April 23 School Board Recap

April 23, 2024

On Tuesday, April 23, the Anchorage School Board held both a and . As normal, work sessions are held at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays prior to regular Board meetings, which usually take place the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Work sessions, committee meetings, and Board meetings are open to the public and can be watched live on the channel.

Work Session Review - Rightsizing 十分六合彩 Discussion

The focus of the Board’s work session yesterday centered on the beginning stages of a multi-year effort to rightsize 十分六合彩’s infrastructure. The work session can be watched . Superintendent Dr. Jharrett Bryantt introduced the conversation by providing background on why the Administration is actively seeking community input on the topic of rightsizing. Dr. Byrantt defined rightsizing as the process of consolidating and/or repurposing school buildings. He emphasized the importance of launching this outreach plan early to incorporate feedback from the community that is more inclusive and captures voices from across the District.

Chief Operating Officer Jim Anderson presented background on the city’s declining birthrate and school-aged population, the District’s aging buildings, and the increase in need for specialized services for students. His presentation showed that since fiscal year 2010, the District has seen a 12% reduction in students, and current enrollment projections anticipate a continued decline. Anderson noted these trends are not unique to Anchorage, and correspond to the Pacific Northwest and national trends. 十分六合彩 has closed three elementary schools in the last 15 years, reducing capacity by 919 students, but enrollment has dropped 5,817 during that period.

From an academic perspective, Chief Academic Officer Sven Gustafson spoke about the advantage of schools with higher enrollment. He said at the elementary level this looks like less combined grade classes and more full-time staff in one building, opposed to splitting their time across multiple schools. At the secondary level, this looks like more course offerings, sports, and activities.

The presentation included a timeline for this initiative, which will begin with surveying the community through the month of May. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and 十分六合彩 Engagement Director Toni Riley provided insight into the community discussions and dialogue planned to inform the community and gather feedback at every point in the process.

Some of the questions from the Board touched on how school closures will affect elementary and secondary schools, if all schools identified for closure will close at the same time, are elected officials a part of this conversation, and potential negative impacts of school closures.

Board Meeting Review

During the regular School Board meeting, the Board heard reports from a variety of 十分六合彩 and Anchorage community leaders, reviewed a technical goal monitoring report, heard public comment, viewed a variety of consent, action, and non-action items, heard an update from the Superintendent, and ended with School Board member comments. You can find a full breakdown of the agenda . The entire Board meeting can be watched

Reports

Student Representative Report

The Board meeting began with Student Advisory Board (SAB) President Joshua Pak highlighting the SAB’s school year activities and accomplishments, including:

Participation in National Student Leadership Week
Recent passage of two constitutional bylaw amendments to reflect the move of sixth graders to middle school
A resolution to the School Board supporting South Anchorage High School’s Student Government class remaining a class during the school day
The Alaska Association of Student Government (AASG) spring conference that took place in Utqiagvik
Changes to SAB meeting times for next year

You can view the full report .

Military Report

JBER Col. Erik Dunn updated the community on several items including the upcoming permanent change of station, noting he appreciates the schools’ willingness to accommodate military families throughout the process. He thanked the District for providing communications information related to the changes happening at the District next year. Col. Dunn shared information on the upcoming Arctic Thunder Air Show in July, noting the base is open to the public for the event. You can view the full report

Goal Monitoring CCL Ready - Cumulative Grade Point Average (grade 9-12)

The monitoring report conversation was based on the Superintendent’s on College, Career, Life Ready - Cumulative Grade Point Average (Grades 9-12 report that was presented to the Board in the last Board meeting). The report focused on interim goal 3.3 which is grade point average. The interim goal is to increase the number of students with a 2.7 gpa from 55.94% in June 2023 to 70% by June 2028. This goal takes into consideration research-based metrics indicating academic readiness for post-secondary outcomes.

