Latest news with #AnchorageSchoolBoard
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Anchorage School Board bets on state funding increase in revised budget, reversing cuts to staff and programs
May 7—The Anchorage School Board on Tuesday passed a revised budget that relies on a yet-to-be-finalized funding increase from the state, aiming to save staff and programs that were set for cuts. However, multiple school board members cautioned that even if the funding comes through as currently proposed, Anchorage schools will still face reductions, both this school year and next. "It does seem like there will be more funds coming from Juneau, and so I think to that degree it's not unreasonable for the board to make that assumption and stop some of the worst of the damage," board member Andy Holleman said ahead of the vote. But, Holleman added, "this doesn't fully restore things by any means." The board passed the revised budget unanimously. Member Dave Donley was absent. The Alaska Legislature last month passed a bill that would increase the Base Student Allocation, the state's per-student funding formula, by $700. School districts across the state say the increase is urgently needed after a decade of virtually flat funding, but Gov. Mike Dunleavy has criticized — and vetoed — past legislation because it does not also include education policies he has proposed. Dunleavy has yet to sign or veto House Bill 57. Regardless, lawmakers have said they believe they have the votes to override a veto. In a May 6 memo outlining the proposal, the Anchorage School Board members who proposed the amended budget said it was crafted "in response to the Legislature's bipartisan passage of House Bill 57 and with acute awareness of the distress that the scale of ASD's FY26 staffing displacement process and programmatic reductions have wrought on students, families, educators, and the community at large." The revision increases the district's proposed operating budget from $594.6 million to $634.5 million. It assumes a $560 increase to the BSA — a lower number than is included in the legislation currently on the table, but an amount school board members noted the governor has indicated he can support. Still, board member Margo Bellamy on Tuesday repeatedly characterized passing the revised budget before HB57 becomes law as a "calculated risk." Bellamy likened it to "me not having any income, and writing a check, hoping that it pays for my mortgage, and it depends on so many other things — if I get a job, if someone helps me, whatever." "I'm not comfortable with it, but it is necessary," she said. Board member Kelly Lessens at the meeting outlined sweeping changes the revised budget makes possible, including allowing the school district to increase the pupil-teacher ratio by one student rather than four, making it possible it to reverse a majority of the cuts to staff positions, avoiding layoffs and most displacements. More than 200 teacher positions would be restored under the revised budget, the school district said in a statement Wednesday. Lessens added that the revised budget also reverses cuts to middle school sports and certain high school sports programs; elementary paraprofessional positions; the IGNITE program; librarians; nurses; elementary language immersion programs; elementary and secondary summer school programs; and Battle of the Books. It also provides more funding to charter schools and correspondence students, among other changes, she said. However, Lessens still characterized the funding increase the amended budget relies on as "modest." About $23 million in cuts remain in the budget for the upcoming school year, she said. "It's not perfect. Principals are still tasked with making unenviable decisions," Lessens said. "This is not a magic wand by any stretch of the imagination." The school board's memo notes that even if the currently proposed $700 BSA increase becomes law, it "would not address the full $1,808 inflationary gap that has grown between FY11 and the present." Board member Pat Higgins cautioned ahead of the vote that the budget also relies on reserves. "I ... want to be completely honest: Unless the Legislature and the governor decide that their obligation is to fund adequately public education, we're going to do this again next year," Higgins said.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ahead of Tuesday deadline, Anchorage ballot returns are on pace with recent municipal elections
