State department overseeing Alaska's K-12 public schools, early learning, libraries, archives, and assessment. Distributes state funding to 53 school districts statewide.
333 Willoughby Ave, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
Alaska schools face May 15 deadline for improvement plans, funding
Alaska school districts must submit three-year improvement plans and budgets by May 15, 2026, a deadline affecting designated schools statewide with potential funding implications.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min readAIU.S. Education Secretary Tours Mat-Su Career and Charter Schools
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon visited two Mat-Su schools on May 7 as part of a 50-state tour celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min readAIAlaska House Weighs $113M Education Funding Overhaul
House Finance Committee debates education funding bill using three-year enrollment averaging to provide budget certainty, but faces questions about $113 million fiscal note and lack of long-term modeling.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska marks 50 years of regional education attendance areas
The House Education Committee honored the 50th anniversary of Alaska's Regional Education Attendance Areas, with former commissioners reflecting on the system's creation and ongoing challenges with facility maintenance.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min readAI
Alaska House panel hears bill to overhaul school funding timelines
The House Finance Committee heard testimony on HB 261, which would allow districts to use three-year average student counts instead of single-year October counts to set budgets months earlier and offer teacher contracts in spring rather than summer.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago4 min readAI
Alaska Universities Report 73% Jump in Teacher Pipeline Enrollment
University of Alaska reports significant growth in teacher education programs, with Ed Rising student participation up 73% year-over-year and over $1 million in scholarships awarded to 109 teacher candidates.
by Alaska News4mo ago4 min readAI
Alaska's tribal school compact bill navigates sovereignty and public education law
Senate Bill 66 would authorize five-year pilot agreements allowing tribes to operate public schools under state funding while maintaining tribal governance, requiring new legislation to balance sovereignty with existing education statutes.
by Alaska News4mo ago4 min readAI
House Finance considers multi-year school funding averaging bill
The House Finance Committee heard testimony on HB 261, which would shift Alaska's education funding to a three-year enrollment average instead of annual counts, giving districts earlier budget certainty but carrying a fiscal note approaching $1 billion over five years.
by Alaska News4mo ago4 min readAI
House panel debates $113M education funding formula shift
The House Finance Committee heard testimony on a bill that would change how Alaska calculates school funding, using a three-year enrollment average instead of a single October count.
by Alaska News4mo ago6 min readAI
Task Force Hears Federal Assessment Rules, NAEP Context, and AKSTAR Demo
The Joint Legislative Task Force on Education Funding received presentations on federal testing requirements under ESSA, how to interpret NAEP scores, and a demonstration of Alaska's AKSTAR assessment system.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago8 min readAI
Senate Education Committee Advances Opioid Awareness Bill, Hears Tribal School Compact Proposal
The committee unanimously moved Senate Bill 228, requiring opioid education in schools, and heard the first presentation on Senate Bill 66, which would allow tribes to operate public schools under state-tribal compacts.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago5 min readAI
Alaska Advances Mental Health Education Guidelines Without Mandates
The House Finance Committee moved Senate Bill 41 forward, directing development of mental health education guidelines for K-12 schools while leaving implementation to local districts.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min readAIHouse Finance Advances Mental Health Education Guidelines for Schools
The House Finance Committee moved Senate Bill 41 out of committee, which directs development of mental health education guidelines for Alaska's K-12 schools.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min readAIHouse Education Committee advances CPR training bill with rural flexibility
The House Education Committee approved Senate Bill 20, which requires CPR instruction in Alaska public schools, after adopting three amendments to provide flexibility for rural and under-resourced districts.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min readAI
Alaska Overhauls School Construction Funding to Help Rural Districts Compete
The state is changing how it evaluates school construction projects to level the playing field for smaller districts that cannot afford expensive application processes.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min readAIAlaska School Funding System Favors Wealthy Districts, Senators Say
Senate Finance Committee members raised concerns that Alaska's school construction funding process allows affluent districts to pre-fund projects and jump ahead of poorer communities that have waited years for repairs.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min readAIHouse Education Committee Advances Bill to Boost Residential School Funding
The committee heard testimony on HB 380, which would increase funding for Alaska's nine residential school programs for the first time since 2015.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min readAIAlaska Special Education Crisis: 200 Teaching Positions Unfilled Statewide
Education officials testified about a severe special education staffing crisis with 200 unfilled positions and a 14% increase in students with disabilities despite steady enrollment.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min readAI