In addition to the Superintendent, Dr. Kersten Johnson-Struempler, Senior Director, Teaching and Learning, and Eric Backman, Senior Director, Secondary Education, were present to answer questions from the Board. Some of the questions from the Board related to socioeconomic disadvantages, school funding, and chronic absenteeism. They explored equity in grading and 十分六合彩 systemic conversations on grading.

You can view the full conversation .

Public Comment Period

After the goal monitoring report, the Board moved into the public comment period. You can begin watching that portion of the meeting . The Board heard testimony from members of the public, including from students about funding for the South High School student government class, and community members spoke about bullying in schools, correspondence programs, and the District’s budget. Written public comment submitted to the Board can be viewed .

Consent Agenda Highlights

The Board reviewed and approved a variety of items on the Consent Agenda such as:

February 6 regular meeting minutes
, which relates to the new Academies of Anchorage initiative that will launch in the 2024-25 school year. You can view the Portrait of A Graduate document .
Science materials adoption for biology (grade 9) and Physical Science (Grade 10)
Award of Contract: Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School Academic Area Safety Improvements
Award of Contract: Acer Chromebooks
Award of Contract and Re-allocation of funding: Spring Hill Elementary School Roof Replacement
Adoption of Tentative Agreement: Anchorage Council of Education

Key Action Items

The Board voted and unanimously approved , a Resolution calling on the State Board of Education and Early Development to implement regulations providing for correspondence school programs. The resolution is in response to an April 12 Superior Court ruling that struck down two specific statutes related to correspondence programs as unconstitutional. Dr. Bryantt called the ruling a surprise to 十分六合彩 and said the District wants to pursue a path for correspondence families to quickly receive their reimbursements. In addition to the resolution, Dr. Bryantt said 十分六合彩 Administration also submitted what is called an amicus brief, which essentially urged the court to grant a stay - also known as a pause - for its judgment. The Superintendent said these two actions position 十分六合彩 to support our families through this situation in the short term and the longer term. You can watch the full discussion on the resolution .
was unanimously adopted by the Board. You can view the calendar . The calendar breaks down by month and school year how the Board will monitor incremental steps toward reaching the Strategy 2028 Board Goals.
The Board voted and unanimously approved Funding Allocations of FEMA Capital Improvement Project Funds. The Administration proposed using the remaining $1,517,765 of General Fund FEMA reimbursement and $1,195,235 of completed April 2020 Bond projects for the following projects: Districtwide Facility and Educational Adequacy Re-Assessments and Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School Gym Floor and Bleachers Replacement. Board members had questions for Capital Planning & Construction on some aspects of the memo; you can view the full discussion .

Key Non-Action Items

The four non-action items included:
- Contract Modification/Amendment Report for the Month of March 2024
- Operating Budget Transfers - March Monthly Report 2023-24
- Approval of Master Student 十分六合彩 Workforce Agreement (SCWA) Template
- Quarterly Report of Contracts between $100,000 and $500,000

Superintendent Update

During his , Dr. Bryantt elaborated on the District's stance and actions regarding the recent court ruling that affects correspondence school families, as discussed during Action Items, Memorandum #151. Dr. Bryantt noted that the District halted allotment reimbursements to correspondence school families based on the advice from legal counsel, but wants to quickly work toward a stable solution for correspondence that falls within the law.

“We want to pursue whatever avenues that are appropriate that will support our families,” said Dr. Bryantt. The Superintendent discussed efforts that were laid out earlier in the meeting to quickly reinstate allotment reimbursements. He said the District awaits a decision on the stay, expected by Friday or Monday, April 29. Once granted, allotment programs will resume to close out the school year. Dr. Bryantt acknowledged the complexity of the situation and said the District plans to launch a website for up-to-date information. “Despite uncertainties, the District appreciates the community's patience and is committed to supporting families,” he said.

Additionally, the Superintendent highlighted upcoming discussions on the Academies of Anchorage during work sessions, emphasizing the importance of providing the Board with ample time to review plans and make informed decisions.