Mar. 31—Anchorage voters have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to return their ballots to be counted in this year's municipal election. As of Monday morning, election officials had processed close to 30,000 ballots. Municipal Clerk Jamie Heinz, who is overseeing the city's vote count, said those numbers track closely with returns at this stage in other recent local elections. "It is right on par with 2019, 2022 and 2023," Heinz said. The tally includes ballots received through Friday. Over the weekend, Heinz said, drop boxes across the city received a surge of ballots. Those close-to-the-wire upswings ahead of the Tuesday deadline have become normal in the years since Anchorage first switched to a vote-by-mail election system in 2018. In 2023, the last citywide election without the mayorship on the ballot, 65,853 people voted, a turnout rate just under 30%, which is typical for Anchorage in non-mayoral years. The first batch of returns will be published Tuesday evening, "likely around 8:30 p.m.," Heinz wrote in an email. Those results will include ballots received through this past weekend and a portion of those received on Monday, according to Heinz. Though they will offer clear signs of who is likely to win in a given race, results will continue trickling in for days as late-arriving ballots are processed and will not be considered final until certified by the Anchorage Assembly. Results rarely change in the days following initial returns, but gaps between candidates can narrow, and in narrow races, candidates might swap the advantage as more ballots are tallied. Heinz said the city expects to post new results each day "for the remainder of the week after 4:45 p.m. but before 5:15 p.m.," and on Monday, Wednesday and Friday the following week. Residents will determine six of the 12 seats on the Anchorage Assembly, as well as two Anchorage School Board members. There are 11 bond measure and tax levies, as well, related to everything from school construction projects to public safety vehicles. [2025 Anchorage municipal election guide: Q&As with candidates for Assembly and school board] [What the latest fundraising reports tell us about Anchorage Assembly and school board races] Ballot envelopes can be returned by mail, at secure drop boxes across the municipality, or in person. Residents with lost or damaged ballots, or who wish to cast their vote in person, can do so at three Anchorage Vote Centers, located in City Hall, at the Loussac Library or in the Eagle River Town Center. Ballot envelopes returned by mail need a first-class stamp, and at this point in the election, officials recommend bringing them to a post office to be hand-canceled since ballots must be postmarked on or before election day.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Voting centers open Tuesday in Anchorage's by-mail city election
Mar. 24—Three Anchorage voting centers will be open starting Tuesday for residents who prefer to cast ballots in person for the April 1 by-mail city election. While Anchorage's municipal elections been conducted using a vote-by-mail system since 2018, some have preferred to vote in person. For those who plan to return their completed ballots by mail, ballots must be postmarked on or before election day, April 1. Ballots can also be returned at one of 18 secure drop boxes until 8 p.m. April 1. On the ballot are six of 12 Anchorage Assembly seats, two Anchorage School Board seats and a slate of bonds and propositions. [2025 Anchorage municipal election guide: Q&As with candidates for Assembly and school board] [Here are the bonds and levies on the ballot in Anchorage's city election] For in-person voting, residents can head to one of the city's three vote centers: at City Hall in downtown, at the Loussac Library in Midtown and at the Eagle River Town Center. The Eagle River location will only have ballots for the Chugiak-Eagle River district. Starting Tuesday, vote centers will be open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., and on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For voters mailing or dropping off ballots, remember to read and sign the declaration on the envelope. A valid signature from the voter is required for the ballot to be counted. If you're mailing your ballot the day before or on election day, consider asking a postal official to hand-stamp the envelope with a postmark to make sure your ballot is counted. Secure drop boxes are available at 18 locations across the municipality, with a list available at If you didn't receive a ballot, if your ballot is lost or damaged, or if you need assistance voting, head to a vote center. This is also where you can find ADA-accessible voting machines. You can also apply with the clerk's office to vote by fax, email or secure document portal. To do so, you should apply before 5 p.m. Tuesday. Any applications received after that "may be processed subject to availability of staff and resources," according to the municipal clerk's office. If you won't be home during the election, you can apply to vote at a temporary address. The deadline to apply is also 5 p.m. Tuesday. To get ballot tracking alerts by text, email or voicemail, sign up at The system sends alerts when ballot packages have been sent out, received, counted, or if there is a problem with a ballot. In some cases, voters will be asked to "cure" problems with their ballots, like if the ballot return envelope is missing a signature or the signature couldn't be verified. When this happens, election officials mail voters a letter with options to fix the issue. Last year, the municipal clerk's office introduced a new way for voters to cure their ballots via text message.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ballots are in the mail for Anchorage's 2025 city election. Here's how to make sure your vote is counted.
