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Alaska budget fight leaves $40M in senior, disability care hanging
A legislative conference committee must reconcile more than $40 million in disputed funding for senior and disability services before the Alaska Legislature adjourns on May 20, with the House and Senate deeply divided on nearly every line item.
by Alaska News1d ago4 min readAnchorage, Alaska1 viewAI
Alaska pauses behavioral health grant overhaul after provider pushback
Alaska's Division of Behavioral Health paused planned fiscal year 2027 grant program changes and will extend existing CBHTR Outpatient and Residential programs for two more years after receiving provider feedback about system readiness.
by Alaska News1d ago2 min readAlaska1 viewAI
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 News6d ago1 min readWasilla, AK9 viewsAI
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 News3d ago1 min readBering Strait region3 viewsAI
Alaska House Passes Required Local Contribution Cap for Schools
The Alaska House adopted an amendment capping annual growth in required local property tax contributions to schools at 2%, shifting an estimated $29 million in education costs from municipalities to the state.
by Alaska News4d ago5 min readJuneau, Alaska3 viewsAI
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 News6d ago4 min readJuneau, Alaska4 viewsAI
Alaska Senate Panel Advances Youth Suicide Prevention Bill
The Alaska Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on SB 206, legislation requiring schools to notify parents when students express suicidal thoughts and establishing a grant fund to provide free gun locks to families.
by Alaska News6d ago5 min readState Capitol, Juneau, Alaska3 viewsAI
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 News3d ago3 min readWilliam A. Egan Civic & Convention Center, Anchorage1 viewAI
Alaska bill would penalize state for late payments to contractors
The Alaska Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on HB 133, which would impose 10.5% interest penalties when the state fails to pay nonprofits, municipalities, and tribal organizations within 30 days.
by Alaska News1w ago4 min readState Capitol, Juneau4 viewsAI
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 News1mo ago1 min readAlaska, USA28 viewsAI
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 News2w ago2 min readHouse Finance7 viewsAI
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 News1w ago3 min readJuneau, Alaska3 viewsAI
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 News1w ago4 min readJuneau, Alaska3 viewsAI
Senate panel adopts changes to health care compact bill
The Senate Health and Social Services Committee adopted a committee substitute for SB 281 that removes PA scope language, adds background check requirements, and revises the rural health advisory council structure.
by Alaska News2w ago3 min readJuneau7 viewsAI
Anchorage budget crisis mirrors national school funding squeeze
The Anchorage School District's $90 million deficit and proposed cuts reflect broader national trends of flat state funding, rising costs, and structural budget pressures facing urban districts.
by Alaska News1w ago4 min readAnchorage3 viewsAI
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 News2w ago3 min readAlaska6 viewsAI
Alaska Student Loan Corporation to set variable interest rates April 27
The Alaska Student Loan Corporation Board will meet April 27 to set variable interest rates and conduct other business via teleconference.
by Alaska News3w ago1 min readJuneau, Alaska10 viewsAI
House panel fast-tracks insurance coverage for PANDAS treatment
The House Labor and Commerce Committee advanced House Bill 292 requiring insurance coverage for pediatric neuropsychiatric disorders after parents testified about children experiencing severe symptoms and treatment delays.
by Alaska News3w ago2 min readHouse7 viewsAI
Alaska House debates school transportation funding amid rural-urban divide
The Alaska House of Representatives debated Amendment 31 targeting pupil transportation funding, revealing geographic divisions over education funding equity between rural and road-system districts.
by Alaska News3w ago3 min readAlaska9 viewsAI
Alaska Rural Health Program Flooded with 'Surprising' Number of Quality Ideas
The state's Rural Health Transformation Program has received an unexpectedly high volume of quality project proposals, creating intense competition for limited funding and prompting officials to explore partnerships with philanthropic groups.
