Education
RSSSchools, universities, and educational programs
Alaska DEED sets mandatory CACFP training schedule starting July 21
Alaska child care and food program sponsors must send a Food Program Contact to mandatory virtual training starting July 21. • Different sessions run through August 13 for centers, school districts, family day care homes, and Head Start programs. • All operators must also complete Civil Rights Training via recorded video.
by Walter AlaskaNews7h ago2 min readAIAlaska
Alaska Has the Nation's Worst SNAP Error Rate — and a Bill Coming
Alaska has botched SNAP payments worse than any state three years running — and now a new law means the state may have to start paying Washington back for the mistakes.
by Alaska News6d ago2 min readAI
Dunleavy vetoes nearly $90 million but leaves school funding intact
Gov. Dunleavy vetoed nearly $90 million from Alaska's budget, cutting increases for child care, Medicaid and local aid while leaving core school funding intact.
by Walter AlaskaNews4d ago2 min readAIAlaska
An oil spike filled Alaska's budget and hammered its schools — and the new budget sends some back
The oil spike that padded Alaska's budget also jacked up its schools' heating bills — so the budget hands some back. One-time money for a permanent problem.
by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago2 min readAIAlaska
Alaska News Roundup: Gas pipeline tax fight, Point Thomson trade-off, and McNeil River access debate
This episode covers the week's major Alaska stories: a gas pipeline tax bill that added oil tax increases, the Point Thomson condensate trade-off for pipeline gas, Mount Edgecumbe enrollment crisis, and McNeil River bear sanctuary access proposals.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min readAIAlaska
A June 30 Deadline Decides Who Eats Free at School
A June 30 deadline quietly decides which Alaska schools feed every kid for free next year — miss it and the cafeteria math gets a lot less kind.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAIAlaska
ASD projects $40M FY28 deficit — two months after voters rejected school bond and tax levy
Anchorage School District projects a $40 million deficit for fiscal year 2028 on top of $90 million in earlier cuts, after voters rejected a $12 million tax levy and $79 million bond in April.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Alaska passed a federal check that keeps its school funding system intact
Alaska passed a federal school funding test. Translation: the state didn't have to come up with extra money it doesn't have.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIAlaska
Seven village schools could lose internet June 30 over a federal funding dispute
Seven Alaska village schools could lose internet June 30. Federal rules say pick the cheapest. The cheapest doesn't work out there.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIMcGrath, Alaska
Alaska Senate passes bill for deaf and hard of hearing students
Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday requiring schools to better identify and support deaf and hard of hearing students, with no new state funding attached.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Judge voids H-1B fee Alaska schools said threatened rural hiring
Alaska has to hire a lot of teachers from out of the country, so an additional $100k per teacher would have been...unsustainable to say the least.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago3 min readAIAlaska
Alaska Senate passes special education funding and Palmer judge bills
Alaska Senate unanimously passed bill raising special education funding by 16 percent per student. • Senate also unanimously approved adding a fifth Superior Court judge in Palmer to cut case backlogs from 680 to 540 cases per judge.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Seven Western Alaska typhoon evacuees graduate from Anchorage schools
Seven students evacuated from Western Alaska villages after ex-Typhoon Halong in October 2025 graduated Monday from Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School after completing their senior year there.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min readAIAnchorage
Anchorage School Board adopts class size policy under state mandate
Anchorage School Board voted unanimously to adopt state-mandated class size limits of 23 for elementary and 30 for middle and high school. • The board also adopted smaller evidence-based targets it cannot currently afford, requiring annual cost analysis to document the funding gap.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Alaska 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 2mo ago1 min readAIAlaska, USA
Wasilla resource fair connects Mat-Su families with disability services
LINKS Resource Center hosts a free disability services fair June 18 in Wasilla with resource tables, activities, and food for Mat-Su families.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAIWasilla
Utqiaġvik tribal college buys land for permanent campus
Iḷisaġvik College in Utqiaġvik has purchased land to build a permanent campus, marking the first concrete step toward construction for Alaska's only tribal college after years of planning.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAIAlaska
U.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 News1mo ago1 min readAIWasilla, AK
ASD claims state funding bill comes too late
Anchorage School District says a potential $37 million state funding increase tied to an August 31 revenue determination arrives too late to hire teachers before the 2026-27 school year begins.
by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Anchorage's alcohol tax can't fund everything it was promised to fund — and a board meeting Tuesday made the tradeoff explicit
Anchorage alcohol tax revenue is dropping to 5.2 million dollars for 2027. • The city must now choose between funding school preschools or emergency homelessness services. • School district preschools face potential cuts while the district manages a 90 million dollar budget gap. • Childcare providers are also asking for a share of the limited funds.