Mar. 11—Ballots are in the mail for Anchorage's April 1 regular municipal election. Six of 12 Anchorage Assembly seats are up for election, along with two Anchorage School Board seats and more than a dozen bonds and propositions. On Tuesday, 204,493 ballot packages were sent to registered Anchorage voters, the Municipal Clerk's Office said. Voters should receive their ballots by March 18, according to the clerk's office. Anchorage began using a "vote at home" — or vote-by-mail — system in 2018. That means you can fill out your ballot from anywhere and return it by mail, or return it in one of a few other ways. Here are some things to remember while voting in the municipal election: —To vote, fill in the oval next to your selection on the ballot using a blue or black ink pen. Put your ballot into the secrecy sleeve and then place it inside of your ballot return envelope. —Be sure to read and sign the declaration on the envelope. Ballot envelopes must have a valid signature from the voter in order for the ballot to be counted. —Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before election day, April 1. If you're mailing your ballot the day before or on election day, you should ask a postal official to hand-stamp the envelope with a postmark to ensure your ballot is counted. —You can also return your ballot package in one of the city's 18 secure drop boxes. Those will open on Wednesday, according to the election calendar. A list of locations is available online at —To cast a ballot in-person, you can go to one of the city's three vote centers. The vote centers are located at City Hall in downtown, at the Loussac Library in Midtown and at the Eagle River Town Center. The Eagle River vote center will only carry ballots for the Chugiak-Eagle River district. They will open on March 25. Vote centers will be open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturday, March 29 from noon to 4 p.m., and on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. —If you didn't receive a ballot, if your ballot is lost or damaged, or if you need assistance voting, head to a vote center. This is where you can find ADA-accessible voting machines. —You can also apply with the clerk's office to vote by fax, email or secure document portal. To do so, you should apply before 5 p.m. March 25. Any applications received after that "may be processed subject to availability of staff and resources," according to the municipal clerk's office. —If you won't be home during the election, you can apply to vote at a temporary address. The deadline to apply is also 5 p.m. March 25. —To get ballot tracking alerts by text, email or voicemail, sign up at The system sends alerts when ballot packages have been sent out, received, counted, or if there is a problem with a ballot. In some cases, voters will be asked to "cure" problems with their ballots, like if the ballot return envelope is missing a signature or the signature couldn't be verified. When this happens, election officials mail voters a letter with options to fix the issue. Last year, the municipal clerk's office introduced a new way for voters to cure their ballots via text message.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Anchorage School Board makes broad cuts to staff, programs and sports in next year's budget
Feb. 26—The Anchorage School Board on Tuesday approved a budget for the coming school year that makes broad cuts to staff, programs and sports, while promising to restore them if the Alaska Legislature significantly increases state funding. In a 6-1 vote Tuesday night, the board slashed funding for the 2025-26 school year by about $43 million. The cuts include more than 380 teacher, staff and administrative positions, ending the IGNITE program for gifted elementary students and eliminating all middle school sports and high school hockey, gymnastics and swimming and diving. Additionally, class sizes are set to increase by four across all grades, and some elementary schools will see their singular nurse and librarian positions reduced to half time. The cuts are "beyond deep," school board member Dora Wilson said. "This budget truly is removing limbs." Before approving the budget, board members unanimously voted to include an amendment that commits the district to reversing most cuts if the Alaska Legislature increases the Base Student Allocation in state statute by a minimum of $1,000 before May 15, the district's deadline for issuing layoff notices. Anchorage School District leaders have been wrestling with an $111 million structural shortfall that they say is caused by nearly a decade of largely flat state formula funding, along with rising costs and inflation. On top of the massive cuts, the district is relying on essentially all its reserves, about $50 million, to balance the budget. District administrators say they are making cuts to primarily unfilled teacher and staff positions and will largely avoid layoffs. Under the amendment from school board members Kelly Lessens and Carl Jacobs, the district would reverse the cuts to student instruction and support, including the IGNITE program, special education school staff, language immersion teachers, librarians, nurses and middle and high school sports. An increase in the state's per-student formula of $1,000 would generate about $71.1 million for the district, Lessens and Jacobs said. The district would retain cuts to about 42 administrative positions