The federal government has cut a $3.3 million grant for career and technical education at the Anchorage School District, district leaders announced this week.
“To say that this is a setback is an understatement,” Anchorage School District superintendent Jharrett Bryantt said during a school board meeting Tuesday night.
The money comes from the Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grants program, an initiative started by the Biden administration.
“The Department [of Education] has determined that continuation of this program is not in the best interest of the Federal Government,” federal officials wrote in a letter sent to ASD leaders Monday.
The move comes amid a wider push from the Trump administration to cut government spending aimed at fostering diversity, equity and inclusion.
Bryantt said the five-year grant, which began in 2023, supported the district’s Academies of Anchorage program, an initiative aimed at better preparing students to move into high-demand and high-paying careers in the state.
“Six classroom CTE teachers were on the line because of the federal government's decision to pull a grant years ahead of schedule,” Bryantt said. “That's unprecedented. That's not normal, and that's probably the purview of the department. That's their direction.”
Bryantt said the district plans to continue to staff those six positions using funds dedicated to what are called “hold back” teachers aimed at tackling bubbling class sizes. He said the grant also funded eight academy coach positions.
“They don't directly work with students in the classroom every day, but their work is critical, and I will be transparent that I need a little bit more time to explore my options on what to do about those positions,” Bryantt said. “But we're going to be okay. We're going to emerge on the other side in the big picture.”
Bryantt pointed to a number of positive district outcomes since the implementation of the academies program, including a decline in suspensions, a growth in students taking Advanced Placement courses and an increase in freshmen on track to graduate.
He said that, for now, classes should not be impacted by the loss of the grant.
