2/17/2026 ASD School Board Meeting

We'll call this February 17th meeting of the ASD School Board to order. Today is February 17th. The time is 6:01 PM here in the boardroom. Present are all school board members: Higgins, Lessons, Donnelly, our student representative Madison, myself, Member Jacobs, as well as Member Holloman. And online with us are Member Wilson and Member Bellamy.

We've called ourselves to order and conducted a roll call. Student Representative Madison, would you lead us in the flag salute and land acknowledgment?

We acknowledge that we gather here today on the traditional lands of the Dena'ina people of the Upper Cook Inlet. For thousands of years, the Dena'ina people have been and continue to be the stewards of this land. ASD is committed to diversity and inclusion, and it is with honor and respect that we recognize all indigenous people who live and learn in our community.

Thank you. Item A3 is the approval of the agenda. Board members, you have the agenda in front of you. Is there a motion to approve as drafted? Move to approve the agenda as presented.

Is there a second?

Second. Made by Member Holloman, second by Member Lessans. Is there any discussion? Hearing and seeing none. And is there any opposition to adopting our agenda?

Hearing and seeing none, we will have our agenda adopted as written. Moving on to reports, student representative reports. Madison, the floor is yours. All right, thank you. I will keep this brief as I see there's much testimony happening today.

So last time we met for a student advisory board, which is another way our region meets that I preside over those meetings, that was on the 10th of February. At that meeting, we were able to ask different schools what unique parts of the budget would be affecting their schools that are different from others. Many had different answers. I know there were many that were concerned with the Chinese immersion cut at Beggage. Chugiak had also commented on how they would lose their World Discovery seminar.

Diamond was concerned with athletics. At East High School, they were concerned with the deaf and blind schools and ELL cuts as well. And there are many others overall. Next, we saw school spotlights from West High School, Wendler Middle School and South as well to showcase what they do at their school, their spirit, etc. Then we're also going to have elections for our next positions at Student Advisory Board at our next meeting in March.

Then I've also noticed that across the district I've seen many different student-led petitions for keeping swim and tennis sports as well as keeping individual nurses at schools. And at Eagle River High School there was a Teen Dating Violence Month prevention, um, wellness table held out through the week. Um, I was able to help with that personally, and the National Honor Society was able to participate in that. That mostly concludes my report. There's just been a bunch of different civic efforts coming from students across the district that I thought was important to, um, give a report on.

And I will let you guys know what happens next at our next Student Advisory Board meeting, which our new president-elect, Stephen Gibson, will be joining us at.

Thank you. Any questions for our student representative? I'm hearing and seeing none. We'll move on to our board conference and committee reports. Member Lessens.

Yeah, this is really just to make sure that folks know what the Finance Committee worked on last Wednesday. We moved our meeting from the end of the month to in between our normal meetings. We specifically discussed the origins, language, and intent of the one-time operational levy that originated from Mayor LaFrance and was approved by the Anchorage Assembly to place on the April 7th municipal ballot. And there is language attached to Memorandum 131 tonight for a Finance Committee amendment. I'll read it here.

If a majority of voters approve what is now known as Proposition 9 during the April 7th municipal election, the school board directs that the administration shall use all available revenue from the levy to reduce the projected FY27 increase in the district's K-12 pupil-teacher ratio from a +4 to a +2 by retaining 80 K-12 classroom teachers and 3.144 kindergarten para— paraprofessional positions. So in other words, if the levy passes in April, um, we have— we will see as a district half of the projected PTR increase. And I guess if the board approves it.

Thank you, Member Lessons. I'm seeing no other board members who wish to provide a conference or committee report. Move on to the superintendent update. Dr. Brantley. Thank you, Mr. President.

I thought it would be very important for the administration to provide some information on the budget proposal and school consolidation proposals that have been put before the public late last week. So before the team walks through the FY27 budget update and right-sizing recommendations, I do want to speak briefly to the why we're here for tonight's discussion. Um, we're going to review some items that have been of particular interest to the community in the budget proposal. So over the next hour hour or so, we will discuss, um, up the elementary specialist plan. We will discuss some enhancement we've made, we've made to the student athletics plan, and then we'll also discuss the healthcare services proposal that we also discussed in the previous board meeting, and also the school consolidation plan.

I want to spend the bulk of my comments speaking directly to the school consolidation plan, as that is very new to the community, and I'd like to connect the dots as to what's been discussed here over the past few weeks, and why are we discussing school consolidations when we thought there was closure a few months ago? So let me just take a step back. So last fall, after extensive discussions and community engagement, the school board did vote to not close any schools, and that decision at that point in time reflected robust amounts of information about the conditions of our schools and the projections that we had at that time. When that decision was made, understandably, many families felt a sense of relief, and some felt like there was closure on that conversation. But I need to update the community on what has happened since that decision was made in November.

We now have an even stronger sense of the district's long-range financial challenges. So as many in the audience and in the community currently understand, ASD is facing a $90 million structural deficit for next school year. But in addition to that, what the community might not be tracking is that the year after that, we still project at least another $42 million structural deficit, and the year after that, it's at least $30 million in FY29. At that same time, enrollment trends continue downward. It's obvious that at this point revenues have not kept pace with inflation, and the cost of operating our system at the status quo has increased at the same time as our purchasing has declined.

So we in ASD do have an urgent need to make structural changes. That said, last week the school board met and adopted a resolution that directed the administration to revisit elements of previous right-sizing proposals in light of the urgency of our current financial conditions, and it also requested that the administration look at the most recent data and make changes that needed to provide a new proposal that we will discuss in just a few moments. One of the core challenges we face in ASD is structural, and we have an urgent need to find efficiencies that can also restore some services in the short term. A school closure reduces growing maintenance needs and capital needs and also provides those short-term savings that can restore some of the difficult reductions that we face in this budget. I need to be very clear when I say that ASD is currently operating more facilities than our enrollment and long-term funding levels can sustainably support, and this reality affects everything.

This fact affects our ability to staff flexibly. It affects the district's ability to offer programs. It creates pressures on class sizes and also our ability to maintain consistent academic offerings across buildings. So when resources are spread too thinly across too many underutilized buildings, the entire system feels the strain. So this is not the first time that we've discussed school consolidations in the past, and this issue is not unique to ASD.

For several years, our right-sizing initiative has examined enrollment patterns, facility utilization, and cost savings, and the underlying dynamics we're discussing tonight have been building over years. So I say all of that to suggest that what has changed is not the concept of whether or not ASD needs to move forward with this action. What has changed is the urgency needed to take action. So to go back to the resolution that was passed by the board last Monday, the resolution asked the administration to re-examine prior analyses using the most current information available, including on academic impacts, enrollment trends, transportation logistics, service levels, long-term financial sustainability, and more. So the 4 days that followed that resolution passing, we've completed that review.

Now, with that said, it was a very compressed timeline, and it was also consistent with the board's direction and the budget development calendar. And I want to acknowledge something specifically for our community. I completely understand that from the community's perspective, this feels very fast, and I also recognize from the district's perspective, the work that we're going to discuss in the next few minutes reflects years of data and analysis that's been reviewed by this team. So we do feel confident in the proposals that we're going to put forward for discussion tonight. Both of those things are true.

So for families and students that are connected to these individual schools, this moment is deeply personal, and we recognize that it feels very emotional because a school community involves relationships, routines, and these school communities matter greatly to the people that are impacted. I recognize that, and we did not take this decision lightly, which is why I wanted to walk us through the how we got here and where headed to next. So at the same time, we do need to consider the impacts to school communities, but I also think that it's prudent for we as an entire community to consider the long-term health of the entire district and also the educational experiences of students across Anchorage. So based on these updated analyses, the administration is recommending the following actions take place, um, by the end of the 25-26 school year. Which would be, um, the completing the closure of Fire Lake Elementary, Lake Otis Elementary, and Campbell STEM Elementary School.

So, um, we are going to go through that and all the relevant details in the following presentation. Why are we recommending this? This proposal, despite all the context that I just shared, aligns our facilities to enrollment realities that we know to be true and have observed over many years and see them coming in years to come. It allows us to strengthen our academic levels of service. This proposal allows us to improve our operational efficiency.

And lastly, this proposal will allow the district to generate short-term savings that can be redirected towards student priorities for this upcoming budget. In fact, that is the last slide of the presentation that we're about to go through. So these proposals will surely generate some strong reactions and deeply felt perspectives. And that is completely expected and understandable. The school communities are important, and there are many people in this community who care deeply about them.

So that said, our team is about to walk through those analyses, and we'll also talk about those topics of specific interest. Um, in particular, those are specialist staffing, healthcare services, and student sports and activities. This is difficult work, but we're going to get through this together as a community, and I felt it was important that we walk through a lot of information with the community because I understand that there are a lot of questions, and this is the first step towards sharing that information and engaging in this dialogue at this dais now and moving forward over the next several weeks. So with that said, I will hand it off to our senior leadership team. All right, thank you, Dr. Bryant, for the—.

I had a question.

Uh, remember, Donnelly, there are, I think, 3 different built-in opportunities for the questions if we want to let the team get started. Is that okay? But this is after the superintendent. It's the superintendent's report, right? Well, this is part of his report as well.

Okay. Um, well, when will I get to ask a question that relates to the superintendent's actual report he just gave? Why don't you go ahead and ask it? Thank you very much. Yeah, so, Dr. Bryant, I'm looking at Anchorage Municipal Code.

And I found Section 2103.020H, Notice, and it sets out when community councils should get a notice of major things that are happening in a community council's area. Uh, it includes things such as comprehensive plan amendments, master plan development, master plan institutional neighborhood or district plans, non-conforming structures, replication of public facilities, site selection, rezoning, and streets and trail review. It doesn't specifically say school closures. Of course, you know, this is a pretty new development in Anchorage that we were used to building new schools. But has there been any analysis of this code about whether it applies to the school district of recommending, uh, school closure and notice being provided to the community council of that.

The Taku Community Council meets first Wednesday of the month. That was at the last meeting, and that was prior to the Friday announcement of Campbell Park being on the discussion tonight to be closed. So they haven't had a meeting, and they won't have a meeting before we're actually scheduled to vote on this on the 24th. Because their regular meeting is the first Wednesday of the month, and I'm just concerned that they're being left out of this process.

Thank you, Member Donnelly. I am not aware of any conflict that precludes this process from proceeding as directed by the board. So at this point, I would recommend that we go into our presentation. Um, I do expect it will be between 1.5 to 2 hours. Thank you for raising that context.

All right, thank you, Dr. Bryant. For the record, my name is Kirsten Johnson. I'm the Deputy Chief of Schools. So to start tonight, we'd like to start with the topic of elementary specialists and the proposal, um, that is a part of the budget, uh, proposal this year. Um, so before we start into more information specifically around elementary specialists, I want to just start with the context that elementary specialists is something that we've looked at in previous budget years and something that we really do need to find a solution for, to find those efficiencies as our population decreases.

Along those lines, we felt like it was very important to include many people in our elementary ranks to do this work who are experts in the field and who have done an enormous amount of scheduling work in their experience. And so some of those people that have helped us with this proposal are here with us this evening, so I'd like to introduce them. Starting to your right, um, Lika McCauley is a Senior Director of Elementary Education. David Crystal is the principal at Creekside Park Elementary. And then to your left, I have Helena Bateman, who is a Senior Director of Elementary Education, and Anna Walker, who is the principal at Bay Shore.

So these folks, along with many others, came to the table to really evaluate our specialist model to try to find efficiencies both with staffing while still maintaining a robust student experience, um, given the budget constraints that we have at hand. And so at this time, I'm going to turn it over to Lika McCauley to get us started this evening. Good evening. So first, we want to just start out and transparently share that this proposal does not reflect a belief that our arts, health, or enrichment are expendable. We do sincerely value our specialists, both for the educators that they are as well as the content areas they serve.

When we started out with this project, the first thing that got it started was budget constraints and looking at those and how they impact across the system. And as we dove deeper into this project, what we realized was that we shifted into some scheduling and some ways that we could not only be able to reduce some of the inefficiencies of the teacher allocation and some of the pairing and sharing concerns that happen between our schools. But we could also consolidate into more simple categories that would be easier to manage, would continue to support preserving just the daily instructional level of our students. We've all seen our PTR class sizes are predicted to go up, and thinking about that, what else can we do to keep those class sizes in a strong educational experience for our students. As we simplified schedules, we also saw that we could prioritize some different parts of core instruction with cleaner blocks and also create more opportunities for ELL and special education supports to better support those.

Ultimately, what we have found was, you know, as we were at the outset of this planning, really how do we retain as much of the educational ideal student experience as possible while also responding to these challenges. And one of the core pieces of this proposal also is a focus on keeping more full-time people in buildings versus people that are shared between multiple buildings in our district. And so with that, I turn it over to Senior Director Helena Bateman to talk a little bit more about the proposal.

Thank you, Lika, and thank you for bringing up the core points here. Again, this proposal does not reflect the belief that any of the arts, health, or enrichment are expendable. We value our educators. And we value the content that is given to our students. But building on our earlier discussion, I want to focus on the purpose and long-term benefits of this revised approach.

As we revisit this proposal, the core benefit remains the same: a more efficient, sustainable model for specialist allocation. Consolidating 5 areas into 3 allows us to schedule more strategically, realize substantial savings, and reduce the number of schools each specialist serves. That reduction strengthens relationships within the buildings, clarifies expectations along with students and staff, and supports long-term sustainability in the long run. I'll turn that over to Hannah.

Yeah, I just was going to talk a minute about, uh, where are we currently at in terms of what our specialist schedule looks like. And you have to both look at it at a weekly basis and a monthly basis. And I say the monthly basis because you're really looking at health and—. Or excuse me, art and health served on a 2-week basis. So when you look at the instructional impact and time that those kids have, it's the amount of time that they have on a monthly basis.

As school providers, we often think of it as an art health block that one week they might have art, one week they might have health. And so we think of schedules in terms of specialists on a weekly basis. So one of the big changes is moving to a 50-minute cycle for every specialist. So on a 5-day-a-week, students are going to have one block each day, and that accounts for a total of 250 minutes. Currently, we account for 240 minutes of specialist time, but the idea behind it is you create efficiencies by having staff in the buildings more often.

[FOREIGN LANGUAGE] That change will definitely bring more stability to our buildings. It will allow for better scheduling. Also, it will allow for reduction after itinerant staff who have to travel between multiple schools. We are looking at fine arts, uh, health model, which will include fine arts, music, art, and PE. Also, the librarians in the building would be full-time, and however, their job duties will be refined with specific guidelines.

Again, just given the change, a possible change. Um, the model will meet the state mandates requirements and board policies, and adjustments will be made to the budget, or as the proposal is approved?

Um, cost savings are made based on the current budget, with approximately 16 holdbacks that were given last year. The reason holdbacks were, were given to different specific schools was because of the change in FTE and enrollment fluctuations that vary per year, which causes FTE amongst schools who are paired together to often have to change. And so that causes a domino effect. Oftentimes when you have a school that requires more staffing for, or more have to pass, they have to pick up more classes for a specialist content area, that causes another school to lose that. And so the scheduling pairings are complicated, and it again causes a domino effect.

The additional savings as well do not include the savings to mileage. And so to clarify the mileage question, oftentimes when we have to provide mileage reimbursement to staff members, it's because they have to switch schools within the school day. And so while we don't have too many staff members that have to do that, we do have some, and that causes additional budget costs. Expenditures also include different programming for different schools and supplies, materials, and then the increase in positions as well.

So when we look at the schedule proposal for specialists at elementary school, um, there— if the, the board chooses to approve the proposal as presented in this budget, there are a number of next steps that we'll need to take to see this come to fruition in the fall. So we will— once the budget is approved, we have done a lot of schedule analysis and staffing analysis to get to this point of the budget. The next step of this process would be bringing content experts together that would rely— that we would work within the guidelines of the schedule and the staffing provided so that we have the best quality experience that we can afford, essentially, within this budget. And we would rely on staff expertise, particularly in our fine arts, to develop the best possible experience moving forward for our kids. The same analysis will go for our health content standards and, and what we need to do in that content area as well.

So at this point, we've, we've made it this far with the staffing and the budget, and then our next steps are to move into the particulars of the, the curriculum content in the classes. So with that, I will yield to you, President Jacobs, for questions. We're listening. Thank you. This is maybe a technical question, but the proposed cuts of 25.4 FTE for our elementary specialists, that's contingent on the PTR plus 4, is that correct?

That's actually— so if if voters approve this levy on April 7th, we would see a PTR +2 instead. Do we have a sense of about how many specialists we would be able to adjust for? I can get that for you when we get a break, but they are included in that ADFTE estimate that would take to restore those two PTR. So both at the elementary and secondary levels, when we talk about a PC PTR class size, we do adjust those specialists for the planning time component to be able to make it more of a true class size when we talk about it. Okay, this is all— I appreciate that.

Um, I'm just wanting to know, uh, I guess maybe the follow-up question is, um, can you confirm, Dr. Bryant, that Because we are waiting to see what hap— we, we are likely to be waiting to see what happens with the levy. We won't be making any staffing changes until that early April time frame. That's right. Mr. Lynn, can you confirm the process?

Yeah, in previous years we've often started staffing once the board adopts the budget in late February and, and, you know, before spring break, but Just knowing that there's a number of uncertain variables this year, we plan to slow down that process and probably not make any, uh, certificated staffing moves, um, until we know the outcome of the levy in early April. Um, that still gives us enough runway to make all of our staffing needed moves and changes by the end of the year, but we want to account for as many of those variables as possible in order to disrupt as few individuals as possible. And knowing the outcome of that levy will be really critical information as part of that.

Seeing no other questions, please proceed. All right, thank you, President Jacobs. At this time, I'd like to shift topics to the regional nursing plan and thank our presenters for being here. So one of the questions that has come up in the last couple of weeks since the initial budget proposal is, How does regional nursing work and why are we going there? And so I'd like to just provide some additional details around regional nursing.

So to start, our existing model is one nurse per building, and within that model there's varied numbers of students that are assigned to each nurse within a building. So we go from our smallest elementary setting to 147 students all the way to our largest high school setting of over 1,700 students. And so you can see by the student ratio to nurse numbers there that it is a very inequitable workload for our nurses. So that is one issue in our existing model. The other issue that we're facing is, is just like much of the country, hard to— nursing positions are hard to fill.

There is a shortage nationally. So currently we have 4 unfilled nursing positions in our, our district. Additionally, absent coverage becomes very complicated for us because just like full-time positions, it is also hard to staff nursing substitute positions. And so at this point, when we have a nursing absence, and we typically have multiple every day, we go through a series of steps to fill those nursing positions to make sure students get what they need at the school site. The first step is obviously to fill open positions with nursing substitutes as we can.

That doesn't always fill every vacant position. Most likely, on most days, it doesn't actually fill all of our open positions. So then we move to the 6 healthcare nurse specialists that are here in our education center. Those, those individuals and employees are distributed out to those additional vacancies with the most need. Based on the student needs at the school.

And then our schools who don't necessarily have high medical needs are often relying on their buddy school. Each school is paired with another school so that if there is a nurse vacancy that we're unable to fill, that nurse can serve two schools in the same day to meet the more minimal needs that aren't necessarily urgent daily needs for students. So the bottom line is that on a daily basis, we are already covering bases and operating somewhat in a regional model due to the shortage of staff and also the shortage of substitutes available. So just as an example, to put an emphasis on, on the number of positions that we're covering on a daily basis, the first week of February this year, there were double-digit absences every day of the week. For the first week of, of February.

