Anchorage School District to release multi-year school closure plan next month

ASD Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt speaking during a schoolhouse committee gathering connected June 4, 2024. (Tim Rockey/Alaska Public Media)

Anchorage School District Chief Operating Officer Jim Anderson said nan territory will merchandise a scheme successful October that outlines which schools could adjacent arsenic portion of nan district’s effort to “right-size” owed to declining student enrollment. Anderson declined to opportunity really galore schools whitethorn close.

Since 2010, territory enrollment has dropped by almost 6,000 students, astir 12%, but only three schools person closed.

At a schoolhouse committee work session connected Aug. 20, Anderson said nan territory is being cautious astir closing schools, and trying to do what’s champion for students.

“The extremity is not to get free of each mini schoolhouse successful nan district,” Anderson said. “The extremity is to look astatine what correct sizing is really about, which is utilizing our accommodation amended to meet different needs wrong nan territory and not solely looking astatine a database of mini schools.”

Anchorage School District Chief Operating Officer Jim Anderson speaks during a schoolhouse committee activity convention connected Aug. 20, 2024 (Screenshot from ASD Youtube)

Anderson said much than 70% of parents surveyed astir nan right-sizing effort support nan idea, but they want to protect typical programs specified arsenic connection immersion and Montessori programs astatine smaller schools. According to a territory spokesperson, different study will beryllium sent to parents this month.

Anderson told nan committee that immoderate buildings whitethorn beryllium closed arsenic schools, but leased to charter schools aliases reopened arsenic kid attraction facilities. He said nan territory will clasp respective municipality hallway meetings earlier making a proposal to nan schoolhouse committee for a last determination by nan extremity of this year.

“We’ve sewage to build a fund astir whether schools aliases programs are successful leased accommodation aliases not, aliases if those schools will beryllium successful nan adjacent year, truthful conscionable for illustration past clip successful December location will beryllium a ballot connected nan right-sizing plan,” Anderson said.

School Board President Andy Holleman said nan committee hasn’t seen nan district’s plan. He wanted to punctual unit and families that nan decisions won’t beryllium based connected world performance.

“I judge that we astir apt won’t effort to do thing for illustration 5 aliases six, that it whitethorn beryllium much for illustration 1 aliases 2 astatine a time, pinch it being a multi-year process,” Holleman said, referring to nan number of schools nan territory could close.

In 2022, nan territory projected closing six schools successful bid to screen a fund deficit, but only ended up closing Abbott Loop Elementary School.

Holleman said nan imaginable closures won’t prevention nan territory a batch of money, but will streamline operations pinch less schools.

“It’s conscionable little to return attraction of, and truthful it intends that we tin put much resources into nan classroom, arsenic opposed to different places,” Holleman said.

The committee will clasp different activity convention astir imaginable closures Tuesday.