Editor's note: This story is part of "Lessons from Newtok," which connects youth from Newtok (Niugtaq), Alaska and Provincetown, Mass. through a pen pal exchange exploring the impacts of climate change. Students will document their communities with photography and writing, sharing insights on Indigenous knowledge, science, and local responses. Though Provincetown and Newtok's new townsite of Mertarvik seem worlds apart, both coastal communities face rising seas, erosion, and environmental change. "Lessons From Newtok" offers a unique perspective on how youth are navigating our changing climate.
This fall season, an essential part of the Newtok relocation project happened. Barges bringing construction materials for the new school arrived at the Mertarvik Project Site.
I watched the barges arrive before ice formed on the river. The arrival of additional school children as the last families moved over to Mertarvik means that a new school must be built. A couple of pickup trucks were pulling a trailer with the school construction materials on them. I watched as they carefully drove from the barge landing to the new school site.
This move was challenging, especially as winter set in and the river is covered with lots of ice regardless of the tide. My family moved from Niugtaq to Mertarvik last fall, and on our last trip we took seven hours to get to Mertarvik from Niugtaq because we were stuck in the ice until the tide moved out.
The Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) has full funding approved by the state for school construction, and now the foundation and basic structure are underway. Students are currently attending school in the Mertarvik Evacuation Center (MEC) while we wait for the new school to be built. The new school is named the Mertarvik Pioneer School and is located by the generator, not too far from the Evacuation Center. It will be a little smaller than the old school at Niugtaq. According to Kim Sweet, LKSD's director of operations, the new school will hopefully be completed in August 2026. The total cost of new construction for the school is roughly $56 million, but that is not all the school district has to pay for. There is a demolition that has to be paid for as well.
“So part of this project agreement is also the demolition of Newtok. So it's not just about 'do I have enough money to build a school, it's do I have enough money to build a school and demo Newtok?'” Sweet said.
LKSD and the State of Alaska came to an agreement to fund the new school in Mertarvik. The agreement also states that the district has to demolish the old school in Newtok and keep students in school until the new building is ready. The total cost of the project is over $81 million, with $68 million going to new construction and the rest going to demolition and maintenance of the MEC building for educational purposes.
The original project agreement between LKSD and the State of Alaska budgeted for a 24,000-square-foot school.
“The original project agreement was much less, like 24,000 square feet, which is barely enough for, I mean, basically it eliminated two classrooms, and then the amount spent was about $55 million,” Sweet said.
After LKSD officials went back to the State of Alaska and said that they needed a bigger school, the district was granted additional funds to build a 31,000-square-foot school.
According to Mertarvik Site Administrator Dawn Lloyd, the building is still in progress with about 30% completed. She said the gym will be three quarters the size of a standard high school basketball court. We are all excited about the gym because basketball is our favorite sport!
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