Um, on every single one of those days, there were unfilled substitute positions where subs were not able to fill those positions. So it is a daily thing that we work through as a school district. So I just wanted to provide some context to what's happening in our existing model. In the next slide, this is just a summary of the proposal for the board to consider. Around regional nursing.

Um, so just as a review from the last time we met, um, we are looking at a 6-region model, um, with 9 to 11 nurses per region, um, serving 12 to 14 buildings within that region. So this model would be absolutely, uh, focused on student medical needs as the primary driver for how staffing is decided. The ongoing needs assessment or acuity of each region would be assessed regularly because we all know that Anchorage has students moving in and out every day as the school year goes. So that's a constant ongoing process. And part of that assessment includes looking at nursing tasks that you are not able to delegate to someone that doesn't have a nursing license.

So things such as tube feedings or diabetic care, those are examples of things that nurses really need to respond to and, and give service to kids who have those medical needs. So it also would look at enrollment at schools. So if you have a high enrollment, there's clearly probably going to be additional needs. And it also looks at the medications that students need to be— to have administered. Some of those also need to be administered by a nurse.

So in the regional model, depending on the needs of each school, there are some schools that would need a full-time nurse for sure, and so you would have a 1 nurse to 1 building assignment in that regional model. You could also have 2 to 3 schools with lesser needs and not daily urgent needs where 1 nurse could cover 2 or 3 buildings. So we'll get into the details on that here in, in a minute. So before we go there, I just want to kind of broadly clarify that the regional model is absolutely adaptable to student needs. Uh, it is more equitable for both— for our employees, honestly, in terms of a student ratio to a nurse assigned.

Noting the first slide where we have vastly different student-to-nurse ratios currently, and it's absolutely student-focused. Nurses would still know the needs within the region and at schools of students and families and, and have those relationships as they move along through the school year. What I really want to emphasize is the regional model is not nurses rotating schools every day, and it's not a different nurse at a school every day of the week. That is not the intent of the regional model.

So diving more deeply in how you would staff a regional model, this chart here is an example of how a region would be staffed with the nursing staff that is assigned to that region. So you'll notice that on the left-hand column are all the different schools in the region. In the middle column are the medical needs, and the ones that are listed are the ones that nurses have to administer, so they're not able to be delegated to another staff member or someone without a nursing license. And then you'll see how nurses are assigned based on those needs across the region. So for example, at the high school in the first line, there would be a student who needs to be tube fed daily, so we would have a full-time nurse at that high school.

If you go down to Elementary A, there isn't a daily need that is not able to be delegated. So there would be a part-time nurse assigned there to meet the needs of that school, and it would likely be paired with Elementary B, who is in a similar situation. But you'll also notice as you go down the line that there are elementary schools there that are likely much smaller than a middle or high school, and that the medical needs at those smaller schools do still require a full-time nurse within that region to be assigned. And so, as you can see, the staffing is really determined on the medical needs of the building and the students. And then as students move, we're able to move that staffing without— within the region.

And we're also able to cover each other when there are absences if we're not able to find subs. So it's a much more flexible staffing model, um, as proposed. The last slide I'd like to focus on is just to give some perspective of how other districts across the state serve student medical needs based on the number of schools that they have. And so we have the other 4 large districts in the state—Fairbanks, Juneau, Kenai, and Matsu. They have both regular neighborhood schools and charter schools.

And you'll see in the third and fourth lines the number of RNs, or registered nurses, that are assigned to schools. And you can see additional staff that is also utilized to meet medical needs in the last line of, of the slide. So you can see by looking at the numbers of schools versus number of staff that are assigned that many other districts do other, other models across our state. So essentially, what we're proposing is not necessarily different or, or unusual compared to other districts if you, if you look at that from a holistic perspective. So at this time, I would like to just mention one note on charter schools.

There has been some confusion, I think, in our community that charter schools would lose their nursing staff, and I just want to clarify that in this particular proposal, charter schools would retain the ability within their budget to keep their nursing staff as they wish. So if they would like to have a full-time nurse, as an example, they can make those decisions as a charter school to approve that budget within their charter. They can also opt into the regional nursing model if they would like to, and we will accommodate them, but that is an APC decision at the, at this charter school level. So I just wanted to clarify that point as well. So at this point, President Jacobs, if there's questions, I'd be happy to take them.

Seeing, uh, member lists. It's not a— I appreciate all of this information. Um, I did— it struck me that it looks like the Juneau School District changed its model because of their budget crisis a couple of years ago, and a quick dive suggested that there was a similar financial crisis in Fairbanks that pushed them towards this model. So this, it strikes me that yes, people have, they've accommodated these models, but it's not something districts are looking to do eagerly or willingly. Yeah, I think that's an important note, Kelly.

I remember lessons, sorry. So this isn't a proposal that we wouldn't, we would propose unless we were in the budget situation we were in. Unfortunately, and much like the elementary specialist proposal, it's not a, it's not a reflection of the value of work that our school nurses do. We know they're important and we know they have a connection to their community and to their kids, but we are in the realities of our budget deficit. So that's why this proposal is on the table.

Member Higgins, I hadn't thought about it, but are charter schools required to provide a nurse in some capacity or not? I mean, because they're ASD kids and I know we got the same issues and we got some pretty large charter schools out there, over 400, almost 500. So charter schools get to operate independently and make those decisions through their APC, um, and so it is their purview essentially to set their budget and their staffing.

I'm seeing no other questions. We can proceed. All right, at this time I'll turn it over to Jim Anderson and Sven Gustafson.

Good evening. So just real quick, Dr. Bryant covered the ASD resolution and the history over the last several years and, and why we are here tonight. Um, just real quick for those who walked in late or would like to see it on a slide, this was the resolution the board passed last Monday. And it really focused on 3 things. It was a directive to look at previously analyzed school proposals, um, this from this fall, and that was to make sure that we had the most current information available, knowing that we really had a very short and condensed timeline to look at additional near-term efficiency opportunities.

And of course, they, they also wanted to see how the facilities would be repurposed.

I just drink too much, but I'll drink some. Okay, real quick, the recommendations in response to the resolution, and we posted these Friday afternoon, was to close and consolidate 3 schools: Lake Otis, Fire Lake, and Campbell STEM. Repurpose Fire Lake for Eagle Academy, Lake Otis for Ruckus Shula. To relocate the Tudor Montessori program to Denali Montessori, change O'Malley's elementary boundary to move the non-emergent students to Huffman, change Government Hill's boundary to move non-emergent students to Inlet View, and to declare the Abbott Loop and Campbell STEM properties excess to district needs.

So getting into the actual plan for each of these different closures. For the Fire Lake and Lake Otis Elementary School closures, we do have different recommendations as to where the students would go than we had in the fall. We listened to all the public testimony and we are wanting to address some of those by changing what— where the students would go. The first being for Fire Lake Elementary, Instead of sending the 3 SLC classrooms, um, from Fire Lake to Birchwood, our recommendation is move them to Alpenglow. The teachers and community and the SLCs made it a point to bring it to our attention that those students may not be successful in that ABC curriculum.

So we have decided to move that program. Those students will now go from Alpenglow to Greening to Eagle River High School.

We also will continue to have the same little pocket of students that was closer to Chugiak Elementary go to Chugiak Elementary. In the fall, it was less than— or 5 or less. There's been a few students move into that neighborhood recently, so it's up to 8 students. But then the rest of the student body, instead of breaking them up into Birchwood Elementary School and Eagle River Elementary School— there is enough room in all for you in Eagle River Elementary School for all of the 153 students. Um, with that 153 students, Eagle River Elementary School's utilization rate moves from 55% to 88%.

It also Um, we'll make Eagle River Elementary School a CEP school, so all of the students in that school will qualify for food service. Also, in addition to everything else that we've done, one of the things that we have done is we've extended the lottery application time to March 31st. This gives a couple more weeks to any families that wish to If you so choose to go ahead and close these schools, it gives a couple extra weeks in this calendar to be able to apply for the lottery for different programs. As we, as we explained in the fall, Eagle River families, about 37% Eagle River families actually go to diff— have their kids go to different schools than where they actually live. So that gives that opportunity for for that, for them to apply for those lottery programs.

Additionally, last fall we changed the way waitlists work. Waitlists will no longer last for more than a year. Waitlists will be called at the end of January each year. And so every year that first lottery is literally a lottery where any kid can be able to get into any of the schools or programs that have seats available. So looking at the map for Fire Lake, um, it— this is kind of a hard map to see, but the 8 go up to Chugiak Elementary School and the 153 students would go down to Eagle River Elementary School.

Moving to Lake Otis, this change is, is a pretty big change because we are, as, as you knew, as you knew that the— during the budget presentation, we are recommending moving the Montessori program from Tudor to Denali. Um, that will put some space in Tudor Elementary School. So we are looking at actually only having 2 schools receive general education students, neighborhood students, from the Eagle River consolidation or closure. If all those families that live north of Tudor Tutor Road, there's 35 students would go to Rogers Park Elementary School, and the students that are— the 162 students that are south of Tutor would go to Tutor Elementary School. With Tutor Elementary School, there is, um, quite a few Pre-K programs.

We would be moving for the development of Pre-K programs classrooms from Tutor Elementary School to Rogers Park. This with the preschool and these 35 students, Rogers Park becomes pretty full as far as classroom use.

We are not changing the recommendation for the life skills program. We in the fall, we recommended 3 life skills classrooms go to Russian Jack and 1 go to Airport Heights. That's continuing, uh, in this proposal as well. One thing that I would, uh, point out is with all these changes, Tudor Elementary will become a— or will be higher on the list for Title I. Currently they balance.

Sometimes they're below and they don't get Title funding. Sometimes they're above and they do get a little Title funding. With this move, Tudor would receive more title funding. Another thing on this particular move, it isn't on this slide, but it is recommended that we move— go ahead and move the 6th grade, um, Montessori students into middle school and have Denali Montessori be a K-5 school. Looking at the map for this um, those— it shows just those 3 ovals above Tudor going to Rogers Park and the 1 big, big oval below going to Tudor Elementary School.

Moving to Campbell STEM, this is a new school on the list. Um, there's a number of things I want to talk about in regards to Campbell STEM, uh, the first being, um, the costs that would be saved There's a capital project currently on deck for Campbell STEM of just, just under about $11.2 million. $9 Million of that is bond and $2.2 million with school bond debt reimbursement that's expungible to be able to be used for other things, and we'll get into that towards the end of the presentation. Um, for the Campbell STEM consolidation, we have 120 students that would go to Willowcrest Elementary School. Those are the families that are above 76th.

Those families currently, after they left Campbell, would go to Romegan West. They would still do Romegan West by going to Willowcrest. Making that move, Willowcrest Elementary School increases its utilization rate from 64% to 87%. Uh, one thing with Willowcrest, they currently have a general ed Pre-K program. That Pre-K program will move to Ocean View.

Gladys Wood would receive 84 students. Those students are pretty much the ones between 76th and Diamond. Those 84 students currently, for middle school, would go to Mears, and for high school, would go to Diamond. They would continue to do Mears and and Diamond. And then the 45 students that are south of Diamond, um, those students would go to Klatt Elementary School.

Oh, backing up, Gladys Wood would increase its utilization rate from 62% to 80%, and Klatt, taking the 45, would increase from 68% to 79% utilization. I do think I forgot on the Lake Otis, um, Tudor Elementary School would go to 62% up to 99%. Um, in addition to those moves, uh, for Campbell, there will be 3 developmental preschool classrooms moved to Taku Elementary. That pretty much fills up all the Taku classrooms. And Sand Lake would get 3 developmental and 1 general education preschool program as well.

So looking at the map on these, this is the general map, but the next map shows kind of where the students from Willowcrest would, would come from to go to Willowcrest. The following map is the 84 students moving to Gladys Wood, and then the last one is the map for the change of, um, to Clatton. Now We do recommend, um, as, as we move this group to CLAT, that we also move this group, um, these, these houses in this community, which is the Queensgate and Newland, uh, neighborhoods, to move them to Mears and Diamond as well. One of the things that— the reason why we're going with, um, CLAT, Mears, and Diamond is it If we were to go the other direction and try to get them into an elementary school that would still feed Hanchu and service, um, it would take 2 more bus routes. So this saves about $260,000 by doing this.

Um, out of all of those moves, there is no construction projects. And in the fall with the Lake Otis move, we had recommended a move of the SBBS program from Kassoon to Oceanview. None of that is part of this recommendation, so we don't have any construction, um, as far, as far as extra funding for those particular closures. Looking at levels of service, which is one of the areas that you asked us to look for in the resolution, um, we, we currently have already asked or recommended moving the neighborhood students from Government Hill to Inlet View. Another area that we're looking at is this one with O'Malley Elementary School.

They currently have 88 students that live in the zone that are in the neighborhood program, and up to, uh, I think there's some other students that actually zone in for the neighborhood program. As we, as we've gone over a few different times during, during the right-sizing conversations, the levels of service is an area where we can recoup some costs around our need to provide holdback teachers. Like, example, this last year we needed to give O'Malley to hold backs for their general education program in order to actually provide enough for that general ed students. Um, so moving the general education students that are not part of the French immersion program to, to Huffman, um, makes O'Malley Elementary School a French immersion school. And when we have alternative schools in this district such as Northern Lights ABC, Chugach Optional, those schools don't have busing.

So this recommendation is that this would not have busing. If you go to the next, uh, oh, Huffman does go from 62 to 84, um, utilization. But the next slide, the little blue dots are neighborhood students, the red dots are French immersion students, and you can see that they're both spread out all the way across this boundary. And if we were to do two bus loops, one for regular, one for French immersion, to be able to fit within the 45-minute window of busing, um, it would take 3 to 4 more buses at the tune of $130,000 a route. So our recommendation is to not have the busing for the French immersion.

So now Andy's going to talk about savings at a high level. You know, this is just kind of represents the savings that we have from the closure of those 3 schools— the Fire Lake, Lake Otis, and Campbell— generally saving on the ancillary staff, principals, librarians, counselors, clerical and custodial, as well as utilities. It is assumed that the teachers, paraprofessionals, special education staff, and the supply dollars all follow the students to wherever they're going to be rezoned at. The only thing, we don't have an amount in there for annual maintenance, as that changes quite often, and frankly, you know, the way that our maintenance is going where we keep growing our deferred maintenance backlog, it's— and we've cut more staff maintenance staff for next year. We don't believe we'll have like a budget-to-budget savings just for closing these schools, because that— even with under our current circumstances, with we close these schools, we expect that deferred maintenance backlog just to continue to grow with the current staffing allocation that we have for maintenance.

So expect us to be able to save about $2.6 million for, uh, next year and the year after, and then after that it starts going down as the hold harmless provision for our school size adjustment starts to taper off. So by the end, I would expect to save about $150,000 or so, give or take. But really, that's the purpose of that formula, is to account for those economies of scale. So as you consolidate schools, eventually, you know, you lose your revenue and your expenditures.

So if there's any questions at this time about the closures, we'd be happy to I'll take those. Member Higgins. Yeah, a lot of them, but percentage utilization, we've been through that already. It's a state figure that doesn't take into account the special ed that's in the classroom, the other issues. We went through Lake Otis where 5 classrooms are for 32 kids because they're really super high intensity issues and occupational therapy, but yet the formula doesn't account for that or account for some of the other programs.

When I see 99%, for, for 2 to— I don't have no idea how, how flexible that might be without going through the school and carefully looking at it. And no, and it could be a problem, right? I mean, I just don't know from those numbers. And of course, if we got additional funding, it would change it anyway. Is the 99%— is it impacted by classroom sizes or just using a formula regardless of classroom size?

Um, we went through every gaining school room by room. I think all of them we called the Gaining Principles as well— and walked through a color-coded map of type of classroom and not just how many kids would be in each classroom. And with tutor, we actually still had some breathing room of a classroom or two. What we don't know is— we can say that we want tutor Montessori to go to Denali. We do believe, though, and we took into account for that when we looked at the room-by-room that the vast majority of them might very well stay a tutor.

I think you believe the same, and I, I think that's a reasonable expectation. But we did that for every classroom by type of program that was going to go into the classroom. Although the percentages might show the, the state's utilization rate, what we actually did was make sure there was classroom-by-classroom level detail. And there's no good clean percentage way to do that yet, but, but we're working on that, as you know. And I'll just reconfirm one comment that was made, that those that are at O'Malley, if they're going to the immersion program, won't have a bus system anymore for them.

So if they want to continue in that, they have to provide their own transportation or they'll go to a different school and lose the immersion program. So I just— it's just because I know that's upsetting to some parents. I listened to the money issue with Campbell. I thought that was interesting. We have over a billion dollars of deferred maintenance in the school district, and this one comes out, if you divide number of schools, right at the right amount, the average amount that's out there for deferred maintenance, I believe, in the $11 to $12 million.

So all the other schools out there averaging the same thing that Campbell was being targeted for in, in regards to it. That seemed logical or not? Am I missing something?

You know, honestly, I've never done the math to figure out the average. I just— nor have I. So I, I don't, I don't know. Although if you divide it, maybe that is okay. It's just that we have a lot of food maintenance is the issue.

I want to get the, the dollar savings is a big issue. Because we, we're talking about moving to immersion program— I mean, to charter schools in there. And charter schools, I understand they get, they get about $10,500. That— so when we increase the size of those charter schools, that's how much less we get from a revenue too. We've got one charter school talking up to 150 students.

Another one talks about 100. If it was 150, that would exceed the $2.6 million savings. And then of course every year after that will be negative impact as they grow relative to us. So that if we're going to save the budget by closing these schools, I mean, we, we, if we can get away from the money issue discussion and talk about the value to the kids, that would be a fantastic discussion.

You're going to get me in trouble. So hold on. But, but I mean, because the money isn't that significant. If we, if we've got— I know, I know I've talked to both schools about their numbers and what they hope to accomplish, and it makes sense. Fire Lake is definitely going to get kids around the neighborhood, but they've got 100 waiting lists, more than that, without being over at a new school.

That's a lot better. And, and Wilkerson has talked about it over again. They're too small because they want to expand. I just, it hits me that these savings that are critical to balance it, it represents, even if it was 2.6, 3% of the deficit, I just, I'm just trying to understand, am I off on this? I mean, because when the, when they show up, it seems like we're going to be, this thing's going to disappear.

Okay, well, there were multiple points in yours. I know. I would say one. You can't close schools and repurpose them and long-term get your way out of a deficit where a state has not been able to inflation-proof funding for a decade, where the buying power continues to decrease every single year for a decade. You can't close enough.

I will say that, that for the last 4 years, as we looked at schools and we refined the metrics and we looked at what schools need X amount of money, we've had those discussions during the CIP And I can tell you there's very few schools that haven't been on a list of discussion. They may not have made it public, but it doesn't mean we didn't spend hours and hours looking at every school. So when you only have 3 and a half days to come up with something, I can assure you that the schools we looked at, we, we had looked at before. They just didn't make the cut for lots of different reasons. But then you ask about the charter schools increasing by 100 to 150 Um, you know, if, if you look at, uh, one of those, they are near their cap right now on their charter and can't grow unless the board approves it.

So I, I can't speak for whether this board or a future board would approve an increase to their charter, but the charters do hold charter schools to caps. Okay, I'm just saying this is what their, their goal is, and they've been very upfront about it. And that would, that would disappear the savings if we allowed them to do that. Okay, and, and, and one last follow-up, then we've got to move on. I, I just— it's the issue of the education, and the bottom line, what's best for kids.

