The Anchorage School Board will vote on school closures Tuesday night during its last meeting of the calendar year. An amendment written by Board Member Kelly Lessens would remove Lake Hood Elementary from the list of four schools still planned for closure.
Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt announced in the spring that the district would consider closing schools to more efficiently serve a dwindling number of students. The list of seven elementary schools slated for closure was released in November and since then, Bear Valley, Tudor and Wonder Park have all been removed for various reasons.
The district has closed three elementary schools since 2010 and lost nearly 6,000 students in that time period. In 2022, the district proposed closing six schools, but only closed Abbott Loop Elementary. The building that previously held Abbott Loop is now home to Alaska Native Cultural Charter School, a process the district plans to replicate with the newest round of school closures.
Lessens and school board member Carl Jacobs offered four amendments total, including one that would require district administration to recommend one more school for closure by next October.
Along with the school closure vote Tuesday night, the board will vote on a budget planning document and a joint resolution with the Anchorage Assembly calling for additional funding from the state.
