package return including Westpark.

ASD also plans to demolish the Abbott Loop building using remaining bond funds; the property returns only after that. It would spend $4 million left from a fire-suppression bond, demolishing in spring 2027 if the Board approves in October. No timelines are final.

Assembly Members Scout, Goecker and Silvers filed a resolution asking the Board for a joint rightsizing committee with equal representation and voting power on consolidation and reuse. It is set for reading Sept. 15.

At the Aug. 19 meeting, where members pledged no closures this school year, board member Paul McDonough said: "The population of children in Anchorage won't be growing significantly anytime soon, so there will have to be a handoff of some number of schools in the future."

The district projects structural deficits of at least $42 million in FY28 and $30 million in FY29. Campbell STEM families went to Superior Court in April to halt the closure, arguing the process gave roughly 11 days of notice. A judge granted an injunction May 1 and lifted it May 11; the parties agreed in August to dismiss the case for good.