I mean, I appreciate that, and I appreciate the comment earlier from the superintendent talking about small schools having positive— you have the resources. We hope to get some money from the, from the, from the legislature. I talked to them I spent my own dollar when I went to Juneau. Let me assure you that, but they're looking at some money. We got a vote here coming up, so the classroom sizes, they want that to come down.

That's their focus. They want that commitment. We'll talk about that. But what's best for kids in this? Campbell is a great performing school.

Look at the academics, look at what they're accomplishing with the STEM program. I'm just saying from the administration standpoint, where does this benefit kids. I know ease of administration. We have options out there with daycare and other things to use to school and a grant with the federal government that can be used to pay for all that. That's what the Senate was telling me.

I'm just trying to say, where is the— where is the benefit to kids? Because ultimately, every one of our decisions should be based upon listening to the public and what's best for kids. So, um, to Mr. Gustafson, could you please just cover the the basics that you've spoken with us before regarding why level of service can improve utilizing consolidation. I heard part of that. So the level of service—.

So if you could address the benefits and level of service changes that can be expected. I think we talked about it a bit in the work session about what's the differences of at the O'Malley situation for, um, the receiving school. Well, for whenever you have more students in a school and you have fuller school where you can have 2 or 3 classes of the same grade. It allows a lot more flexibility, a lot allows you to be able to move kids where they can be most successful. It allows the school to identify the bumps and be able to be more efficient with staffing.

We don't have to do as many hold back teachers because of large bubbles, because as we know, certain grades that sometimes in certain schools will have a large bubble. And the only thing that we can do at elementary schools is, um, be able to issue a holdback if we have them. Um, again, we— this budget reduces our holdbacks by more than half of what we use this in the current year. And so, um, we'll be able to have fuller schools, we'll be able to have more, uh, like our specialists there full-time. And be able to not waste and be less efficient with our FTE.

Okay, thank you. Are there more slides or are you completed? We have the whole sports section today. Please proceed.

All right, changing topics, um, another, uh, request from the board and, um, clearly from our community was to relook at sports and activities in this budget proposal. Over the course of a number of weeks since the initial proposal was presented Um, myself and many others in, um, not only the Education Center but in our high schools have done a deep dive into sports and activities and how we could bring them back so that students still have a robust experience, although it may look differently due to budget. And so, um, on the next slide, I just want to remind the board and the public what the initial proposal was. It was to bring back some It was to maintain some sports but to eliminate others and to continue to outsource bowling, girls hockey, baseball, and softball. So going back to relooking at a proposal that is more comprehensive and includes more sports, our goal was to reduce the cost, obviously, because we are in a budget deficit time, while still maintaining a student athletic, athletic experience.

And as we went through what this really means um, just overall is that we likely can bring back most sports, but it will look differently than it does this year because of some of the changes that we would need to make. So moving along with that goal in mind, um, and continuing the thought process of outsourcing the current sports that are outsourced, uh, we worked very, uh, very robustly and in lots of detail with Budgets with many of our high school administrators along with folks here. And there were 3 areas that we really, uh, targeted essentially in terms of how we could accomplish this. One was through revenue sources, the other was through looking at transportation costs, and then looking at each individual sport and ways we could, um, offer that sport or activity but have cost savings. So looking at the next slide, um, We'll start with revenue, so, and we'll, we'll dive into the details after this slide.

So we, in order to increase revenue, we would propose that we increase activity fees, we develop a two-tiered payment schedule that is more reflective of the sport cost because some sports are more expensive to operate than others, and that when we look at our non-ASD students who participate in activities that there be an increase in activities for those students as well. So for example, these are students that would attend Raven Homeschool but come play athletics for us in the Anchorage School District. So that's just one example. So looking at the next slide, um, this would be the two-tier, uh, fee model that we would propose to implement. Currently, middle school pays $110 in athletic participation fees, and high school pays $225.

So when we look at this two-tier model, we're specifically talking about high school, just for clarity. So in a tier— a two-tier model for high school, we would propose increasing Tier 1 sports fees to $300, and we would suggest offering, um, or increasing sports fees for Tier 2 sports to $500. Athletes would have a cap of $800 total for the participation year. So for example, if a student played football in the fall and then played hockey in the winter and they paid their $800, they would be capped. They wouldn't have to pay additional fees after that.

So then if they participated in a third activity such as track and field in the spring, they wouldn't have to pay an additional fee. Their fees would be done. So in this fee structure model, we would increase revenue for Tier 1 sports by just over $307,000. In Tier 2 sports, we would increase revenue by $56,000. And then if you go to the next slide, this is the model of fees that we would implement for ASC students who are not enrolled in school during the day, but they participate in the activities, um, extracurricular and after school.

So we would increase those fees as well for the Tier 1 and Tier 2 sports, and we would gain another just over $10,000 in revenue. So for a total of revenue gained would be $373,600. So that is one portion of the proposal around, uh, the, the sports fees. I want to emphasize that if students are in an economically disadvantaged us that we would still offer fee waivers as a part of this model. So the next section, um, of Reimagining Sports was really looking at the transportation costs.

When you look at our overall budget around sports and activities, transportation is a huge cost for us. So in order to decrease these costs, instead of using buses for every portion of our activities, we would introduce a private transportation release of liability. Essentially, it's a permission slip for coaches and parents to drive students to and from activities. There are other districts that have this model in place already. So essentially the process would be as, as students and parents sign up for a sport or activity, this permission slip would be, or waiver, would be included in the registration for the transport.

This gives permission for students to take a personal vehicle that is either driven by a parent and/or a coach with their team for different events, such as a practice at Kincaid for— if you're in Nordic ski— or a competition at another school. So it's— it would be utilized for smaller teams. Not all of our teams are large and require a large bus to transport them. And it would be limited to the Anchorage Bowl, so we would operate from the Glenn Highway Muldoon exit to the Rabbit Creek exit on New Seward Highway. And so if a student group such as a volleyball team or a basketball team needed to travel to Wasilla, as an example, we would still transport them by bus for that longer ride to Wasilla for the competition.

So on the day of the event, if we are using private private vehicles, this is the way it would work. So volunteer drivers, whether they are coaches or parents, would arrive at the school at a designated time, much like a bus. If you are taking more than one vehicle, all the vehicles would arrive together. Students and athletes would, would ride in those vehicles, and no one would be one-on-one with an adult in a car. So we would travel in groups.

And the vehicles would leave the school in a caravan kind of method to the event, so there wouldn't be stops along the way. No, like, gas station, you know, pit stops or anything like that. You would go from school to the competition or practice or venue that you were trying to arrive at. Competition would happen, or practice would happen. Everybody would load up again together and you would ride back to your home school, and that is where parents would pick up.

Um, we would also check students out to parents to take home from competitions, much like we do now as well. So if we implement this particular method of transportation, we would save a lot of money on busing to the tune of $438,111. So transitioning now to the next slide, the third category we looked at was a very detailed analysis of every sports budget in very detailed manner. So in this proposal, we would recommend continuing to not restore gymnastics and esports. The reason for those particular recommendations is due to the low number of students that participate in these events.

Additionally, we would recommend not including the Dome contract. We have had a great relationship with the Dome. There are students that really utilize that facility well, and there are lots of benefits, but given our fiscal circumstances, it's not something we feel like we can maintain, and we're able to use other facilities to still offer the sport or activity for students. We also would recommend that riflery be absorbed into our JROTC program where students can participate in riflery as a part of that program. So this particular recommendation saves $433,481.

So the next slide has a lot of details, and, and I'm going to talk about it at a high level. So we, we have many different sports and many different ways that we could save money so that each sport could be offered. And I just want to highlight a couple of examples of the level of detail that we went into. So So for example, if you look at hockey, there are a number of strategies listed in the hockey category that would save us on ice time, which is a significant cost to operate hockey as a sport. And so that is one example of a way that we could save in that particular sport.

When you look at something like Nordic skiing, we can renegotiate our trail maintenance contract and try to save money there as well. Additionally, with swim and dive, which is an expensive sport to operate, we could look at ways to reduce pool time and do other types of training and loo and still offer the experience for students. That's the level of detail that we went through for our sports, and we went all the way through each sport. Um, and, and these are some of the suggestions. These savings would total $398,100.

So to sum up a very complex evaluation of how we could, we could return both high school and middle school sports, I want to start at the top at this slide. If we return both middle school and high school sports as is, it is a cost of $5.1 million. If you start to consider all of the different savings and revenue generations that I just walk through in detail, that net reduction in sport costs or revenue gain totals $1.9 million. So roughly, if we were to restore sports, we could bring back both middle school and high school sports for $3.1 million, or just over, um, with some significant changes, but still offer that opportunity to students.

So once we get through all of the different things we've talked about with the budget and, and, uh, the closures, we have a recommendation for you, um, looking at school consolidation that would pick up $2.6 million. The step bond debt reimbursement funds that we would get if you were to close Campbell STEM. This is like if you closed all three, um, is the $2.2 million that we could use towards this budget. When you deferred the Ocean Charter School, um, for a year, that puts $1.4 million back into the usable funds for a total available for redirection of $6.2 million if everything was to go through in this proposal. Again, the sports cost, we would— to reinstate them would be a $3.16 million venture from what Kirsten just went.

So the administration would recommend the following for that— for those $6.2 million, add the sports and activities back at $3.16 million with the new processes. We would ask that you reduce middle school PTR, which is a 16 FTE change. One of the things that we have found since our recommendation in the budget is with the middle school PTR at the same level as the high school PTR and losing the middle school model, it is very difficult and will be very difficult for middle school to actually have enough enough staffing at their schools to be able to provide everything that we need for our students. So we're asking that the PTR for middle school not be the same as high school and move it down, um, 2.25 to 34, which is still, uh, adding to their PTR but at a, at a lower amount, and then adding back 6.5 nurses a total of $840,000 to be put into the regional model to alleviate some more of the, um, the needs that we would probably find there for our students. So that is the end of our presentation.

We would be open to any questions. Again, thank you. Um, just a quick question I didn't ask during the work session. Do we have even a rough number for how many student athletes we have in middle and high school?

I don't have the number off of the top of my head, but fall season at high school is our highest participation. Roughly two-thirds of our students participate in the fall season alone of our sports and activities, so it, it is quite high. It might be helpful for us to, to know the the raw number of students that participate in sports at the middle and high school level in any year. Yep. And what that number is.

I'm happy to get that for you. Great, thank you.

Member Higgins. I, I guess I just want to let everybody know this is the first budget. Of course we're doing it, we have to do it in timing to get it to the assembly. We don't have any choices. We've got issues out there.

Will the, will the local government, will people vote for the additional fundings that's going to revise the budget. When I was in Juneau this weekend, uh, last weekend, um, they're looking at changing the way that we look at the enrollment so that it's averaged over several years. It may or may not happen. They are very— they want to give us additional money. I think we'll get that to lower class sizes, but that's not going to address all these issues.

And, um, so it's just— this is going to be a stage kind of thing, possibly. If you let people know, I mean, Juno is saying, how come people aren't yelling at us to give them more money? Start yelling.

But they're looking at that, then they're thinking enough to be able to lower the PTR size. That's what they're focused on. That's it. But that's out there. And then local government.

So just to understand that the board right now is going to have to vote on a budget that has to go forward. So anything we add back in, we have to show something to be cut, and that's going to be real difficult. But there's steps in here that we take, and we did this last year. We had to do it. We've done it every year, it seems like, because the legislature never gives us the budget until after we come out with the budget for the municipality.

So I just— I know it gets confusing, and I just wanted them to know that from that standpoint, that I think it's important that we recognize that. So, but the school closure issue I think is, is a different ball game. That's, that's not something we'll probably be looking at again. Thank you. Remember, Donnelly, why is the middle school class sizes a priority over kindergarten and first grade?

It's mostly because we've cut such a large number all at once, um, and add the PTR because of the At the same time, that's pretty much given them a— I guess when you look at the overall in a middle school, you gotta add in all the different pieces of electives and everything. It isn't just a one-for-one teacher. And this cut, with the huge cut of the middle school planning time, sometimes that kind of subsidizes some of the being able to offer other courses. And that just has, uh, it's become a very touchy point of risk for us, and to be able to offer enough classes for all of our students at a really high level. So that's what that— as we've looked through all of the different things, that has come to the top of our list.

I would just say that's a pretty significant change in the board's past policy, which is to focus on keeping class sizes in K-3 low is a priority. One year, remember, Donnelly, one year when we, we had cut the middle school model, but then we brought it back after a bunch of— a year later. One of the trade-offs was we moved the PTR at middle school up to the same level as high school in order to get the middle school model back. Middle school never— for, for the longest time didn't have the same PTR. As high school did.

And it— as you look, if you look at the PTR from kindergarten through high school, it takes that big jump at middle school. And middle school now has 6th grade in it, as you will know. And that— because when we made that a number of years ago, that is now— we took away the middle school model, but that hasn't gotten adjusted. So middle school classes have been pretty high even with the middle school model over the years because of the 36 36.25 or whatever that was, 32.25 and then now 36.25. So that, that's our recommendation.

Of course you could, you could change that, but we're, we're concerned about that level. We're concerned about all of it, to tell you the truth. Yeah, I mean, we're not here because this is what we want to do. Member Donnelly, any last comments?

It's a pretty big change to change our priority from K-3 to the middle school class size. I'm really concerned that those foundational years, the kids are much more vulnerable, and we, if we lose our— we're losing, you know, we're really increasing class sizes there. We're good. It's the— that impact is going spill over every grade they're in after that. And we also have the middle school model.

Remember, Don, and not middle school, but the middle school age kid has the biggest change in their life between 6th grade and 8th grade. I always told, when I was a middle school principal, I always told, um, the, the parents, take a picture of your kid at first, first day of 7th grade. We only had 2 grades. And the last day, 8th grade, you will, you will not recognize the kid in 1.5 years. And those changes that those kids have at that level.

That's why we've had the middle school model, and it provided more supports because of the— of what they're going through socially, emotionally, and physically. It's a huge change as well. So anyways, I know that we have lots of priorities in this district, um, but this is the one we're recommending. I fully understand that. I'm the father of twins that, you know, went were originally in a K-8 school, which we thought really, you know, that's what we wanted because of the middle school factor.

But then COVID hit and we lost that. Um, so I've pretty consistently in the last 8 years been advocating to go through a K-8 model rather than the middle school being a separate school, because I really think nationally that's the direction school districts have been going very successfully. It will go to Member Lessons, then Dr. Bryant, then we would like to get started with public testimony tonight. Member Lessons. Thank you.

I guess this is just in response to maybe Member Donnelly. Yes, we have long valued, and for good reason, we have valued maintaining as low a class size as possible for our youngest learners, and I would certainly like to see— boy, I'd certainly like to see us be able to fund the state's own target class sizes, which would require another $46.5 million to bring it down to the, to the targets the state established last year. But again, I'm really concerned about— this is me speaking personally— really concerned about this cohort of middle school students next year who I think, as I shared at the last meeting, they were kindergartners, first graders, and second graders in the fall of 2020. And I think the data would probably suggest that many of those students still need catch-up resources. And if that's a way to allocate a little bit more towards those students, I think that's not a bad path forward.

Thank you, Member Listens. Dr. Bryan, closing comments? Thank you, Mr. President. If we go back one slide, I just want to recap some of the, the key points that we've discussed today. So, um, just to recap, last Monday the school board directed the administration to conduct some analyses for two reasons.

One, to look at the long-term efficiencies of consolidating our operational footprint. I think that's a strategic, good long-term choice, but we were also tasked with identifying short-term savings that could make this budget somewhat more manageable for our community. But it is clear to everyone involved that this budget does not reflect the aspirations of the Anchorage School District, but it really reflects a sad reality of how inflation and funding has not kept up with the realities, uh, that we see today in our schools and with inflationary pressures. So with that said, I wanted to go back to this slide because Through the analysis that we've done over the past several days, we have identified an additional $6.2 million when we include the Oceans deferral that could be repurposed and reinvested directly into our schools. And if this proposal were to move forward, we've outlined a path for the board to potentially restore things such as middle school and high school sports and activities.

It would give the board the ability to invest in more nursing positions, as well as the ability to invest in, um, important things such as more middle school teachers to make the middle school experience better for our students. With that said, we've gone through a number of different proposals tonight, and what the healthcare, what the student athletics, and the elementary specialist proposal all have in common is that they're structural changes. And that's the part that I need the community to understand, and that— in the fact that that last year's BSA increase was historic, but I have to remind the public that it was essentially the same amount that we had received in one-time funding the year before. So the Anchorage School District has not seen structural changes to revenue, which is why we're making structural reductions to our expenditures. They're two sides of a coin.

They're interrelated processes. So all of that to say, We're in urgent need of heroes in Juneau as well. The school board is tasked with allocating resources from within the pie. That pie essentially has not grown for a number of years. In fact, the BSA, the base student allocation number that we're operating with, is essentially equivalent to being $1,400 per student less valuable if you accounted for the inflation that's happened since 2011.

That's a substantial amount of dollars that have been lost, and only the legislature can rectify that by making permanent structural increases to the base student allocation. Um, with that said, every year that revenue is flat, operational costs, healthcare costs, costs of labor continue to rise, which puts all districts essentially in some form of a structural deficit unless something changes on the expenditure side. On a recurring basis, or the revenue side on a recurring basis. So what school districts, including ASD, need is that predictability. Again, we're operating with about $1,400 less per student, essentially, when you account for inflation, and our students are feeling it.

And in addition to that, there are concrete actions that the legislature can also take. We briefed 2 weeks ago, and I want to make sure that the people in the room also understand that Did you know that the school district next door, the Matsu School District, receives on average about $1,000 extra per non-intensive, non-correspondent student? That's 10% additional only for the reason that they are located in the Matsu and not Anchorage. So I think that the question that the Anchorage community deserves to know is how can this be rectified and why is that the case? That system exists for very good reasons.

I believe they did a study of costs by region about 25, 30 years ago, but my question is, are those findings still relevant today? And many people in the community think that that is no longer the case, and we truly need to look at the investment specifically in the Anchorage community compared to regions across the state. We deserve answers from the legislature. And, um, with that said, I encourage our community to continue to send your feedback and concerns directly to the school board. And I also charge you with making your perspectives known to your legislators as well, because only collectively can we make a permanent difference for our students.

So I thank the community for the time to listen through all these details and technical nuances. We are on a mission to try to deliver for our students, but I hope that this illuminates some of the structural challenges that face us that have made this very complicated. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Brown. I'd like to move to Mr. President.

I still had a couple questions. Okay, thank you. We just want to hear from the public. We can answer. Go ahead.

In relation to the dome expense, I think what I heard you say was if those functions could— or that service could be absorbed into some other facilities. What other facilities can accommodate that? Because when I've participated, especially in track and field events there, That place is packed, and I can't imagine where else in the community we could be doing something like that. So, great question, Member Donnelly. Um, so the dome is an ideal situation, right, for our climate, um, because our track and field season starts when there's still, uh, snow on the ground.

Same for soccer. So we have shifted to doing more indoor activities at the dome. Um, prior to the dome being built though, We operated by using our own school facilities— gyms, hallways. When it— the weather gets better, going outside to practice, running neighborhoods. There are other lower-cost ways that we can participate in these sports.

Is it the ideal situation? No. But can we still offer the opportunity to students? Yes. And so that's where the Dome contract recommendation came into play.