by Alaska News3w ago3 min readAlaska, USA9 viewsAI
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 News2w ago6 min readAlaska, USA6 viewsAI
State seeks special education coach to help Alaska districts
Alaska education department seeks contractor to coach school districts on improving special education systems and student achievement statewide.
by Alaska News1w ago1 min readAlaska2 viewsAI
Galena School District Shows Early Learning Drives Math, Reading Gains
Galena City School District demonstrates how grant-funded early childhood programs starting at 8 months, combined with extended school days and intervention blocks, are producing above-national-average results in math and literacy for students in early grades.
by Alaska News2w ago3 min readAlaska, USA5 viewsAI
19-year-old homeschool graduate appointed to State Medical Board
Hannah Milkey, who graduated high school in 2025 and has no medical training, was appointed to Alaska's State Medical Board one week before her confirmation hearing, prompting questions from legislators about her ability to evaluate physician disciplinary cases.
by Alaska News1w ago3 min readJuneau2 viewsAI
Senate Finance subcommittee recommends $1.17 billion university budget
The Senate Finance Subcommittee on the University of Alaska recommended a $1.17 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2027, including partial funding for student recruitment and employee compensation increases.
by Alaska News1w ago2 min readAlaska2 viewsAI
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 News2w ago3 min readHouse3 viewsAI
State responds to public comments on Medicaid behavioral health rates
Alaska Department of Health has published responses to public comments on proposed Medicaid payment rate changes for behavioral health services.
by Alaska News2w ago1 min readAlaska3 viewsAI
House panel advances Alaska Native language task force bill
The House Education Committee heard testimony on House Bill 387, which would create a legislative task force to review Alaska Native language instruction and preservation efforts through 2027.
by Alaska News1w ago3 min readState Capitol Building, Juneau, Alaska2 viewsAI
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 News1mo ago1 min readAlaska, USA9 viewsAI
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 News3w ago5 min readdowntown Juneau4 viewsAI
State Teacher Commission to Meet April 23-24, Public Welcome to Attend
The Professional Teaching Practices Commission will hold a public virtual meeting April 23-24 to consider teacher disciplinary cases and conduct administrative business.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min readAlaska9 viewsAI
House Finance hears respiratory therapist licensing bill, Alaska's last-state gap
The House Finance Committee heard testimony on HB 362, which would establish Alaska's first professional licensing program for respiratory therapists, ending the state's status as the only one without such oversight.
by Alaska News2w ago4 min readHouse Finance2 viewsAI
Education Fund Amendment Advances With Key Questions Unresolved
The House Finance Committee heard testimony on a constitutional amendment to create a dedicated education fund, but critical details about what qualifies as public education, how money would enter the fund, and whether the legislature could dissolve it remain undefined.
by Alaska News2w ago4 min readHouse Finance2 viewsAI
Alaska House panel advances dental insurance transparency bill
The House Health and Social Services Committee heard House Bill 273, which would require dental insurers to publicly report how much premium money goes to patient care versus administrative costs and profits, and held the bill for future consideration.
by Alaska News2w ago4 min readHouse2 viewsAI
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 News2w ago4 min readAlaska2 viewsAI
Petersburg Medical Center wins state approval for new MRI services
The state has approved Petersburg Medical Center's application to add MRI services in a new medical office building, with a 30-day window for affected residents to request an administrative hearing.
by Alaska News2w ago1 min readPetersburg Borough, Southeast Alaska2 viewsAI
House 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 News2w ago3 min readJuneau, Alaska3 viewsAI
Tlingit & Haida building two education campuses on Prince of Wales
The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska is constructing two early education campuses in Craig and Klawock to expand Head Start and childcare capacity while integrating Indigenous language instruction.
by Alaska News2w ago2 min readPrince of Wales2 viewsAI
State adopts new special education rules for visual impairment services
Alaska has adopted updated regulations for special education services for visually impaired students, effective May 28.
by Alaska News2w ago1 min readAlaska2 viewsAI
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 News2w ago4 min readJuneau, AK, USA2 viewsAI