and some other areas of the budget — but it would reduce class sizes to the same sizes it had in 2016, rather than just reversing the four-student class size increase. And it would use about $4 million for "high dose reading and math tutoring" for students in grades four through 12 who test below proficiency. Lessens said the amendment "signals our clear-eyed intent to align every dollar we possibly can with our remarkable students' needs." The district would still be spending down its funds to the lowest level possible, she said. "This is a Hail Mary if I've ever seen one," Lessens said. "But again, it's the right thing to do." In Juneau, a contentious debate over education policy and funding is continuing to unfold. A measure in the Alaska House would add $1,000 to the per-student allocation for the 2025-26 school year, and by another $404 in each of the following two school years — but Gov. Mike Dunleavy has opposed the bill. Dunleavy and some GOP legislators say they want funding increases attached to policy changes, such as directing more funding to home-schooled students and expanding charter schools. The state is also facing a budget deficit of about $500 million over two fiscal years. School district leaders say it's largely unclear just how much of a funding boost public schools can expect — and when the Legislature and governor might reach an agreement. Board President Andy Holleman said the timing puts the district in a bind, because the board is required to pass a balanced budget now while the legislative session is ongoing. "Every bit of this disruption is harmful," he said. Alaska Rep. Julie Coulombe, R-Anchorage, was in the audience on Tuesday night and said she flew in from Juneau to attend. Coulombe said she would likely support a "decent" Base Student Allocation with policy changes, and that the school board's amendment directing a state funding increase directly into classrooms "helps." "One of the things I really wanted was a commitment to where the money was going to go," she said. The school board took no public testimony during Tuesday's special meeting, but last week members heard an outpouring of testimony from students, parents, educators and community members who implored the board to save various programs, sports and staff positions. Many had expressed concern about how the cuts of about 295 teaching positions in the district could be a fatal blow to some language immersion programs at elementary schools. On Tuesday night, many parents, teachers and students from O'Malley Elementary again attended, all wearing the school's bright green color, to advocate for its French language immersion program. After the vote, parents said they fear the future of the entire school is at stake. Many of the students live outside of the neighborhood school zone and go to O'Malley for the immersion program. Without that, those students wouldn't attend the school at all, they said. "To us, it's vital. It's not a luxury," said Zieh Fink, parent of a fourth-grader at O'Malley. Board member Dave Donley made several attempts to amend the budget with about $5.4 million in cuts and direct the savings to restore other cuts, like language immersion teachers. He also attempted to save IGNITE and to lessen the increase in pupil-to-teacher ratios. "I think it's just catastrophic to increase class sizes by that much," Donley said. However, other school board members voted down his proposals — though they broadly agreed that the programs should be saved and class sizes should be reduced. To pay for the programs, Donley proposed cutting the district's middle school model planning period, and defunding the district's Department of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement, but keeping sign language interpreter staff and a volunteer coordinator position, among his other attempted budget trims. Other board members said the middle school model planning period is critical to teachers' ability to collaborate and support students and families, and critical to the success of students. Removing it would upend how middle schools function if the state doesn't end up increasing school funding, they said. Member Dora Wilson said that to take away the middle school model, in addition to the staff cuts already in the budget, "would be absolutely devastating to our middle schools." Several members also said they didn't want to pick one program over another, and that they would rather move ahead with the administration's proposed budget, and return to the conversation once they get a final revenue number from Juneau. And with the resolution from Lessens and Jacobs, the district is already poised to reverse the cuts and class size increases when the Legislature increases funding, members argued. "We can't cannibalize our all of our programs" to get a few dollars, school board member Margo Bellamy said. Donley said his proposed cuts likewise could have been reversed once an increase in state funding came through, he said. He was the only member to vote against the budget's passage. "I fully acknowledge that this is a terrible situation we're in, trying to balance the budget at this point in time, not knowing what we're going to get for additional state revenue," Donley said. "But I really felt that class size, immersion, IGNITE — these were all things that should have been within this active budget and not on the list of things to fund if you got more money."