Okay. I just wanted to really, you know, reinforce the fact that the closure of these schools, um, it's— I, I agree the priority ought to be on whether it's the best thing for the students at this time, and that the savings that would occur immediately from the closure of these schools disappears essentially after 5 years. So the problem is going to be back. So it doesn't really address the root cause of the financial problem we've got because of the way the state funding formula is structured right now. So I'm very skeptical of— continue to be very skeptical of the closure of Lake Otis and also really concerned about the notice situation for the proposed closure of Campbell Park.

Um, because of Campbell STEM, because this just seems like I've never seen. We, we, when we first started dealing with school closures, we went to those schools, we had meetings at those schools and spent a lot of time, and there was full community recognition of what was happening. And, and, and to have this happen in just a couple, 3 weeks is, is just, it just doesn't seem to be right to me.

Seeing no other questions from the board, we'll move to public testimony. Wanted to welcome everyone to the first opportunity for public testimony this evening. The board sets aside a time slot at the beginning of our meeting for public comment. Public comments typically in excess of 1 hour will be heard the second opportunity. However, the board typically in cases like this hears all testimony at the front of our meeting and anticipate us doing that tonight.

During public comment, board members will not answer questions or engage in discussion with members of the public. This is the public's time to speak and the board's time to listen. The board welcomes the public to observe and contribute to our meetings through their comments. Our meetings must be structured and civil. We utilize Robert's Rules of Order, a set of rules for orderly meetings that have been used since the late 1800s and contain specific requirements such as do not attack a speaker or member's motives, no profanity or or foul language.

Please refrain from disturbing the meeting. No cheering, applause, outbursts, or waving of signs and posters. We will be able to hear from more individuals tonight if we avoid engaging in applause and outbursts. If you have handouts that you wish to share with the board, please give them to Ms. Sullivan, who's seated to my left. Additional details can be found in the handout near the door regarding audience participation, and copies of our slide deck tonight are there as well.

We begin with testimony from our students who are present tonight. So that they can return home. Our first 2 student testifiers are Andy Zhang and Jaylen Lorenzo.

Again, folks, if we could hear from more of you, if we don't engage in applause and we move straight to testimony, I appreciate your cooperation. Welcome, uh, Andy. You're welcome. But do you have 2 minutes? Please begin when you're ready.

I want you to picture this: we are all stuck in the middle of the desert, food is running out, Everyone is hungry, especially the children. As the leaders, you must decide what to do. Would you let the kids suffer so the adults can survive? Of course not. You would say, "We share what we have.

We survive together." But right now, as the district considers cutting swimming, skiing, and other student programs, it doesn't feel like we're surviving together. It feels like students are being asked to carry the burden first. We understand there is a budget gap, but cutting programs that directly impact students should never be the first solution. To us, swimming and skiing aren't just sports. They are our community.

They're where we build discipline, resilience, friendships, and pride in our schools. If you take that away, What are you giving us instead? More screen time, more isolation, more anxiety. Calling swimming and skiing non-core breaks my heart. What could be more core than students' health, mental well-being, and sense of belonging?

As adults, before taking something away from us, I'm asking you to look honestly at administrative spending. Does the district really need so many chief positions, so many senior directors? So many layers of management while students lose their teams. Students should never be the first to sacrifice so others can stay more comfortable. Now you decide, if we were truly lost in that desert, would you choose to save bureaucracy or would you choose to save your students?

I hope we remember this moment as the one where our leaders choose us. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers tonight. And again, folks could use your help so we can hear from all of our testifiers and our students can get home, please.

Um, not seeing Jaylin Lorenzo come up, we're looking for Cade McGinley and Carl Saltzman, please. Please both come forward.

Welcome, you have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, members of the school board. My name is Cade McGinley and I'm a senior at Diamond High School and the captain of the DHS Nordic ski team. I have a few questions for you to consider tonight. Do we want to be a district where financially disadvantaged students fall even further behind? Do we want to be a district devoid of human connection and strong communities?

Do we want to be a district that is sicker, less active, and less healthy? Do we want to be a school district without sports? These are just a few questions that we must ask ourselves if sports such as Nordic skiing are cut. And yet they barely scratch the surface of the impact Nordic skiing has. Impacts, not only on students but on the Anchorage community as a whole.

Nordic skiing has long been a cornerstone sport in Anchorage, one of the few places in the country with both the climate and the culture to sustain a thriving skiing tradition. Moving Nordic skiing would not only be a loss for students, but a loss for an entire community. Over the years, ASD Skiing has developed multiple Olympic athletes who have gone on to represent our state on the world stage. But skiing is not just for those chasing medals. It builds discipline, resilience, and connection, especially during the long winter months when opportunities for outdoor activity are limited.

It brings students together and helps relieve stress through outdoor winter recreation. Cutting sports such as Nordic skiing would do immeasurable harm to students, fundamentally undermining both their current growth and their future success. This is not a solution that puts students first. Rather, it is a decision that would limit opportunity, weaken the community, and fail the very students that this district is meant to serve. Furthermore, this will severely limit the opportunity for economically disadvantaged students to participate in the sport, as self-funding for Nordic skiing is often far out of reach for them.

So I ask again, is this the kind of district we want to be? One that shrinks opportunity, weakens community, and sidelines the very students we claim to support? Or do we want to be a district that invests in health, connection, and the future of its students? The answer to those questions will be reflected in the decision you make. Thank you.

And thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Stella Bowling. If you could please come forward. Welcome, Carl. You can testify.

You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

I joined swimming freshman year. Going into high school, joining the team, I didn't know anyone and I didn't have many good friends on or outside the team. Practices were in the morning, the pool was cold, and it was long and hard. Each day seemed as though I was contributing to my own torture. Despite my better efforts to quit, I stuck with it.

I swam, lifted, and ate lots of food. I quickly found friends who did the same. I started to become okay with the idea of hanging out with myself, and I grew confidence. After, I got talked into joining skiing, track, and cross-country running. None of these sports are sports I would have had motivation to join a club for, and through joining these, I learned discipline and found a community.

Whether it was an easy day or a hard day, I knew to have people around me to either laugh with or suffer with. I wouldn't consider myself particularly fast at swimming, and I don't think that there's much chance of me pursuing swimming after high school. Swimming to me isn't about the sport or the competition, but the community and the family. I want other people coming into high school to have the opportunity that I had coming into high school. I've only been swimming for 2 years, and both of those years I've been here in this building, and I've had to fight for my chance just to keep doing the sport that I love.

To me, that's ridiculous. High school sports are not only a great opportunity for the kids that are serious about the sport, but for the kids like me that just want to expand their horizons and push themselves. High school sports don't have to always be about trying to get into Olympics or get crazy D1 offers. And sports like skiing and swimming are great for those kids who just want to try something out. Low-cut sports like that are what kids like me and how kids like me find a community.

Thank you very much for your time and opportunity to testify, but let's not make this an annual thing. Thank you very much. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Solveig Alcaraz. If you could come forward, Solveig.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Hello, members of the board. My name is Della Bowling, and I'm a freshman at South Anchorage High School.

Thank you for giving me the chance to speak. I know the district is facing a very serious budget crisis, and I understand that you are being forced to make extremely hard decisions. I appreciate the work you do, and I don't take this lightly. I'm here today to talk about why school sports matter. For me personally, volleyball actually makes me excited to go to school.

It gives me something positive to look forward to during the day. It motivates me to keep my grades up so I can stay eligible, and it gives me structure, goals, and a sense of belonging. But this isn't just about me. Sports help students learn teamwork, responsibility, and time management. They help kids make friends and feel connected to their schools.

For many students, athletic support, mental health, and confidence during some really hard years of growing up, and for some students, sports are what keep them engaged at school at all. Volleyball especially builds school spirit. It's one of the few sports that can actually fill the stands. Families, students, and teachers show up. It brings schools together in a positive way.

It's also one of the largest girls' sports in the district, and it's far more affordable than club volleyball, which means more students can participate. When school sports disappear, many families simply don't have another option. I also want to talk about equity. Cutting sports like volleyball, soccer, and swimming impact girls' opportunities in a big way. School sports are often the most accessible way for female students to participate in athletics, and those opportunities matter for confidence, leadership, and future educational options.

Strong schools build strong communities. When students feel connected, supported, and motivated, they do better academically and socially. Athletics are not just extras, they are a part of education. I respectfully ask the board to explore every possible option before eliminating school sports. Thank you for listening, and thank you for caring about students.

Thank you for your testimony. If Chris Armstrong could come forward, then welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, members of the Anchorage School District Board. My name is Solvay Alcarez, and I'm a high school junior and a cross-country skier at Chugiak High School. I have been an ASD skier for 5 years. I'm here tonight because the proposal to cut ASD cross-country skiing deeply impacts students like me and hundreds of others. Cross-country skiing is not just a sport in Alaska, it's a part of who we are.

I moved to Alaska from North Carolina in 2018, and I became an Alaskan on skis. In Alaska, skiing is woven into our culture, our winters, and our communities. Alaska has produced some of the best skiers in the U.S. For many of them, high school skiing was where they learned discipline, resilience, teamwork, and confidence. Sport gives students structure. They give us motivation to maintain our grades.

They They teach time management, responsibility, and perseverance. When I ski, I'm not just training my body, I'm strengthening my mental health, especially during long Alaskan winters. Physical activity and team connection are critical. Practices are where we build friendships. Races are where we learn how to handle pressure.

Hard workouts are where we learn how to push through challenges, lessons that carry into adulthood. For many students, sports are the reason they come to school. They are a safe space. They are a support system. They keep students engaged, focused, and connected.

Cutting sports may save money in the short term, but long-term costs to student mental health, student engage— school engagement, and community strength will be far greater. Cross-country skiing is also one of the most accessible lifetime sports. It promotes health, endurance, outdoor appreciation. It connects us to Alaska's environment and traditions. Removing it sends a message that the activities that define our state are not worth protecting.

I understand that budget decisions are hard, but I ask you to consider what we lose if we eliminate these programs. I stand here not just for myself, but for my teammates, younger students, and future athletes who deserve the same opportunity we've had. Thank you for your time and thank you for listening to the students you serve. And thank you for your testimony. Uh, our next speaker to come forward is Conrad Spilling.

Conrad, please come forward. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Good evening, Superintendent Bryant and members of the board.

My name is Chris Armstrong and I'm here as a parent of a high school junior who proudly wears a Chugiak ski jacket. I'm here to ask one thing: before you close the door on ASD skiing, please invite the ski community stakeholders to collaborate on the way forward. We can't solve a budget challenge in the next 2 minutes. I did bring an infographic for you to independently digest that shows the impact of high school skiing. However, tonight I offer you some human texture.

Before we were parents, my husband and I had full Army careers working hard problems. Between deployments in 2006, we flew to Alaska to buy some dirt where we would plant some dreams. We chose Alaska because it had something the happiest places in the world have in common snow, community, and a reason to get outside together, even in the winter. We moved here in 2018 from North Carolina with a 4th grader. She signed up for Junior Nordic and found inspiration in the high school skiers who came to help teach younger kids.

Someday she would be a helper. That's how our daughter became an Alaskan— in the winter, on skis. Freshman year brought multiple shoulder dislocations and surgery. Unable to ski, she stood on the sidelines at every race. Cheering her team until she could return to the trails.

What healed her wasn't just surgery, it was belonging. Skiing is the secret sauce to winter in Alaska. It builds joy, courage, confidence, and character. This summer, our daughter will attend a sports medicine camp at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. The headshot she submitted for her badge shows her in ski gear, holding skis, because that's how she defines herself: a high school skier from Alaska.

Tonight, she and the entire ski community are sending you an SOS— Save Our Skiing. Please include us in the solution. Don't close the door before we've had a chance to hold it open. Thank you for the opportunity to speak, and thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Chris— Catherine Smith and Bridget Robinson.

Catherine Smith and Bridget Robinson.

Not seeing either come forward. Uh, we'll hear from Teal Flint and Heather Wilson, please.

Welcome, Teal. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hi, my name is Teal Flint and I'm a freshman at South High School. And an athlete. I come before you today to address the discarding of school sports, and I hope to prove that cutting school sports will damage the GPAs and concentration of ASD students, especially those who have ASD— who have ADHD, around 10%. According to The Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, the students with ADHD, the students with ADHD have 142% more likely are 142% more likely to participate in sports. And according to the National Library of Medicine, a 20-minute session of physical activity, sport, or exercise leads to improvement in executive functioning in children and adolescents with ADHD.

Therefore, the practice of physical activity, exercise, and sports generate improvements in executive functioning, functioning in children and adolescents. I think I speak for all students when I say that cutting sports from the lives of high schoolers and middle schoolers will be mentally and physically harming. Cross-country skiing has always been a part of the Alaskan experience.

If you— oh, right, sorry. Um, around— as demonstrated by the 600 high school and middle school students that participate each year. If you want to see proof that ASD schools are producing successful skiers, look at the US Olympic team for 2026. Most of the skiers on that team are from Alaska. 2 Of the 8 skiers went to South High School.

To further my point, Junior Nordic is a program created by the Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage to prepare young skiers ages 6 through 13 for middle school and high school sports. That would be 800 junior Nordic skiers do if there are no further skiing opportunities and only 18% of skiers are able to join a club ski team?

As one of the people who will be in your education— I urge you to take the perspective of the students and understand that the sports are vital in schools and the social, physical, and emotional emotional learning experience. Please keep sports in school and consider the number of students participating. Teal, can you finish your testimony for us? Thank you. Again, my name is Teal Flint and I'm in 9th grade, and I am strongly against the idea of defunding middle school and high school sports.

Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Could we have Audrey Aurora Walker come forward please? And then welcome, you have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready. OK, thanks for the opportunity to speak.

My name is Heather Wilson. I'm a biologist and a commercial pilot for the federal government and a mother of two South High School students who are cross-country running and skiing and swimming athletes. I'm really pleased to see the changes being proposed to retain school sports, and I thank you for taking the time to take such a creative and nuanced approach to looking at solutions. I hope that continues, but in case it doesn't, I want to share my opinion, particularly about Nordic skiing is one of the crown jewels of our Anchorage community. Its retention in our middle and high school sports program should be non-negotiable.

It's entirely outdoors, highly cardiovascular, and has built-in social distancing. Importantly, Nordic skiing isn't available everywhere in the country. It requires a special mix of climate and infrastructure that Anchorage is distinctly poised to provide. When we recruit candidates to federal jobs here, one of our strongest lifestyle selling points is that the unique and extensive Nordic skiing opportunities available right in the city. Nowhere else in America has over 100 miles of publicly accessible groomed trails within the city limits, the largest youth learn-to-ski program in the country, options for related biathlon and Nordic combined programs, and serves as a hub for elite Nordic skiers, with half of the current U.S. Olympic cross-country team having Alaska ties, many of whom are ASD alumni.

Because of the efforts of the community and our schools, Anchorage Nordic Ski Pipeline not only feeds college and elite programs, students, but our community as a whole. With more than 4,000 estimated active Nordic skiers in Anchorage and 600 kids participating in school skiing each year or more, the cost-benefit ratio and return on investment are both extremely high. And one of the best parts about middle and high school Nordic skiing is that everyone can join. There are no cuts and there are competitive classes for every ability. Removing high school Nordic skiing would not only leave an amazing pipeline that's been built and nurtured over decades, but it could thwart an entire generation of community community of U.S. skiers.

Kids are staying in-state to ski here. They're coming home and skiing with their families when they settle here, and world-class athletes are coming to train and compete here. We have something so special in Anchor. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Audrey Aurora Walker.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Hi, my name is Quincy Smith and I'll be playing an audio from Audrey Walker.

My name is Audrey Walker and I'm here from Romeek Middle School asking that ASD reconsider the budget recommendation that would remove the middle school model from the Anchorage School District. Not many people know or understand what eliminating the middle school model means. In the current proposed budget cuts. The ASC Middle School Program of Studies says the middle school model characteristics are as follows: team teaching, interdisciplinary instruction, attention to issues affecting middle school students, a 7-period day, 2 electives available rather than 1, block scheduling, and increased home-to-school contact. 2 Years ago, 6th grade was added to middle middle school.

ASD argued that the middle schools could offer a larger variety of classes since elementary schools could not maintain classes like art, PE, music, language, and more. These classes make learning more engaging and fun. Now, not even 2 years later, ASD proposes to cut these new opportunities by eliminating the middle school model. Eliminating this model would move all middle schools from a 7-period day to a 6-period day. One class may not sound like a huge shift, but 4 core classes, required PE and health, and required music for 6th graders leaves very little opportunity for kids to experience the classes that make school truly memorable and fun.

Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next 2 speakers are Hazelyn Higgins and Candace Pollack.

Aslan Higgins and Candace Pollock.

Not seeing either come forward. Um, Hayden Higgins and Kenneth Higgins.

Okay, not seeing either come forward. Cheryl Rupert and Kevin J.

Mm-hmm. Welcome. Uh, so the next two speakers are Hazelyn Higgins and Candace Pollack. Welcome, Hazelyn. You have 2 minutes.

Please begin when you're ready.

Hi, my name is Ava and I attend Fire Lake Elementary School. When I first started at Fire Lake, I was in the SLC program. I was nonverbal and struggled with paying attention. School was hard for me. I felt overwhelmed a lot of the time, but the staff at Fire Lake didn't give up on me.

With their help, I found my voice. As you can hear right now, I'm now verbal. I am now in general education. The Fire Lake staff believed in me even when I struggled to believe in myself. They helped me grow into the student I am today.

Mr. Inch has a background in special education that matters. I've had principals who didn't really understand autism, and sometimes I felt like I was seen as a problem instead of a child who needed support. I feel like I'm now understood. Ms. Ashley lets me sit in the nurse's office when I feel overstimulated and need a quiet break.

Ms. Pakwokwu helps me translate into general education, and without her guidance and support, I would not have the opportunity to grow the way I have. I'm now using my voice today to advocate the other children with autism, and they deserve the same support and understanding I received.

Please reconsider closing Fire Lake Elementary School. Please give other children on the spectrum the same opportunity to grow, find their voice, and succeed just like I did. Thank you. And thank you for your testimony. Welcome, Miss Pollock.

You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Oh yeah.

Hi, my name is Candace Pollack. I am here once again advocating for my children's school. It is mentally and emotionally exhausting for students, staff, and family to be placed in this position for a third time. Stability matters, especially for our most vulnerable learners. For many students and SLCs, School is not just a building, it's carefully structured environment built around predictability, routine, and trusted relationships.

These children rely on consistency to feel safe, regulated, and ready to learn. A building change is not a small adjustment for a child on the spectrum. It is not simply packing up supplies and moving classrooms. It means new hallways, new, new noise levels, new lighting, new routines, and new expectations, and unfamiliar staff. Even small disruptions can cause significant regression in behavior, communication, and emotional regulation.

Many of these students work years to build coping strategies with staff to understand their specific triggers, calming techniques. Fire Lakes team knows these children. They know what signs to look what to look for for a meltdown. They know how to intervene early. That level understanding can't be instantly recreated in a new building.

Extended bus rides will also increase stress. Transitions are already one of the hardest parts of the day for children on the spectrum. Adding longer transportation times only compounds that challenge. These students deserve stability. These students deserve an environment where they feel secure understood, and supported.

When making this decision, I ask you to weigh not on logistics and budgets, but the developmental and emotional impact on children who depend on routine to thrive. Thank you. And thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Hayden Higgins and Kenneth Higgins. Welcome, Hayden.

You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Deepers, maybe you take a deep breath.

I'm gonna try to read this, or do you want to go It's okay, buddy.

Such a big boy. Do you want to tell your story? Okay. Do you want to be all done? Do you want Daddy to go?