by Alaska News3w ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Anchorage School District to receive $37 million from state education funding increase
Alaska Legislature approved a $144 million education funding increase, sending $37 million to Anchorage schools to help cover budget shortfalls from inflation and rising costs, plus a 4 percent annual cap on required local contributions.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAIAnchorage
East High students organize benefit concert to save band program
East High students host benefit concert Saturday to save band program facing elimination due to budget cuts. • School plans to cut band director position, affecting 100 students across five classes. • Concert runs 2 to 5 p.m. at Club Nyt Lyt with $15 suggested donation, all proceeds to band account. • Anchorage schools cutting programs after state education funding remained flat.
by Alaska News1mo ago2 min readAISouthcentral Alaska
Anchorage to issue $55.2M in bonds for roads, parks, fire equipment
Anchorage will issue $55.2 million in general obligation bonds in July for roads, parks, fire equipment, and transit, with annual debt service of $4.0 million paid by property taxpayers.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAIAnchorage
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 News2mo ago3 min readAIHouse
TCLL graduates first 8th grade class after years of Tlingit immersion
Juneau's Tlingit immersion program graduated 8th graders who delivered speeches in Tlingit after years of fluency growth. • Students moved from reluctant speakers to confident communicators in the language. • Program is free for all students and partners with Sealaska Heritage Institute. • Graduates received traditional headbands and advance to high school.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 1mo ago3 min readAIJuneau, Alaska
House Finance begins review of Alaska LNG tax bill with competing rate proposals
House Finance Committee held its first hearing on legislation to replace traditional property taxes on the Alaska LNG pipeline with a volumetric tax, with the House Resources version proposing 15 cents per thousand cubic feet versus the administration's 6-cent proposal.
by Alaska News1mo ago4 min readAIJuneau, Alaska
House panel questions education fund proposal with no guaranteed revenue
Alaska House Finance Committee members raised concerns about a constitutional amendment that would create an education fund without any dedicated funding source or protections against future legislatures spending it down to zero.
by Alaska News2mo ago3 min readAIAlaska
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 News2mo ago6 min readAIAlaska, USA
Bering Strait School District holds second budget meeting in nine days
The Bering Strait School District scheduled its second Finance and Budget Committee meeting in nine days for May 13, 2026, as the board works through budget planning for 15 schools serving 1,800 students in remote northwest Alaska villages.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min readAIBering Strait region
Rural students double FAFSA completion with one-on-one advising
Eight rural Alaska school districts reached 60 percent FAFSA completion this year through the Career Guide Initiative, more than double the statewide rate, by pairing students with advisors who help them plan college, training, or workforce paths.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min readAIAlaska
Anchorage schools adopt regional nurse model, will pull nurses from schools with fewer medical needs
Anchorage schools will reassign nurses from schools with fewer medical needs to cover schools with students requiring tube feedings or diabetes management, responding to a shortage that left some schools without staff.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIAnchorage
State library, archives, and museum mark ten years in shared Juneau building
Alaska's State Library, Archives, and Museum building in Juneau marks ten years since opening in 2016 with a free family fair on June 27.
by Melinda Communities.News4w ago2 min readAIJuneau
UAF glaciology program returns to McCarthy for eighth summer
UAF Tom Sawyered 28 young folks who will now be spending 11 days out on a glacier.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAIMcCarthy, Alaska
Alaska 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 News2mo ago2 min readAIHouse Finance
Anchorage schools eliminate elementary health teachers, shift to integrated model
Anchorage cuts 27.5 health teacher jobs, embedding health into reading, PE, and social-emotional learning instead. • K-3 students learn health through reading curriculum, grades 4-5 use existing materials with teacher training. • Board member warns piecemeal approach may not meet district's own 2024 health education policy. • Main risk is finding time to train teachers in already packed school days.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Alaska House passes education package with teacher loan repayment, energy relief
Alaska House passed education bill with teacher loan repayment up to $5,000 yearly for hard-to-fill roles like special education and STEM. • School districts get energy cost reimbursement based on three-year heating and fuel averages. • Local school contribution growth capped at 4% annually to ease property tax pressure. • Bill heads to governor after final Senate approval on last day of session.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAIAlaska
Alaska districts face June 30 deadline for federal education funds
Alaska school districts must submit federal education grant applications in substantially approvable form by June 30, 2026, to receive funding starting July 1, or face delays.
by Alaska News1mo ago2 min readAIAlaska
Panel Calls for Standardized Child Abuse Reporting Training Across Alaska
The Citizens Review Panel presented recommendations to standardize mandatory reporting training and improve early intervention services for at-risk families.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago1 min readAIAlaska, USA
House panel advances Alaska Native languages task force bill after rejecting university, state agency seats
The House Education Committee approved House Bill 387 to create a legislative task force reviewing Alaska's 50-year-old Native language programs, but rejected amendments to add university and state education officials to the panel.
by Alaska News1mo ago3 min readAIJuneau, Alaska
House Finance Advances Education Funding Bill Despite Fiscal Concerns
The Alaska House Finance Committee narrowly advanced HB 261, an education funding reform bill using three-year student count averaging, after rejecting amendments to mandate averaging for special needs students and cap administrative spending at 15 percent.
by Alaska News1mo ago4 min readAIJuneau, Alaska
