People & Culture
RSSAlaska News coverage of people and culture topics including community events, arts funding, local businesses, and cultural institutions.
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 News4mo ago3 min read
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 Newsadded 4mo ago4 min read
Juneau schools seek $10M bond for roofs, HVAC after state funding dries up
The Juneau School District is reviving a $10 million bond proposal for critical maintenance including roofs at three schools, HVAC upgrades, and security systems after years of minimal state capital funding left the district unable to address mounting infrastructure needs.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago3 min read
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 Newsadded 4mo ago5 min read
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 News5mo ago2 min read
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 News5mo ago3 min read
House committee advances insurance coverage for PANDAS/PANS treatment
The House Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony on HB 292, which would require insurance companies to cover treatments for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders, including expensive IVIG therapy that currently costs families tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
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 Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
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 Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
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 Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
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 5mo ago4 min read
Residential Schools Seek Doubled Funding Tied to Base Allocation
Alaska's residential boarding schools are pushing for legislation to double their per-student stipends and link future funding to the base student allocation, arguing current funding has not meaningfully increased since 2015 despite rising costs.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
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 News5mo ago4 min read
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 Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
School Board Reverses Course on Calendar After Community Backlash
The Anchorage School Board voted 7-0 to restore the original August 19 start date for the 2026-27 school year after community outcry over an earlier proposal that moved the first day of school to mid-August, conflicting with subsistence activities and family traditions.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
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 News5mo ago4 min read
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 News5mo ago4 min read
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 News5mo ago3 min read
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 News5mo ago3 min read
House panel hears confirmation for physician assistant to State Medical Board
The House Health and Social Services Committee held a confirmation hearing for Norman Walker, a physician assistant appointed to the State Medical Board, and received a presentation from UAA College of Health on workforce programs.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
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 News5mo ago3 min read
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 News5mo ago6 min read
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 5mo ago5 min read
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 readHouse 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 News5mo ago2 min read
House 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 readSenate advances software licensing bill, food dye ban to third reading
The Alaska Senate advanced two bills to third reading: one regulating software licensing contracts and another prohibiting certain food dyes in school meals during the school day.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
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 Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Senate Education Committee advances teacher loan repayment pilot program
The Senate Education Committee voted to advance House Bill 28, which establishes a three-year student loan repayment pilot program for Alaska teachers in high-need subject areas.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
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 Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Senate panel approves $441 million education budget with teacher incentives
The Senate Finance Subcommittee on Education and Early Development approved a $441 million budget for fiscal year 2027 that includes new funding for teacher incentives and Head Start matching grants while reducing spending on boarding homes and residential schools.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min readKenai Peninsula CTE students achieve 97% graduation rate
Career and technical education students in Kenai Peninsula Borough School District achieved a 97% graduation rate, with 32% of successful students economically disadvantaged, demonstrating how hands-on career training keeps Alaska students engaged and employed in-state.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
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 Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
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 readAlaska 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 readAlaska 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 Newsadded 5mo ago3 min readAlaska 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 Newsadded 5mo ago3 min readHouse committee advances special education funding resolution, CTE mobility bill
The House Education Committee approved a resolution urging Congress to fully fund special education and moved forward a bill creating a career and technical education grant program.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min readAlaska Senate panel weighs restrictions on vacuum-sealed homemade food sales
The Senate Resources Committee discussed legislation that would restrict packaging methods for commercially sold homemade foods, targeting vacuum-sealed and heat-processed containers.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min readAlaska House panel advances free school meals for reduced-price students
The House Education Committee moved forward a bill to eliminate meal costs for 3,326 students who qualify for reduced-price meals but struggle to afford full payment.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