Okay. Hey, thank you for participating in our meeting tonight. Welcome, uh, Kenneth. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hi, my name is Kenneth Higgins, and both my children have autism and attend Firelake. The board is promote proposing to move the SLC program to Alpenglow. Alpenglow is a walking school tucked into a residential neighborhood and is not centrally located in Eagle River— centrally located like Fire Lake. Currently, students attending Fire Lake's SLC program from across Eagle River and Chugiak include Peters Creek Moving the program further into a neighborhood increases bus ride times for children who already struggle with regulation and transitions. Longer bus rides means higher transportation costs and longer, harder days for students on the spectrum.

Elpenglow's parking lot also— I can attest to this— is very small and very tight and is not very bus friendly. I have driven there in the winter and it's not We have heard multiple proposed placements: Eagle River Elementary, Birchwood, and now Elbenglow. Each time concerns have been raised. Why are we searching for the right place when SLC is already established and supported at Fire Lake? If the purpose of these closures is to save money, how do you— how do multiple program relocations and increased transportation costs achieve that goal?

Additionally, approximately 130 homes are being built within walking distance of Fire Lake. If those students attend Fire Lake, they can walk. If the school closes, there will be roughly 2.4 miles from Eagle River Elementary, increasing one of the district's largest operational expenses. Please consider long-term stability, fiscal responsibility, and the well-being of the children who depend on the consistent constant support. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Cheryl Rupert and Kevin Zhang.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hello, my name is Cheryl Rupert and I'm a sophomore at Chugiak High School. I know my words cannot put more money into the budget, but I hope they can inspire you to think more creatively the current budget. I've only been Nordic skiing on a team since 8th grade when I moved up here due to the military in 2023. I saw skiing as a great opportunity to learn a new sport as I had never had the chance to join a ski team before, but I didn't know how much I'd fall in love with it. The community built in skiing is like no other, and without it, I would have never met my best friend, Brooklyn Hardy.

That girl has saved me in more ways than I can count. With the military moving us away from everything I love, 2 to 3 years. I was hoping I wouldn't have another thing taken away from me.

Ski— the ski team has given me a place to go after school and forget about whatever is stressing me out outside of skiing. And no matter how tired or motivated I am, I still want to show up. And it doesn't matter what happens on the outside, I'm able to leave it all on the trails. Um, skiing doesn't have to be about being the fastest. It's also about continuing to show up for the people and the activity activities that you love over and over again.

I love my friends and I love my coaches in skiing, and I just love showing up for them. I'm not only showing up for them, I'm also showing up for myself by exercising and pushing myself to the best of my ability. I feel like without skiing, I wouldn't go outside during the winter as much, but roughly 10% of Alaska's population is affected by seasonal affective disorder, and that makes us 10 times more likely to be affected by it than the lower 48 states. But exercising outside is found to improve symptoms of SAD as it boosts mood-enhancing endorphins. Additionally, staying connected with the community will also improve seasonal depression symptoms.

And I say these things because Alaska ranks number 1 for youth suicide. And further than 18—. Fewer than 18% of teens in Alaska get the recommended daily physical activity. This matters because positive routines work, but not all teens have access to them. What would happen if access was decreased more.

Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

After my school West fought so hard for the BSA increase last year, sending testimonies and thousands of letters to the state, we are now facing the loss of 500 staff positions and dozens of vital programs across the district. I am both disappointed and shocked. We are told by you that the money simply isn't there. As a student, I know where the money is going. Despite the loss of a $15 million grant and a ballooning deficit, Freshman Academy remains a mandatory part of a freshman's schedule.

We are told that these classes make learning more interactive. However, the reality couldn't be more different. One classmate told me that the class was, quote, pretty much useless. And that no knowledge was gained. Another told me that an assignment they had to complete included taking a personality quiz to decide what color they matched.

At a time when we are losing teachers and so many school sports, we cannot afford to waste money on color coding in classes that students don't learn from. Budget cuts shouldn't come at the cost of our classrooms' most vital resource: teachers. Increasing class sizes adds more work to our already overworked teachers. There should be no question about the choice between educators and an unfunded initiative. Instead of funding the academies, we should also be protecting the programs that actually foster student success, like school sports.

I'll provide you with just one example from the West Swim Team. One of my teammates told me that without our school team, they wouldn't be swimming at all. Club fees were simply too high for their family to manage. When you cut sports while keeping the economies, you are telling lower-income students that their opportunities are less important than an ineffective bureaucratic experiment. I urge you to cut the economies and save the teachers and teams that make our schools worth attending.

Thank you. And thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Emma Grace Sharp and Kristen Sharp. Emma Grace Sharp and Kristen Sharp, welcome. You have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Emma Sharp, a student at Romeig Middle School. I appreciate the opportunity to be able to speak for not only myself but also many of my fellow classmates in the current conversation of the removal of most elective choices and extracurriculars. Me and other students at my school took the liberty of passing around petitions, seeing how much the students at our school wanted to keep the electives and extracurriculars, and the results were clear. We had over 200 signatures proving that I don't only speak for myself.

Now I understand that many other factors can contribute to the expulsion of these courses, but many other attendees at the schools around the district hope you will hear our contentions. Intentions against this new proposition. I want to talk about why the extracurricular— cutting extracurricular activities and after-school sports is a step in the wrong direction. These programs are more than just extra activities. They are vital parts, parts of students' growth.

Electives like art, debate, or coding give students the chance to explore their passions, discover hidden talents, and develop critical skills that textbooks alone can't teach. Removing them narrows opportunities and limits creativity. Similarly, after-school sports are not just about physical fitness. They teach teamwork, discipline, leadership, and resilience— lessons that carry far beyond the field or court. Cutting sports means taking away a healthy outlet for stress, a sense of community, and a path for many students to excel, excel, and even earn scholarships.

Some might argue that we could keep sports but raise the fees, but this isn't a solution. Higher costs would block many students from participating, leaving them without a healthy outlet, a sense of community, or the chance to develop important life skills. Simply keeping the program but making it more expensive does not provide preserve opportunity, it restricts it. In short, taking away these programs doesn't just save money, it costs students opportunities, personal growth, and sometimes even their dreams. Let's keep our schools a place where every student has the chance to explore, grow, succeed, both in the classroom and beyond.

Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Oh, Christian, sure. Okay, uh, we'll move to Ida Luna Cruz and Laura Dorn Cruz.

Okay, uh, Ida, Ida Luna, please star 6 to unmute. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Star 6 to unmute.

Sorry, we— Hi, my name is Aida Avellaneda Cruz. I'm in 6th grade at Romec Middle School. I'm Colombian American and I went through the Spanish immersion program at Government Hill Elementary. Así que puedo hablar español e inglés. I'm continuing the Spanish immersion program at Romec, which also has Russian immersion.

Good afternoon. Today I would like to talk about the proposal to cut 7th period and cut after-school sports. I have 7 periods in a school day. 4 Of them are core classes, 1 of them is PE, leaving 2 of them for electives. One of my Spanish classes counts as a core class, but the second class counts as an elective.

That leaves me with 1 elective, and I choose choir. Choir is very fun, and I have a great teacher, plus the opportunity to move my body and take a break from writing and sitting. I also love my Spanish class. I get to do projects, activities, learn about my culture, and I have a very kind teacher. If 7th period gets cut, I have to choose in between keeping Spanish and not being able to sing, or continue singing but lose my fluency in Spanish.

But another way that I could have choir and Spanish is that if I did an after-school sport to count as my PE period. But that would only work if we kept after-school sports. Sports mean so much to me. I get to explore different sports and give myself a fun, competitive way to exercise. It also gives my brain a break.

After-school sports is a great way to let kids who maybe can't afford lessons do sports. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Um, Miss Norton Cruz, you can begin when you're ready. You have 2 minutes.

Again, star 6 to unmute.

Miss Norton Cruz, if you're ready, you have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready, and you need to hit star 6 to unmute if you haven't.

Hi, am I unmuted now? You are. Am I unmuted now? Okay, thank you. Hi, my name is Laura Norton Cruz.

I am the parent of the 6th grader who just spoke, as well as a 3rd grader who is still in the dual immersion program at Government Hill. So both my kids have gone through that program, and my niece is in the French immersion program at O'Malley, and I have friends with kids in lots of other immersion programs. I want to just share my concerns about the proposal to close neighborhood programs and turn those schools into solely immersion. I spoke for a long time with the principal and the PTA president, and it makes sense for a lot of reasons to do that. I think from a, you know, opportunity for kids to have age-appropriate, grade-appropriate education, etc.

So it's not that I'm opposed to it, but what I'm concerned about is the equity issues that will happen when there's no busing available to immersion schools. When immersion is treated as an optional program only and no transportation is provided, then it really, it really favors higher-income families and disproportionately white families. And thinking about the guardrails that the ASD has determined in their planning, that they want to recruit and have more kids in the optional programs from disadvantaged households and greater equity, equity and diversity in those programs. Turning them into non-busing schools does the opposite of that. So I'm concerned about what will happen to kids.

It doesn't really affect Government Hill because Government Hill doesn't have busing, but for other programs— for O'Malley, for Scenic Park, for College Gate— I'm concerned about immersion programs becoming even more disproportionately high-income and white. Not only is inequitable and out of line with the ASD guardrails, but it also makes for a less high-quality educational experience because there are fewer native speakers of those languages in the programs if we do that. So I hope that as you consider that proposal that you keep in mind. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Sabrina Marie Otz and Autumn Marie Otz.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hi, my name is Sabrina Otz and I'm a senior at Chugiak High School and one of the women's wrestling captains. I'm here today to offer a perspective on the importance of maintaining sports programs, particularly wrestling, and the positive impact they have on our community. Like many other high school students, I've faced challenges during my academic journey. My grades began to decline and I started to lose hope in my future prospects, such as attending college to pursue a higher education. Fortunately, wrestling provided me with the vital opportunity.

It gave me a sense of purpose and a reason to aspire beyond my current circumstance. Wrestling gave me a safe space. It was part of school I liked and I looked forward to even during difficult times. Thanks to the sport, I was able to secure a position in college in Oregon with tuition paid and can go and pursue higher education. Without wrestling, I genuinely believe I might not be where I am today.

I might have given up on school entirely, lost my motivation, and abandoned my dreams. Wrestling offered me an outlet and the possibility to persevere through adversity with the support of coaches and teammates who have come like family. Moreover, wrestling has helped me discover who I am as a person. It's taught me about mental toughness, strength, strength and my capacity to support others. It showed me how to be a compassionate teammate, how to be patient.

The bonds formed through this sport extend beyond team. Wrestling fosters a strong sense of community across schools, making the entire wrestling community feel like one big family. As long as we continue to support wrestling in Anchorage School District, the sport will continue to grow and positively impact students' lives. I hope that by sharing part of my story and explaining how sports have become a vital part of my life, I can help provide a broader perspective on the importance of sports. They're not are not merely extracurricular activities for many students, their way of life.

Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Clara Robinson and, um, McKenna Martinez, following Autumn Marie Otz. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hello, my name is Autumn Otz. I am a parent for Chugiak High School Wrestling, and I also am the Chugiak High School Wrestling Booster club treasurer, so I have a unique perspective on how the sport is paid for because I see how the funding goes through my accounts as well. So, um, from my perspective, the decision to cut the high school wrestling program does not appear to be justified with the associated costs. The Anchorage School District covers about 10% of what wrestling actually costs, and the booster club covers the additional 90%. We are also kind of in a position of feeling like we weren't even reached out to or talked to when all of this went down so that we could provide perspective for community support for keeping our sports.

We want to keep our sport going, and we would like the ability to be in those conversations with administration and with the board as well, because we are the ones that are hitting the streets. We are the ones that talk to the community. We are the one that talked to the businesses that provide the monetary support that our sports desperately need to live. I also believe that there should be additional things like what was proposed today, increasing the costs for what the students pay, especially for some sports are more expensive and some are not. We would like to keep going with our sports, and I also, I'm highly concerned that cutting high school and middle school sports is going to lead to substance abuse problems, mental health problems, and an already higher crime rate that we already have in this area.

And also we have high performing athletes athletes that will leave our district and they will leave our state. Because like my daughter who just spoke, she has received a college scholarship. About that, we—. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Clara Robinson, followed by McKenna Martinez and Sarah Martinez.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hello, my name is Clara Robinson. I'm a junior and cross-country skier at Betty Davis East Anchorage High School. I grew up learning how to ski in Russian Jack Junior Nordic and then in middle school skiing. I am now a varsity skier for East. School skiing has allowed me to grow my ability and love for the sport.

It has both given me the opportunity to become a skilled and competitive skier, but it has also fostered a confidence, joy, and sense of community that I have found nowhere else. Else. What is so cool about school skiing is it is one of the few all-inclusive sports. There are no tryouts, no cuts, no need for equipment or any experience. It gives everyone the opportunity to learn a lifetime sport.

While there are some kids like myself on East team who have been fortunate enough to grow up skiing, the majority of East skiers this year only started skiing in high school. Many of them would not have the opportunity to ski if it weren't for school sports. The main club ski teams outside of school, APU and Winter Stars, cost about $1,300 for a winter season of skiing. So that large monetary barrier, along with transportation and equipment barriers, make it nearly impossible for many kids, especially at East, to participate in a school— in a team outside of a school team, which provides a lot of support for anyone who needs it. It is those kids who wouldn't have other opportunities, who are trying a brand new sport, who demonstrate the most resilience, positivity, and who are the most inspiring.

I want every young person to have the opportunity to be a part of a close-knit school team and learn how to ski for life. I greatly appreciate the school board for working to try to accommodate keeping our sports in the fullest and most inclusive way possible. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your testimony. We're going to take a 5-minute break, and then we'll hear from McKenna Martinez and Sarah Martinez.

We're going to call ourselves back to order.

Just a logistical note for those who need bathroom facilities, there is another set upstairs. You could take the elevator or there are stairs on either side of the building.

Our next 3 speakers are— first up is Dakota Martinez, then McKenna Martinez, and then Sarah Martinez. Martinez.

Okay, Dakota Martinez, welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Your mic's on. Okay, welcome. You have 2 minutes. Hi, my name is Dakota. I am a student in ASD.

Our school nurse helps us feel safe when we are away from our parents. Some kids may become scared or feel unsafe. Our nurse works hard for us every day. She helps us get back to class quickly so we can learn. She cares and we trust her.

Please don't take our nurse away. Thank you. And thank you for your testimony. Welcome, McKenna. You have 2 minutes.

Please begin when you're ready. Hi, I am McKenna and I am a student in ASD. I feel safer with our nurse because I have anxiety. Due to my anxiety when speaking in front of others, I can have a panic attack. Like once when I was in a spelling bee, I had a panic attack and my mom brought me to our nurse.

She helped me calm my nerves so I could stay at our— at school for the rest of the day. All kids deserve the care our school nurse gives. That is why we need to keep a nurse in every school at all times.

And thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready, Miss Martinez.

Good evening. My name is Sarah Martinez. I'm an ASD employee and currently have 2 girls enrolled in ASD. I'm here tonight out of concern for student safety, both physical and mental, should the regional nursing model be implemented. We all know the myth that school nurses just hand out magical Band-Aids and ice packs, but that's far from the truth.

Our nurses are at the heart of our school, and without them, we're going to be on life support. Our school does not have a full-time counselor. Our nurse fills the gaps left by that. So I'm asking you, who will fill the gaps if you move to a regional nursing model? AAs are not trained to properly assess students, and they do not have the experience to notice the little things.

You're opening the door to legal liability, risk to nurse licensure. And increased absences or potential withdrawal due to safety concerns. My daughter, as you know, has anxiety. She has an amazing therapist, but it takes a village. Tonight she conquered that and found her voice, in large part thanks to our school nurse, someone she sees daily, is properly trained, recognized her needs, and helped her regulate.

That is direct— or that is a direct result in continuity of care. We live in a state that battles mental health crises. According to Alaska Risk Survey, 19% of high school students reported attempting suicide. That starts much earlier. 11 To 14-year-olds are not far behind them.

Nurse— school nurses in all grades are the frontline in defeating the epidemic. Last April, I was in attendance at one of these funerals. One of my middle schoolers was lost. It was almost too School nurses are not ancillary staff. They are critical first responders for our children's physical and mental well-being.

Please keep one nurse and one school model going. Save our students. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Kayla Marie Mendiola and Joanna Sowers.

Welcome, Kayla Marie. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Good evening, my name is Kayla. I am a current sophomore at West Anchorage High School, and I owe my position of class president to Campbell STEM Elementary School.

To me, there are many learning aspects at Campbell STEM that truly give students a more in-depth understanding of critical thinking skills at an elementary school level. As a child, one of many highlights was that I was able to explore outdoor studies at Wolverine Park and Taku Lake, which were both walkable from the school. With these outdoor experiences, learning was extremely hands-on for students and unforgettable. I have an amazing younger brother, Kaden, who attends Campbell STEM that shares those incredible memories. Continuing on with the school itself, there is nothing wrong with the students, staff, or community.

There are so many heartfelt memories that many hold at the facility, like the day the STEM lab opened when Campbell became the first STEM school in ASD. Many families rely on that— the fact that this school is a neighborhood school, making it easier for parents and older siblings to drop off students. This would interrupt many families' routines, including mine. In my experience at Campbell STEM, I was continuously challenged to keep learning and growing. Teachers promoted leadership, kindness, and helped students take any opportunity they wanted.

I was able to take opportunities of participating in ballet the books, student government, and learning how to start a garden. The skills I was taught at Campbell STEM from kindergarten all the way up to 6th grade was the reason why I had the confidence in high school to run for class president, because Campbell STEM made school feel like another form of home for me. I hope the board reconsiders their decisions because Campbell STEM Cubs can do great things. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your testimony.

Our next speaker is Nina Levke Farik Runge, Nina Lovekey. Uh, welcome Joanna, you have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready. Good evening, Superintendent Bryant and members of the Anchorage School Board. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Joanna Sowards and I'm a sophomore at Chugiak-Kai.

I've been skiing since— sorry, I have been skiing through ASC program since 2022. The first time I clicked into a pair of skis was at kickoff practice of my 7th grade ski season. I had never skied before. I fell constantly. I remember practices where I went home exhausted, discouraged, and wondering why I had signed up at all.

But I kept showing up. I moved to Alaska from a place with consistent sunshine year-round. My first winters here were hard. The darkness felt heavy. Like many students here, I struggled with the mental weight of long cold seasons.

Skiing changed It gave me a reason to go outside when it would have been easier to stay in. Gave me teammates who encouraged me when I wanted to quit. It gave me goals, progress, and proof that I could do hard things. It taught me adaptability, that when I can't control the snow, I can adjust my wax. Over time, skiing stopped being just a sport.

It became a lifeline. Without the school program, I never would have tried it, and without skiing, I I honestly don't know how I would— about cutting sports. We're not just talking about activities, we're talking about the spaces that hold students like me up when our lives feel overwhelming. For me and for so many others, Nordic skiing is one of those spaces. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony. Welcome, Nina. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, Superintendent Bryant and members of the Anchorage School District Board. My name is Nina and I'm an exchange student from Germany and I'm a junior at Chugiak High School. Coming to Alaska has been one of the most important and challenging experiences of my life. When I arrived, I was not prepared for how hard the Alaskan winter would feel. At first, I decided not to join a winter sport, and during that one week I felt myself sinking in.

