The Anchorage School District later this month is set to present a list of schools for potential closure as it attempts to resolve a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall next year.
Inflation has translated to significantly higher education costs each year, even as funding from the state has stayed flat, advocates and officials say. The Anchorage School District has been able to blunt some of those inflation-created gaps using one-time funds from various sources, but those extra funds have now run dry, and the school district will be short around $68 million in its 2024 budget.
Officials say they’re not yet in the phase of making recommendations on cuts or changes to programs. But concern is mounting among district families and alumni. Supporters of district language immersion programs showed up in large numbers to testify to the school board about the program’s importance on Tuesday evening.
Officials are also considering shifting sixth grade to middle school. In five years, the district could have 700 to 1,000 fewer middle schoolers, Bingham said, and officials would be able to run the schools at fuller capacity by shifting the sixth grade to middle school, allowing for more electives and course offerings, he said.
Alaska has plenty of money. Schools, teachers and students are not the priority.
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