I reached a point where I wanted to quit my exchange year, but then I made one decision that changed everything. I decided to join the cross-country ski team at my high school. Even though I had never stood on skis before. And that decision saved my experience here. Being outside in the fresh air, having practices to attend, teammates who welcomed me, and coaches who encouraged me gave me a sense of belonging again.

It pulled me out of that dark time. In fact, it helped me so much that I decided not only to stay, but to extend, to extend my exchange from one semester to a full year. Now the ski season is over for me, and I'm already looking forward to playing soccer. But today I'm not only speaking for myself. I'm thinking about the many exchange students who will come here in the following years.

Every year, students from all over the world arrive in Alaska full of excitement to play a sport for their high school. This is one of the main reasons why they choose to study in the United States. If these opportunities disappear, future exchange students will not only lose activities, they will lose connections, and in some cases, the very thing that helps to stay and succeed here. Cross-country skiing is especially important because it is the only winter sport that takes place outdoors, allowing the students to experience Alaska's nature while staying active and connected. Being at races, hearing teammates and coaches cheer for you, and working together towards a goal— these are all memories that I will forever associate, associate with Alaska.

I simply hope that future exchange students will have the chance to create those same wonderful memories. Thank you for listening to me, and please think about how many people you can save through sports. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Anakin Harris and Brittany Harris.

Anakin and Brittany Harris, welcome. And again, you have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

I didn't know do well with reading when I started it, reads, to read after working hard. With my teacher and help from my team, I enjoyed reading to my mom and dad. I lived— I even called my Papa and Grandma and read to them over the phone. I go to the after-school help with my reading and math. I need this help with my math.

It's hard for me and the help is good for me. I enjoy, I enjoy seeing my friends and working on the fun Fab Lab projects with them. I want to stay with my friends. I— and I don't want to stay with my school. Please do not close my, my school.

I like working with Miss Amy. I enjoy working with Miss Redmond and Miss Rakes. Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have 2 minutes.

Good evening, my name is Brittany Harris. I am a parent of 3 boys that are attending Campbell STEM. My nephew also attends Campbell STEM that lives with me. You guys have heard a lot tonight. You've heard a lot from the board beside me over here.

However, what you didn't hear is our attendance rate is at 90—. Or 90%. Our kids thrive at this school. Their reading is at 41%. Their science is 50%.

Other schools are at 31%. The math, the math percentages are higher at the school. Our kids are thriving. Chinook just transferred their kindergartener and preschools over to our schools. My children alone have only gone to the school.

Anakin did go to Northwood for a short period of time, but he transferred over to Campbell because that is our neighborhood school. One thing that you need to keep in mind, please, because you guys are making the decision, is these kids live in these neighborhood. This is the only school in that neighborhood. You will be transporting all of these students by bus, which we're having a hard time keeping employment in the busing system as is. This is the heart of our neighborhood.

We're a community. People move into our neighborhood to go to Campbell STEM. It is the only STEM school in Anchorage, Alaska. Please consider this because this is why my husband and I decided to stay in Alaska, was to keep our kids at Campbell STEM. I'm 41 years old and I went there, and if it wasn't for the teachers and the support that I got there, I would have never had the help with my dyslexia, which my kids have done.

My son couldn't read 2 years ago and he's thriving. My kids need Campbell Skim. I can't even go into the other two because of the time, but everybody behind me—.

And thank you for your testimony. Our next 2 speakers, student speakers, are Aria Flanagan and Cora And just a reminder, folks, we want to limit applause so we can hear from all our student speakers tonight before they have to leave. Aria Flanagan and Cora Mo.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Hello, board members. Thank you for taking the time to let me speak.

My name is Aria Flanagan, and I'm a freshman at South Anchorage High School, and I want to discuss the budget cuts but more specifically the cutting of sports. But before I get into it, I wanted to acknowledge how hard the possibility of cutting sports must have been for you guys to have decided and which sports might get cut in the first place. And I'm sorry that this ever had to have been considered. I'm a volleyball player, and even before I played volleyball, sports were my safe space to express myself and make new friends. I can't speak for anyone else, but the possibility of volleyball getting cut has brought down my mood and scared me.

I'm fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play club volleyball. But many people don't have that option. School volleyball costs so much less than club, and I know it's like that for many other sports as well. I also understand that some sports don't have clubs, which is why they are still on the list for next year. But often recruiting agencies mainly look at school sports and not clubs, and recruiting agencies won't just change that for Alaska because right now Alaska is not looked at by many colleges in terms of scouts coming up and watching tournaments because of the hassle it is to fly up here.

Some people have to rely on sports scholarships to get into college simply because they can't afford it, and often academic scholarships just aren't enough. As a freshman and as someone who has close friends who play volleyball at a younger age division, it scares me to know that some people might not have the same options as I do right now, or that the people before me did. Right now, the only reason that many students are keeping their grades up is to— is because of the fear of getting cut or not being able to try out for their sports the following season. Thank you for listening, and I hope you take this all into consideration. Thank you for your testimony.

If Elise Elliott could come forward, and then welcome Cora. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Hello, my name is Cora, and I'm a 5th grader at Turnagain Elementary School. Go Tigers!

I am a writer of the Paw Print, our school newspaper, and I'm also in the Russian Immersion program. I'm here to ask you to fix this budget so middle school has enough funding for 2 electives and middle school sports. For the last 2 years, I've worked hard advocating for school funding. I have flown to Juneau to meet with legislators, and kids in my class and I wrote letters that were delivered to legislators and the governor. I have also spoken here many times.

I was very happy funding was passed last year, but I'm super sad that we are dealing with these budget cuts again, cuts that will impact my education and others even more. Just last week, I attended the school orientation for new students at Romek Middle School. As I was sitting in the bleachers, I was saddened to hear how the budget cuts might severely impact my school. I learned that with the new schedule, I'll have to choose between learning a language and music. No middle school sports.

I've been doing YMCA girls basketball since 3rd grade, and I've been excited to try middle school basketball. If the budget stays this way, I'll probably have to go back to YMCA, but it might not work with my parents' schedule. Lots of students share my concerns and don't have other sports options, so they're just not gonna learn any of the important skills that sports can teach. At this rate, by the time my first-grade brother is in middle school, he'll be down to 3 periods a day and shoveling snow for an elective. Is that our What's your plan?

We need to build better schools that we are proud of. Please keep fighting for school funding. Middle school is about trying new things and having new experiences. Please fix this budget so middle school has enough funding for 2 electives and keep middle school sports. Thank you for your time.

And thank you for your testimony. Not seeing Elise Elliott come forward, our next 2 student speakers are Adele Hayes and Ariam Sophia.

Welcome, Adele. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Adele, and I'm on the cross-country ski team at East High School. We greatly appreciate the school board's effort to make this sport work within the budget, and I'm here to speak in favor of Nordic skiing remaining a high school sport.

Cross-country skiing is an outdoor sport that utilizes the trails around the Anchorage community. The East Team uses the Russian Track Trail system every day and introduces kids to the trails. Nordic skiing is also a part of the culture here in Alaska. It gets all of us outside in the snow and makes us appreciate the long, cold winters. It's also a no-cut sport, meaning that more people of all skill levels can participate and learn.

It's not as competitive for people who are just is learning, and it's a way for kids to make friends while staying healthy. This year, East had several ELL and exchange students who had never been on skis join the ski team and learn to ski. Although there are multiple club options for skiing, they are very expensive and not many students can afford them. For most families, school sports are the only affordable option for their kids to participate in sports. Taking away that option is inequitable because because it increases the disparities that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face.

I hope that you consider keeping Nordic skiing as a high school sport. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have 2 minutes.

Please begin when you're ready. Hello, my name is Ariane Cantillo. I am an 11th grade student at East High School and I am part of the ski team and I want to share some personal experiences and reasons why I believe skiing should not be eliminated. Over time on the team, I have learned that ski is much more than a physical sport. It is something that fits the heart.

It is a space where people give real efforts, commitment, and genuine love. They do not do it just for fun or competition, but because skiing gives them something meaningful. I have seen how this steam brings people together and helps them grow. Skiing helps students become stronger, more disciplined, and more connected to one another. It is something that truly impacts life.

Eliminating ski will mean taking away something that matters deeply to many students and something that helps make schools a better place for us. Thank you for your listening and considering what skiing truly means to students. Please do not cut cross-country ski. Thank you. And thank you for your testimony.

Our next two student speakers are Paige Erickson and Reagan Manley. Paige Erickson and Reagan Manley.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. 2 Minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Greetings to the school board of the Anchorage School District. My name is Reagan Manley and I'm a junior at South Anchorage High School. I am speaking to you in an attempt to prevent the cancellation of ASD sports, specifically Nordic skiing. I also wanted to say thank you for your efforts to retain these sports. However, I still would like to reiterate why we need them.

Thanks to these school sports, I have made so many new friends that I would not normally talk to if we did not do a sport together. I've always been a shy, anxious kid, but thanks to the various sports that I have participated in—volleyball, running, skiing, and track and field—all of that has changed.

When I first started high school, I felt out of place and was not sure where I belonged. I have continuously struggled with anxiety as a teenager and the different aspects of being on a sports team has helped to change that. I chose to join the ski team because I wanted to find where I belonged in this school ecosystem. Over time, I learned to be confident in my abilities and that it is okay to trust others. Now I'm in my third year on the ski team and I have grown so much as a person, teammate, and leader.

This year I was voted the only junior team captain, team captain, I have done attendance for every single practice, cheered at every single race to the point where my voice is on hoarse, and I have spearheaded an effective system of community start times and sorting and organizing bibs so it takes a fraction of the time. Only 18% of high school skiers participate in a club program, while high school skiing is a non-cut sport which helps students to feel that they are good enough to be part of a sport and a team. Simultaneously has been It's been recorded by Alaska Treatment Center that the state of Alaska has alarmingly high rates of mental health, and the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reports that about 20% of Alaskans need to experience, experience a mental health condition every year. There needs to be an easy option for kids to be part of a team and get outside. From what I've heard, there's a strong community support to reduce the cost of the district.

There are many ways to be creative and become more efficient. For example, The past few years, the South Ski Booster Club has hosted a skiathlon inviting skiers to raise money for out-of-state relatives. If I had not joined a school sport, I most likely would have withdrawn fully from the district. Reagan, could you finish your testimony for us? Missed out on an opportunity for growth.

However, because of the friends I made and my passion for the sport and the fun I had while doing it, it really encouraged me to stay in part-time so I could still participate in sport. I really hope you consider not supporting sports because of the multitude of benefits that they provide. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you for your testimony. Welcome, Paige.

You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Hello, board members. Bonjour, je m'appelle Paige Erickson. Je habite en Anchorage, en Alaska.

If you did not get that, my name is Paige Erickson and I live in Anchorage. I'm a current freshman at South Anchorage High School and Frontier Charter School with a 4.0 GPA. I've been attending French classes with Madame Hinks for the past 3 years. 2 Of those years have been in person. This year was online due to the French program getting cut at last year's budget cuts at South.

I'm grateful for Madame Hinks' passion for teaching French and her hard work to push for South to have French online so that we could continue our journey of French, whether it be to get our seal of biliteracy or to make friends. I've been a swimmer since the 2nd grade and a swim instructor since the 8th grade with Northern Lights Swim Club, primarily with Coach Clifford Murray. I am also a part of the swim team at South. This last year I was fortunate enough to be coached by Miss Callahan and Brian Drewicorn. I cannot speak for all swimmers, but swimming has brought me so many opportunities I cannot imagine if I did not have the option.

Swimming has taught me so many things, like how to be my best self and how to be a part of a team. Swimming to me is an opportunity to make new friends and have a passion that can potentially bring me exciting things after high school. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to do club swimming, but I have more opportunities than some kids do. Not all families have the ability to put their child in club sports. One thing club sports can't get me is a better opportunity to do college, to go to college on an athletic scholarship.

I would just like you to reconsider your decision to cut sports and languages in schools because it gives lots of students a reason to go to school and get good grades. Thank you for considering my testimony. Merci. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Parker Stevens and Garrett Shakin.

Parker and Garrett, welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, Superintendent Bryan and members of the Anchorage School District board. My name is Garrett Chacon and I'm a freshman at Chugiak High School. I have skied in the ASD ski program for 3 years. I'm here tonight to ask you to keep cross-country skiing in schools. The ASD ski program has helped me a lot, become a lot better at time management with homework, and has helped me become healthier.

Most importantly, it taught me how to handle failure. One of the reasons I joined ski is because I get exercise in the winter almost every day when I otherwise most likely would not be able able to. Through skiing, I learned that I don't need to be the fastest person on the trail to have fun and learn valuable skills. Last year, I could barely get down one of the steepest hills at Chu Yeck. This year, thanks to my coaches and teammates, I'm able to get down much bigger hills.

I also learned that you will fail, and that's okay. You just have to get back up and keep going. Just this weekend, I went flying into the snow in the middle of a race. All this knowledge and these skills I've learned I will carry without— carry with me throughout my life. One thing I like to share is how important it is to me.

I go to drill team practice for JROTC in the morning before school and then ski after school. With that schedule, I spend 11 hours at school. It's not always the easiest thing every day, but one thing that gets me through the school day is knowing that I get to go skiing and do something I enjoy every day after school. Alaska is one of the few places in the country that offers a program like this. Makes our schools and our state unique, and our students motivated and engaged in the local community.

I ask that you please continue to invest in this program. Thank you for your time, and thank you for your testimony. Not seeing Parker Stevens come forward, our next two speakers are Jennifer Chacon and Ellie Birch.

Jennifer and Ellie.

Okay, if You're welcome. If Ellie Birch is not present, uh, Kenya Marie Bruno, please come forward.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Thank you. Good evening.

My name is Jennifer Chacon, and I have a high school freshman who is doing Nordic skiing and boys soccer at Chugiak High School. Tonight you heard from many students regarding their concerns and reasons that are important to them, such as the ability to have something to look forward to at the end of their day. Especially on the hard days. Cutting almost all the sports would eliminate opportunities for scholarships and most importantly, their opportunity to be mentored by the outstanding coaches and support staff. The value that these sports bring into their lives is not measured in dollar form.

I am here tonight, though, in a different capacity. I want to offer myself and others as part of the solution, provide us parents and community members with the data so that we can create focus groups and problem solve to come up with ideas to either raise funds for our individual sports or for ASD sports as a whole, or to make changes that will still provide more flexibility than just a few selected sports to stay. This information I'm asking for is a cost breakdown associated with each sport—gear, facility rentals, coaching, transportation, etc. I've not had a chance yet to review the handout that was provided tonight. Let us come up with ideas to either raise those funds, negotiate contracts, or come up with cost savings.

I would personally prefer for my son to only have ski practice and not have races, should that be the cost savings needed, rather than cutting the entire sport. We can be flexible. It does not have to be all or nothing. I would also like to know what were the deciding factors in keeping the sports that were chosen to stay on the list. Let us parents and students come up with plans that help with the process, and let us present to you different plan ideas that you can then review and have input on.

Rather than elimination, let's compromise. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Not seeing Ellie Birch or Kenya Marie Bruno, our next two speakers are Victoria, uh, Orozco and Violet Armstrong.

Welcome, Victoria. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hello, my name is Victoria Roscoe, and I'm a sophomore and a first-year wrestler at East High School. I'm here to accompany my classmates and share my own testimony about wrestling and why I think it should continue to be a school-funded sport, even with the budget issues. Issues. There are students who come to school and do their best only to be eligible to do sports that are being offered at the moment. Taking them away gives students nothing to work for, so they slack off.

Currently, I'm here to discuss wrestling and the importance it holds in my life and in the life of others in my community. Wrestling sets students up for future employment by giving them valuable life skills such as discipline, work ethic, accountability, and handling failure. Another reason why I think we should keep the wrestling program is that it's a place to escape from hardships and reality. For me, wrestling plays a big role in my life because it has taught me that I have to work harder to achieve the goals that I want to accomplish. In the past, I had coaches who made me feel less than I— what I knew I was.

But when I joined wrestling, my coach Mario made me feel like I had a greater potential than I originally thought. And knowing that, it boosted my confidence as an athlete and made me want to make him and my other coaches proud. Without wrestling, I would feel like I lost my identity as an athlete and I I felt like no matter how hard I worked, the time, effort, and dedication I put into the sport I did beforehand would not pay off. Wrestling is one of the fastest growing high school sports for girls at the moment. It gives other female athletes more opportunity to compete, lead, and succeed.

There was a specific time where girls who wanted to wrestle had very limited opportunities. With the school continuing to fund wrestling, it ensures that the opportunities that these girls here in Anchorage have do not disappear and come can participate without having to spend a fortune to go out of state to compete with other girls. School-funded teams are also another way students can get exposed to colleges, especially since there are more women's wrestling programs opening up. Wrestling is more than just a sport, it's a pathway to success, and it's because of the positive impact it contains. I believe we should continue having wrestling as a sport here in Anchorage.

Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Hello, my name is Violet.

My name is Sarah Armstrong and I'm a junior at East High School and a member of the East wrestling team. As the sport of wrestling is affected by the proposed budget cuts, I would like to provide a testimony and give the high school perspective as to why wrestling should— is an important sport to continue funding. In all of my pursuits in sports, I have never been consistent in my commitment until wrestling. Although it is only my second year, I have already seen the overwhelming benefits of the sport along with its obvious rigorous academic and calls my mom if I need to go home. Most of all, she helps keep all the other kids healthy.

This means less germs that can, can make people sick. All kids in all schools should have a nurse every day. Please work hard to keep kids healthy so we can learn. 9 To 11 nurses not is not enough. Thank you.

Thank you, Sky. Our next speaker is Jennifer Allison. Jennifer, you have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hi, I'm Jen Allison. I have 3 students enrolled in the Anchorage School District, and I've raised 2 others that have graduated. First, I want to state an understanding that there are no easy choices here. The choices needing made are likely to impact large parts of our community in a negative way. There's just no easy choices.

But I'm here to speak for the two groups I belong to as a nurse. I'm an LPN with 24 years experience working with families and as a parent to a child with chronic and complex medical issues. From someone who wears both hats, I can tell you the alarm bells are ringing. Cutting the staff that keeps schools clean, increasing class sizes, and adapting to a regional nursing module are all choices that will directly affect the health of students and staff. The slide presented and info provided promises to direct nursing staff based on acuity, but feeding tubes and insulin, um, needs are a very tiny fraction of the valuable care nurses provide every day.

The cuts being proposed will directly increase nursing workload and decrease access of all students to the medical care that they need. This isn't just physical, this is mental, emotional. Nurses do so much. Nurses are fighting for safe staffing in almost every corner of this country. It is so sad that nurses will be fighting the same battle in Anchorage School District, and our students and teachers are going to have to pay into the cost of that cut.

As a mother to a child with complex medical needs, I can promise you I'm not alone in calculating the risk versus benefit my child faces every day, a thousand times a day. I'm asking you to stay mindful of the increased risks and challenges that all of our children face together to stay healthy. Cutting nursing staff, the, the domino effect of the other cuts, they're all going to directly affect enrollment. Because if it's not safe for our kids to be at school, if they can't stay healthy there, they cannot stay enrolled. Stressed brains, sick brains don't learn well.

We all make impossible choices every day for our children. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Aria Neild and Mike Neild. Aria and Mike.

Welcome, Maria. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hi, I'm Aria, and I'm in 4th grade. And I've been going to Campbell STEM for 5 years. My best friend goes there, and she doesn't even live in the area, so her parents chose the school because it's a really good school. Campbell STEM was the first nationally recognized STEM school in Alaska. It's still the only one.

My little My little brother goes to preschool at Campbell, and he has a speech delay. Campbell is the only early intervention preschool in the Diamond area. From Diamond High to Service High, here are some facts about my school. Our 3rd grade ELA scores is, when compared to our close neighbor, is—. Schools are between 150% and 300% higher.

Our academic growth in the last year is more than 300% more than 42 other schools in Anchorage. Please don't close Campbell as the data shows that we are doing really good and improving every year. Thank you for your testimony. Welcome, you have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready.

I have, uh, I've had 3 students attend at Campbell over the last 7 years, one her whole elementary term. I have another child who's graduated now and didn't attend Campbell. Instead, he attended 4 other elementary schools while we moved around. So I think I have enough data to make comparisons. Campbell is by far the best elementary I've been involved with.

It's not even close. The data that she just said is backed up on your website. I've consistently watched the staff motivate students to do their best. I've seen them step up and help any student struggling with any subject. Campbell is a community.

Through your slides today, I've just learned that if Campbell is closed next year, it's likely that my kindergartner and 5th grader won't be at the same school, as the early intervention team involved with his IEP is going to a different school than we will be zoned for. In addition to this, I'm a contractor. Who frequently works on repairs to ASD buildings, most recently Fire Lake. It's nothing short of insane to me that I can get an email one day about right-sizing and closing schools due to budget shortfalls, and the next day get an email requesting a bid to a project for ASD that is not necessary by any stretch of the imagination and priced in the millions. This tells me that we don't have a budget problem, you have a spending problem.

Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Cruz Freeborn and Lola Freeborn, and then, uh, Cara Freeborn. So Cruz and Lola Freeborn, and then Cara Freeborn, please come forward.

Welcome, Cruz. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hi, I am Cruz and I go to Fire Lake. I love my school and Mr. Ant chose Fire Lake because it is awesome and I know he wants to be with us more. Fire Lake is the only school I ever went to and it is the only school I want to go to. Save Fire Lake! Miss Mason's the best.

The other school has a good place. I am great where I am at school, and I would always want to go to Fire Lake. Please keep Fire Lake like it is. Say Fire Lake! Thank you for your testimony.

Our next speaker is Lola Friedborn. Welcome. Hi, my name is Lola Friedborn, and I have gone to Fire Lake Firelake since kindergarten. I will never want to go to a new school. Our school is perfect just the way it is.

If Firelake is replaced with a charter school, what are we going to do with their old building? The charter school is perfect where they are. I love doing my after-school activities. My favorite teacher is Miss Lucinda. She is gone, but remembered.

Everyone in our school belongs and loved in our— in Firelake. We take very good of our SLC students, and we worry the new school won't know how they are special to us. Fire Lake makes sure we feel welcome and loved. We are a great community. We learn a lot.

The teachers make the learning fun. Think about the kindergartners. They just started. They come to school thinking, yay, I get to come every day. They're friends.

They learn. Closing our school will just make us not—.

Okay, thank you for your testimony. Um, our next speaker is Cara Freeborn. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

My name is Cara Freeborn and I'm a mother and an SLC teacher of Fire Lake Elementary. My other two speeches previously were more heartfelt, but this is round three. As an employee and a mom of the Anchorage School District, how am I supposed to trust you? As an employee and a mom of the kids at Fire Lake, how could you possibly do this twice in one year, three times in two years, all to kick us out of our neighborhood school full of neighborhood children, low-income families, and three special needs classes to put a charter school in. How could we not think that you're not prioritizing charter school children?

Aren't we all in this together? Doesn't every kid matter? How much money are you saving by kicking us out, putting us in different schools, and moving in a charter school? Why are they more important? Several studies have shown the effects of doing this— uprooting kids from their neighborhood school.

Is not just hard on the general education population but the special needs population as well. And the results of those studies are devastating. Why would you risk it all for the rich kids? Why aren't you taking care of us? There are people here tonight testifying for a specific thing.

Maybe it's a nurse, a STEM program, or school sports. Fire Lake is literally fighting for the entire building, all the staff, all the students, our nurse, our specialists, our special needs students. We don't have one or two things to lose, we have everything to lose. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Fia Jones.

Welcome, Fia. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hi, my name is Fia Jones and I have been in Fire Lake since first grade. I don't want Fire Lake to shut down and turn into a charter school. The neighborhood kids belong to Fire Lake. I also want the other students to stay and advance their learning at Fire Lake Elementary. We learn a lot in our school.

We are here to make friends and make it a safe community. My favorite teacher is Miss Block because she is caring, fun. We support each other in our community. Mr. Inch chose our school to be the principal because it's awesome.

They give free lunches and breakfast to all the kids, and every day I go to school I get a compliment. Our school nurse makes us feel healthy and happy when we're at school. The schools may be expensive, but we need supplies to learn. You need to support that. We need supplies, tables, chairs, and new curriculums.

If we are a good community, community, we need to stay together. Please save Fire Lake. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Avery Radke and Joseph Radke.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Good evening, President and members of the school board. My name is Avery Radke and I'm a freshman out of Anchorage High School— South Anchorage High School.

I'm here tonight to speak on behalf on behalf of students who rely on school sports and to ask you to protect programs like volleyball as you work through the budget decision. At school, we are taught that the school board members are elected to safeguard the needs of students. This is one of those moments. Volleyball is not just a game to me. It's where I learned discipline, leadership, teamwork, and how to keep going when things get hard.

It's one of the few places in school where students from different backgrounds can come together and build real confidence. I understand there is a budget shortfall, and I respect that you have difficult decisions to make, but cutting sports like volleyball does not solve the problem. It shifts it on to families. Not every student has access to expensive club programs outside of school. For many girls, school volleyball is their only chance to play, to belong, and to earn opportunities they would otherwise have.

This is also about equal— Sports like volleyball are one of the most important Title IX opportunities for girls in this district. If these programs are cut, the impact won't be equal. It will fall hardest on students who needed— who need school-based programs that most.

Tonight, I'm asking you to work with the governor's office to find other solutions for the $6 million gap to protect the programs that directly serve students. Please don't balance the budget on the backs of of student athletes. Thank you. And thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Ian Leiter and Alona Leiter.

Welcome, Ian. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Thank you. Um, good evening.

My testimony is to suggest an alternative for some students like me who are losing an elective at Rome Middle School. I'm a 6th grade student who's also in Spanish, the Spanish immersion program. One of my 2 electives must be used as a Spanish immersion class to continue to be in it. My other elective is beginning band. After I complete beginning band, I must continue to play every year to build skills.

If I'm not allowed intermediate band next year because I no longer have 2 electives, I will not be allowed to take advanced band in 8th grade or any other band in high school. I suggest allowing students like me a PE waiver. This waiver would open a period in my school day to participate in band.

I'm lucky that after school every week I participate in high-intensity sports for at least 6 hours. I ski in the most advanced group in junior Nordic twice a week for at least an hour. Every Saturday I ski in one of the most skilled divos groups in Girdwood for over 4 hours. I am asking for you to please consider allowing a PE waiver for students like me who really want to stay in band but must give one elective to continue my Spanish immersion education. In summary, I think we need to start having PE waivers.

If we don't, good students like me who are in the Russian and Spanish immersion we'll lose good training and specialists for instruments in the wheel. Thank you. And thank you for your testimony. Welcome, Ms. Leiter. You have 2 minutes.

Please begin when you're ready. Thank you. Um, I've been a music specialist with ASD for 25 years. Elementary specialists serve more jobs than just their primary music, art, PE, or health class. We are recess, lunch, noon duties.

We're before and after school crossing guards. We are the wind teachers. We're the building's unfilled substitute teacher. As a WIN teacher, each morning I teach students important reading skills. Losing specialists, going from 5 to 3, 2 or 3 specialists in each elementary school, will also lose 2 to 3 WIN teachers in each of those schools district-wide, not to mention losing the crossing guards, the recess and cafeteria duties, etc.

Of course, the general teachers are are also out there doing all the extra duties too. But next year, there simply will not be enough classroom teachers to fill even more of the unfilled extra duty positions. When ASD removes elementary building subs, the elementary specialists will be the very first call for substituting all unfilled absences. In our current substitute crisis, when a substitute job is unfilled and the building sub is already subbing another class, The sub job is covered by the specialist. This is a common situation now.

The substitute crisis worsens with a reduction from 5 to 2 specialists. I'm referring, of course, to the specialist reduction of cutting all health teachers and ASD hoping to combine positions like music and art into one Frankenstein teaching position. ASD will also have to pay more to cover teachers who lose their contractual planning time because the specialists must teach unfilled general classes and not their own curriculum. Cutting year-long music and art curriculum teachers negatively impacts other school programs. As I've mentioned, this will reduce WIN classes, worsen the substitute crisis, and in the end continue to charge ASD in fees to teachers who miss contractual planning time.

Later, with more funding I think it might be easier to convince— bringing back to life a dead music or art program. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Fiona Norton and Claire Norton Cruz.

Welcome, Fiona. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

My name is Camden Norton-Fink and I am in 3rd grade French Immersion at O'Malley Elementary. Even though I like learning French a lot, my favorite subjects in school are art, music, and PE. I really hope you don't have to take away our teachers or the time we get to spend in these subjects with these really fun teachers. I know that money is really tight for all of our public schools, but I don't think it has has to be. We should all be calling our state and House reps to support closing the S Corp loophole and a tax at estate companies on digital sales in Alaska.

I think it's kind of crazy that we keep taking really important things like sports, music, art, and nurses away from our public schools and students, all because our elected representatives lack the will to make sure that oil companies are paying their fair share into the state where they are making money developing our resources. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have 2 minutes, Miss Norton Cruz.

Please begin when you're ready. My name is Claire Norton Cruz, and I'm the parent of a 3rd grader in French immersion at O'Malley. We were all blindsided by Friday's email from ASD, which has generated tons of questions and very few answers. We're still trying to figure out what it will mean for next year and further out. To now be an alternative program alone in the building with no more busing, now looking even more under-enrolled and with a still problematic PTR by ASD's normal metrics.

We have no idea what this will mean for specialists or a full-time nurse on site. We haven't even had a chance to figure out how many immersion families are reliant enough on busing to have that be material to their decision to stay in the program. We don't know if there will be enough kids remaining at O'Malley to keep Campfire there and keep and Anchorage Gymnastics vans doing pickups at the school, which many of us also rely on to maintain our work schedules in addition to the buses. There's so many unknowns, it's hard to know how to feel about the proposal. At last Monday's meeting, we heard testimony from several master's level music and art teachers decrying the lack of consultation with any of them in the formulation of that proposal to combine them, and same with nurses, and it sounds like coaches.

We appreciate the rock and the —place within which ASD finds itself budget-wise year after year. But the lack of transparency and the seeming unwillingness to bring various stakeholders in for collaboration and feedback beyond the occasional anonymous email surveys is kind of frustrating. This proposal could potentially create opportunities for growing our program or bringing in complementary programs like childcare or preschool, but there's no way we can even know what's feasible before next week's vote. This could also severely damage future enrollment and put us on a path to eventual closure. We've been hearing since 2018 the school board talk about supporting French immersion and wanting to see it flourish, but that walk isn't— doesn't seem like it's being walked right now.

So if ASD and the school board really support our program, then it would be great to help us understand the longer-term plan for our program and for the aging O'Malley building. Thanks. Thank you for your testimony. That completes our student testimony this evening. Could we give all of our students a round of applause?

That's all the written testifiers I have.

Okay, we're going to take a 5-minute recess, at which point we'll begin with community speakers. Just a reminder for those who need to head out, you can email your testimony to [email protected]. I believe I speak for the board when I will tell you that we will be here as long as the municipal code allows to hear you speak.

Um, remember, they are going to make a copy and on the time—.

PM. Thank you, everyone. We're going to begin from our list of community speakers to be heard.

Again, for the community, if you would prefer to email your comments to the board in lieu of providing verbal or telephonic testimony, testimony, please feel free to do so at [email protected]. Our first two committee speakers to be heard this evening are Tyler Desjardins and Chris Armstrong. Oh, sorry, Tyler Desjardins. Yes.

Heather, who with no last name given. You ready, sir? You have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready. All right, my name is Tyler Desjardins. And I'm a teacher, a parent, and I've taught 63 schools, been in front of 17,000 students in the last 24 years.

I have some inside experience in this and some knowledge that nobody else has said yet tonight. Um, first I'm going to say what my daughter said because she couldn't be here tonight. Um, say, she says, I don't think it's a good idea to combine art and music. Uh, our teachers go to school for art, music teachers go to school for music, and it's likely that art Many teachers won't know how to teach music and may not even know how to read notes, music, or probably even know what realism and fauvism is. I'm her dad and I don't know what either of those things are in art.

So, um, so many teachers fresh out of college will likely get their jobs cut due to lack of seniority, thus having to find a new career. And I've known many special teachers who love— specialist teachers love their jobs. I know many kids who love those teachers. Okay, now for what I'm going to say, and I have a minute less. Okay, um, it feels as if we're all here to push for our school funding as separately united groups, and if this is true, then it's also as if we've decided it is easier to blame the school board than to put the blame on the most guilty party.

I'm not taking sides here. I'm going to cut to the chase. It is our state's constitutional law that doesn't allow us to forward fund and inflation-proof the budget and mandate what it's used for the next year. So for these that have ears to hear, without a 75% constitutional majority to change the state constitution to fix that, and a vote from the people to approve a constitutional delegation, our only recourse is to convince the legislature to fund stably the education funding every year to fix the funding problem. And closing schools will only fix staffing consistency years down on the road while also reducing the BSA— not BSA, reducing the— there's a big difference in the BSA by 40% in year 4 and increasing afterwards.

So it is not the lever that can fix everything, and it has consequences. We're all going to have to give in something. We have to—. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker signed up as just Heather with no last name.

I'm not seeing a Heather come forward, so our next 2 community speakers are Hannah Johnston and Chelsea Ambrose.

Welcome, you have 2 minutes, please begin when you're Hello, my name is Chelsea Ambrose and I teach art at Kincaid and Gladys Wood Elementary Schools. You won't be surprised to hear that I adamantly believe in the power of public art education, but I've been reflecting lately on why this matters so much to me. The short answer is it matters because it matters so much to my students. Every single day I see the impact of art. I see in students' astonishing creativity, their pride in their work.

And the belonging they feel in the art room. I think of specific students who struggle behaviorally or academically in other settings. Sometimes a classroom or resource teacher updates me on a behavior plan, and I'm genuinely surprised. They're updating me on who? In my class, those same students stand out as focused, imaginative, fully engaged leaders.

It's not a reflection on other educators. It reveals the power of a dedicated art space, especially for our most at-risk or disengaged students. Art gives these students agency. It gives them opportunities for success in creative exploration. These are some of the same students we're investing so much time and resources into.

So come to think of it, art is a bargain intervention. As our urgent push for cuts— in our urgent push for cuts What are we losing sight of? There is no way that students will receive the quality of art or music education that they need or deserve if we combine the two into one fine arts position. Excuse the clunky metaphor, but in seeing the forest for the trees, we've forgotten how a healthy forest is made up of diverse flora. We're clear-cutting in favor of monoculture education.

It's not sustainable, and along the way we're losing all the wonderful and complex and fascinating parts that shape a whole student. As you make these decisions, I ask you to consider what we are truly here to cultivate and which cuts we simply cannot afford if we care about developing well-rounded and resilient learners. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Welcome, Miss Johnson.

You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

And, uh, Amos Tonison, if you would please come forward, you're our next community speaker. Speaker: Good evening. My name is Hannah Johnston. I currently teach music at Homestead Elementary, and I proudly served ASD students as a music educator for 15 years. I'm here to advocate for our staff, students, and families and speak to the proposed combined fine arts position.

Some perspective: I have decades of experience in music making, and it is through these experiences that I've polished and perfected my instrumental technique and understanding of music theory. In addition to my performance experience, I gained an abundance of experience in music education and pedagogy with 2 bachelor's degrees and a master's. To assume that my incredible colleagues in art would be tasked with having the same degree of understanding and experience is unfair and insulting to the time and dedication committed to their own discipline. The proposed solution to the problem: some professional development may be required. This is woefully ignorant.

To quote Einstein, information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience. Both my art colleagues and I have a diverse array of experiences that complement our teaching. Our students deserve to have an experienced professional educating and nurturing their musical creativity. We've heard it tonight, and staff heard at the same initial budget presentations.

Our administrators were encouraged to remind staff that these proposed cuts were not a reflection of value. Yet this proposed fine arts position blatantly highlights the low value placed on the contributions and impact that individual music and art specialists have in our school community. For many specials, we bring families in the community into the building. For many students, the arts are the very reason they get excited to come to school each day. I cannot tell you how many times I've been warned about a student who struggles, only to find that they absolutely thrive in music.

That student who doesn't speak sings. The student who's bored and doesn't feel challenged is suddenly highly engaged. Or that student who is constantly dysregulated and struggling with peer interactions and who finds peace and belonging. Music doesn't just teach the music theory. Music helps It helps students see different perspectives and points of view.

It helps connect different cultures and advances equity. Elementary music making nurtures problem-solving, perseverance, confidence, personal responsibility, empathy, and specifically aligns to one of the school board's essential goals of life readiness. The images you see in front of you show a sampling of the impact, and I invite—. Thank you for your testimony. If Megan Charles could come forward, your next community speaker to be heard, and And then Amos Tonneson, please begin.

You have 2 minutes.

Hello, my name is Ames Tonneson and I am a teacher at both Bay Shore and Clatt Elementary. I know you have heard about how detrimental it will be if music is put on a rotational model. While that was not mentioned this evening, and I am so grateful for that, I still want you to know what we do in the music area over the course of the year. My hope is that by knowing what we do, it'll help ensure that a rotational model doesn't happen. Out of curiosity, I counted the skills that we are required to teach from the ASD classroom music academic plan adopted in 2014.

Starting in kindergarten, there are 33 skills that are required to be taught over the course of the year, with an additional 10 skills repeated every quarter. In 5th, 3rd grade, this number jumps up to 50 skills, with an additional 12 skills repeated every quarter. In 5th grade, while the number drops down to 41 skills that are required, those skills are more complex, like complex meter and complex rhythms. And again, an additional 12 skills repeated every quarter. These are skills that require practice and repetition.

Students have to move, play instruments, and sing to demonstrate these skills. As a teacher, I don't see a way that we can cram this into a semester, especially if we only see the students for one 15-minute chunk. I also want you to understand that music is more than exposure, and it ties into numerous content areas. Music is math, as students told me in class. Of course, a half note has 2 quarter notes inside of it, because a quarter plus a quarter equals a half, Ms. T. Music is literacy.

You're developing songwriting skills, tracking and decoding. Music is geography. It's found everywhere in the earth and connects us us all. Music is language. No matter what students' native language is, when they come into my room, they all speak the same thing.

And music is joy, as the same student asks me every day, "Is it my day for music yet?" Thank you for listening. Thank you for your testimony. Our next community speaker to be heard is Jennifer Cottle. And welcome, Megan. You have 2 minutes.

Please begin when you're ready. My name is Megan Charles. I'm a parent of a student ASD and a nationally board-certified school nurse with 21 years of service in the district. I'm here to address the proposed shift to a regional change and a regional nursing model, a change that fundamentally compromises student and school safety. School nursing is not just about scheduled medications and treatments or passing out bandages or ice packs.

It's about high-level clinical assessment. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses explicitly recommends a minimum of 1 full-time school nurse in every building. On an average day, I see about 40 students. Beyond clinical care, school nurses build deep, trusting relationships with students, allowing us to serve as critical members of the educational team. Removing this link ignores the reality of rising healthcare costs and the vital role we play in keeping students healthy and ready to learn.

Emergencies do not follow a regional schedules. In my career, I've managed life-threatening events from anaphylaxis to seizures to serious cardiac events that required immediate nursing assessments. These assessments cannot be delegated to office staff. To illustrate, a student once presented with a simple upset stomach. A non-medical eye could easily have dismissed it and administered Tums.

My clinical assessment identified that it was in fact a life-threatening allergic anaphylactic reaction. We saved that student's life because a nurse was there. Without on-site expertise, the district will see a spike in EMS calls and increased liability. Has the board consulted with local emergency services regarding this added strain on municipal resources? There are several other examples of other school districts that abandoned this exact regional model after it proved to be a dangerous and ineffective way to manage student health.

I recognize the budget deficit is reality. However, a regional model compromises student safety and well-being and will likely drive families with medically complex children out of the district, further impacting enrollment. There are safer ways to address these cuts without removing the frontline medical protection for our children. I urge the board to reconsider this model. Thank you.

And thank you for your testimony. If Joel Sundberg could please come forward, and then welcome Miss Cottle. We have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Thank you.

Good evening, my name is Jennifer Cottle. Cottle. For the past 26 years, I have been known as Nurse Cottle to ASD students, families, and staff. I am also the current president of the Alaska School Nurse Association. I am here to advocate for a simple but critical standard: one nurse, one school, every day.

School nurses are licensed healthcare professionals, and for many students, we are their only consistent access to healthcare. Alaska has 77 nationally certified school nurses and you, ASD, have 53 of these highly qualified professionals. School nursing is complex and fast-paced. In a single day, we provide urgent care, manage medical emergencies, oversee chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, seizures, administer medications and specialized medical procedures, conduct health screenings, respond to mental health crisis, and identify at-risk youth. We serve as a bridge between families, physicians, and the community.

Community. This year alone, in a school of 364 students, I have documented nearly 4,000 health-related student-family encounters. That does not include IEP and 504 meetings, organizing a school-wide flu clinic, or prevention programs like Red Ribbon Week. The proposed regional model creates serious gaps in care. Research indicates this model is not effective in urban school districts where students face higher rates of chronic illness, food insecurity, trauma, and mental health challenges.

Under a regional model, students wait longer for care, preventative services decline, chronic conditions go unmanaged, non-medical staff are placed in medical situations they are legally unable to manage or assess. The connection between health and learning is clear and measurable. I am very concerned with the feasibility of implementing such a significant shift in nursing by fall 2026. These are questions we have asked school— the school nurses have asked, but for to as of today have not been answered by leadership. One nurse, one school is a cost-effective investment in safety, equity, attendance, and student success.

I urge the board to prioritize funding and continue policy that ensures every school has a dedicated full-time nurse.

Thank you for your testimony. If we could have Brock Sides come forward, please. Brock Sides. And then And welcome, Mr. Sunberg. Give 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready.

School board members, thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. My name is Joel Sunberg. I am the parent of a deaf child in the Anchorage School District at the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program. The proposed budget removes 1 teacher and 1 intervention coach from this program. On paper, that may appear to be an equal and fair staffing adjustment across schools.

In reality, it is a direct reduction of access for children with the most significant communication barriers in this whole district. My son is completely deaf without his cochlear ear implants. Even with them, hearing is not natural or easy. He must be explicitly taught how to listen He must be explicitly taught how to speak. Every word he produces represents years of specialized instruction and daily effort.

He and his deaf classmates depend on speech therapy and a listening and spoken language teacher with highly specialized training. That support is not enrichment. It is access. Without it, progress slows, gaps widen, opportunities shrink. These students already work harder than their peers just to stand in the same classroom.

Reducing specialized staffing does not spread the, the burden evenly. It concentrates it on the children least able to absorb it. When you cut from this program, you're not simply balancing a budget. You're deciding whose access to communication education, independence, and future opportunity is negotiable. I urge you to protect specialized staffing within the deaf and hard of hearing program and ensure that students with the greatest barriers are not asked to sacrifice the most.

And I implore you to look at page 11, and it shows 69 people of special ed that are being cut. Thank you for your testimony. Uh, not seeing Brock Sides come forward. Our next two speakers are Susan Ritter and Crystal Hans. Oh great, Brock, and then Susan Ritter, please.

Welcome, you have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. All right, hello, my name is Brock Sides. I have a daughter who is in kindergarten at Winterberry Elementary School and she has type 1 diabetes. I'm here today to speak directly against the proposed cuts to the school nursing staff.

I've served as a military officer, I've worked in the private sector in oil and gas, and I currently work as a federal employee. In every one of those environments, safety is not optional, it's not negotiable, and it's the first requirement for any mission, any plan, in any operation. Cutting nurse staff in schools is a decision that knowingly reduces safety for children. We're not talking about abstract numbers or line items, we're talking about schools full of our children. And yet the board is considering removing the one trained medical professional responsible for their health and safety during the school day.

My daughter is medically complex, and a delay in minutes in responding to a diabetic emergency can result in seizures, loss of consciousness, hospitalization, or even death. That is not fearmongering, that is a medical fact, and there are many other children in the district with equally serious medical needs. But let me be clear, a school does not need medically fragile students to justify a nurse. Injuries happen, allergic reactions happen, emergencies happen. Pretending otherwise is reckless.

I also want to address the financial argument behind these cuts. Reducing nursing staff may appear to create short-term savings, but it creates long-term financial exposure. When medically— medical emergencies happen and are mishandled because of somebody— because a non-trained or not a nurse is present, the district assumes liability. An injury or death that could have been prevented will carry extensive costs by litigation, settlements, high insurance premiums, and lasting reputational damage. These outcomes are not hypothetical, they are predictable.

In economics, we learn the difference between needs and wants. Needs are essential for survival. Wants enhance, enhance quality of life. In schools, wants are extracurricular activities, athletics, and enrichment programs. Needs are food, shelter, and healthcare.

The school nurse is healthcare. It's not a luxury. It's not expendable. It is a critical safety requirement. Why is children's safety even up for debate?

Because when safety is truly the priority, the decision would never be on. Thank you for your testimony. Uh, if Crystal Hans can please come forward. Crystal Hans. And then welcome, Miss Ritter.

You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Good evening, Susan Knitter, West High School special ed teacher. Thank you everyone for, uh, having us all speak to you this evening. Uh, what I have in front of me I may or may not complete.

I'm just so upset about how things are going this evening. Um, so I'm asking you guys to be bold, continue to be bold in making the consolidation of classes that are schools that need to be done, uh, based on the structures of buildings that need to be closed. Some schools just are too old to be, uh, worked on. Close them, move schools together. Um, last week I asked you about putting, uh, Rokushula in with Service High School.

I thought it was a very good suggestion. It's a K-8 program. You've got the space in service. And you have the German language program up there. Please reconsider that idea.

Uh, to be really bold, you would be closing one of the high schools, either Eagle River or Chugiak, and putting them together. Uh, combined, they would be not one of the top high school, uh, classes. So I believe West has 1,700, 1,800 students, and 20 years ago, schools had 2,000 students in their high schools. That was before Eagle River was built. So continue to be bold, thinking about what you have to do.

And community members, remember, it is not ASD's fault that we're in this situation. It falls on our legislators, our governors, uh, for the last 30 years who have not taken education seriously or funding our programs. So please call your legislators get angry, and let's try and get our programs back on track financially. Thank you very much. Thank you, Ms. Ritter.

Our next two speakers are— not seeing Crystal Hans come forward— are Catherine Brown and Anna Marie Moran.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Hi again. Good evening, my name is Catherine Brown and I've been a registered nurse since 1995, and I began working with ASD in 2005 as a part-time school nurse.

I've worked all levels and I currently serve as the full-time nurse at Mears Middle School. Um, at Mears I manage about 20 medication visits daily. Some students come twice a day. Several of these medications, including seizure rescue meds and other specialized treatments, must legally be administered by a registered nurse. They cannot be delegated.

I also oversee multiple EpiPen students with diabetes who are not independent in their care. I want to repeat that— they are not independent at the middle school level. That is a thing. Um, and I have two life skills classrooms where students are tube fed and require skilled nursing throughout the day. And I have an incoming 6th grader next year who requires a one-on-one and rescue seizure medications often, I'm told.

Um, and that's my scheduled care. Let's move on to the other stuff. On average, I see 300 student visits per week. I assess injuries, respond to emergencies, manage chronic conditions, make rapid clinical decisions all day long. My job is much more than ice bags and Band-Aids.

It requires assessment skills, critical thinking, and the ability to recognize when something small is actually something big. Just as important is continuity. I know my I know who needs a quick reset and can return to class. I know who needs closer monitoring. I know when something is off, and that familiarity keeps students safe and reduces unnecessary calls home.

Our regional model means there may be days without a nurse in the building or different nurses throughout the day. I don't know. We don't know what that looks like because we, we haven't been told. Um, I would invite each of you to visit our schools and spend time with a school nurse. Come see what our amazing nurses nurses do every single day.

The volume, the complexity, and the level of care may surprise you. Come during my lunch because my door is usually open because I have students, because I don't get a lunch, because that's the job I signed up for. So I just want to make sure you guys are aware that most of us don't get lunch. We don't complain about it because we're nurses. Um, thank you for your time.

Thank you for your testimony. If Sunny Shields could come forward. Sunny Shields. And then welcome, uh, you have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, my name is Anne-Marie Moran. I am the mother of an 8-year-old child who is positive for type 1 diabetes autoantibodies, which means the diagnosis is medically certain and imminent. This life-threatening autoimmune disease requires continuous minute-to-minute monitoring 24/7 for the rest of his life. It will also require, among countless other medical countless other complex demands, precise dosing of insulin, a high-risk medication that in hospital settings requires two registered nurses to independently sign off to prevent life-threatening mistakes. An individual with Type 1 diabetes makes an average of 200 medical decisions per day just to stay alive.

Each decision requires real-time clinical judgment and can mean the difference between safely attending school with their peers and facing seizures, loss of consciousness, hospitalization, or even death. Without a full-time nurse who is responsible for these critical decisions at school, the teachers, the administrators, uh, the child himself— the safety implications are undeniable. A reduction in school nursing affects all families. Research shows that 1 in 5 911 calls to schools involve students with no known prior medical condition, whether it is a first-time seizure, a sudden severe allergic reaction, or playground injury. Medical emergencies do not adhere to a regional schedule.

Without a school nurse, teachers spend an extra 20 minutes on average per day handling minor illnesses and injuries, and that's before accounting for students like my son with medically complex needs, cutting into instruction for every child in an already overburdened classroom. Reducing nursing is not just unsafe, it raises serious legal and ethical concerns under Section 504 and ADA.

Removing— reducing licensed nurses does not reduce these needs. It simply redistributes them to other individuals without equivalent medical training and forces parents to choose between their child's safety and their child's education. One nurse, one school is essential for our children's safety. Asking parents to gamble their children's lives against, uh, um, to balance a budget is not—. Thank you for your testimony.

I'm not seeing Sunny Shields come forward. Our next two community speakers are Tyler Jennifer Hennigan and Monica Sullivan. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Wu-Tang is for the children. If only you could live by a similar creed, imagine the future we could create for the youth of our community. My name is Tyler Hennigan, and I'm the head coach of the Diamond High Lynx ski team, as well as the executive director of SkiKu Inc., a nonprofit which works with thousands of underserved youth across Alaska each winter. I'm also a Service High grad and former captain and varsity athlete of both the swim and ski teams. Go Cougars!

When my family first moved to Alaska from deployment overseas, I had never engaged in the sport of cross-country skiing. I found a welcoming atmosphere here, a group, and amazing staff at Hanshew Middle School. Hanshew was able to provide me with everything I needed to join a brand new sport— skis, boots, poles, and quality coaches who could onboard new athletes. This trend continued at Service, where traditional barriers to sport were completely lowered. If it were not for the ability of ASD to provide these activities at low cost, I can confidently say I would not be the person I am today.

My story is not unique. There are many athletes on my team who have never skied before, and may have never engaged in this sport at all if it were not for the opportunity provided by our public schools. Each school represented here this evening has access to a uniquely Alaskan sport and engages students across diverse backgrounds. We serve life skills athletes, foreign exchange students. We provide for low-income individuals, ensure avenues for PE graduation requirements, and engage with students who are simply seeking the opportunity to broaden their horizons.

School sport goes far beyond any one user group. It strengthens the bonds between all of us. For families with means, sport will remain accessible. However, families without the means or relevant background will lose the opportunity to engage with their fellow community members. Participation in sport and activity is not limited to a student's tenure at school.

The opportunity provided by public school activities creates a long-lasting bond within our community at large. We're familiar with the commonly stated benefits of sport: greater student engagement at school, the building of teamwork skills, and benefits of a healthy lifestyle. However, we must not fall short of the future. When I look at the community I want to live in, it is one that is vibrant with the arts and sports.

This begins here at SPORT and with our public schools. Thank you for your testimony. If Pamela Martez could come forward and then welcome Ms. Sullivan. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Monica Sullivan, and I'm here, of course, to support SPORTS, but arts, music, and nurses are not behind. My personal connection is soccer. It keeps my middle schooler focused, disciplined, and committed to healthy habits. But as I listen to others, like he just talked about a different sport, it's clear this isn't about just one program.

A diverse range of athletic opportunities ensures that students with different interests, talents, and abilities all have a place to belong. That inclusivity builds acceptance, resilience, and community within our schools. I understand the district is facing serious financial, financial challenges. However, sports account for 0.5% of the district's total budget. I can't believe I'm here this late just talking about this.

That means for every $100 spent, about 50 cents goes toward athletics. With a total budget near $600 million sports represent about 3 million. Eliminating them would not meaningfully solve a $90 million deficit. For half of 1% of the budget, we gain student engagement, improve attendance, stronger academic motivation, physical health, school pride, and community connection. Some kids find scholarships.

That is an extraordinary return on investment I mean, why do we need to repeat the same song here? I respectfully ask whether cutting something so impactful yet so small in cost is truly the right solution. I would also like to ask whether the district has recently explored competitive bidding for employee benefits to ensure we are receiving the most cost-effective options available. Even modest savings there could help protect student programs. Additional, has the district considered forming a volunteer advisory board of community members with expertise in construction finance, finance, or project management to review new school construction?

Thank you for your testimony. If you feel free to submit your written comments.

Thank you for your testimony. Um, if Stacy Facillo could come forward, and then we'll Welcome, Miss Martez. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Good evening, members of the Anchorage School Board and our community.

My name is Pamela Martez and I'm an elementary health teacher at Willowcrest and Bayshore Elementary. I want to start by saying I support some of the aspects of the new specialist schedule. Consistency matters, and staying in one building helps us build stronger relationships with students. I agree with most of the direction, but I want to make sure that in this change our students do not lose quality health education. Health class is not just a special.

It's often a child's first line of protection. One of my students used the Heimlich maneuver they learned in my class to save the life of another student in the cafeteria. Another family escaped a house fire because their children remembered what they— what we practiced and talked about. Their grandfather thanked me for teaching them something that protected his family. But some of the most important moments are the quiet ones.

After Safe Children's Act lessons, students have disclosed sexual abuse to me, and because they finally had the words to describe what was happening to them and knew that I was a trusted adult. Those conversations, those conversations led to help and protection. Without a dedicated health teacher, some children may never tell anyone. This matters especially in Alaska, where our state has some of the highest rates of sexual assault and domestic violence in the country. Many of those children are sitting in our classrooms.

For some, school is the only place they learn boundaries, consent, and how to ask for help. I also want to be clear, this isn't about my job title. I know that I will still have a position in the district, and I am grateful for that. If the health teacher title goes away, I will adapt. What I worry about is not where I work, but what my students lose.

My fear is that without dedicated health instruction, safety lessons become optional, shortened, or skipped, and the students who need them most are the ones who pay the price. If the health instruction moves to PE or in the classroom, then it must include guaranteed protected instructional time for health, not leftover minutes. Safety education requires pacing, training, and accountability. Please ensure protected time for health and safety instruction so no child loses access to the skills that keep them safe. Thank you for listening.

Thank you for your testimony. If Paul McDonough could come forward, and then welcome, Ms. Facilio, 2 minutes. Actually, can I go in a few— my computer just now decided to update. Um, is that— can I really understand? We'll have Mr. McDonough go and then feel free to restart.

Welcome, sir. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, school board. For the record, I'm Paul McDonough. My kids go to Chugiak and Mirror Lake, and I'm running for Andy's seat on the school board in about a month now. Tonight I can have it. No, I'll wait.

I'll wait as long as I can. Tonight I am commenting once again on the right-sizing plan. Just 3 months ago, Student Representative Madison summarized this board's position when she said it's not a just choice. Well, that hasn't changed. In fact, the superintendent said that earlier today when he said really the only thing that has changed is urgency.

And I need to ask an important question: why wasn't it a just choice back then? Well, after watching today's presentation, I think it's because that plan involved the support from the people to my left but not the people behind me. We were not designing the plan with the board. It was designed for us, and then we're here to defend our resources. That's why I'm asking the board to adopt a right-sizing commission.

I have a blueprint which I've shared. Thank you for, for distributing that. And this would be a community-led process that gets people involved as designers of our own neighborhoods and of our own kids' futures. If this is the choice you must make next week, please first boldly commit to tearing down the failed process that has led us here for 5 years. We should be designing our future, not defending ourselves against a process that thinks it has the right to speak for us.

Thank you for shouldering this horrible burden this week and next month. Thank you for your testimony. Our next 2 community speakers are Karen Richards and Emma— no last name was given. Karen Richards. Karen Richards, NMO.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, and thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Karen Richards, and I am a school nurse who works out of the Healthcare Services Office at the Ed Center. I'm here to talk about 2 things that shape students far beyond the classroom: athletics and school nursing, and why both deserve to be fully present in every school. I grew up swimming competitively from the age of 9 through college. Swimming taught me how to be part of a team while still holding myself accountable.

It taught me man— time management, balancing early morning and afternoon practices with schoolwork. It taught me collaboration, perseverance, and how to stay committed even on the most challenging days. Those lessons didn't end when I left the pool. They are the same skills that shaped me into the nurse I am today. Student athletes learn resilience, leadership, and responsibility, and schools must be equipped to respond when health needs arise, whether that's an injury, a concussion, asthma symptoms, diabetic care, or anxiety.

These moments don't happen on a schedule or in a central office. They happen at school. That's where a dedicated school nurse matters. A school nurse is not just someone who hands out Band-Aids or ice packs. We manage chronic conditions, respond to medical emergencies, administer medications, create care plans, coordinate with families and providers, support mental health, and ensure students are safe and ready to learn, among many other essential responsibilities.

We are often the first to recognize when something is wrong, whether that's a health issue, food insecurity, or a student quietly struggling. Just like athletics, student or school nursing is is built on trust and presence. A student athlete can't perform at their best if they don't feel safe. A student can't focus on learning if their health needs aren't met, and a school can't fully support its students if a nurse is stretched across multiple buildings. One nurse, one school.

Just as every team deserves a coach on deck, every school deserves a nurse in the building every day. When we invest in athletic Thank you for your testimony. If we could have Stacy Fasulo come back forward, and then welcome. You have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready. Hello, my name is Emma White.

I am the school nurse for Baxter Elementary, a Title I school on the east side of Anchorage. The district is presenting a regional model as a money-saving and efficient— they purport that the care will be specialized and allow the nurses to focus on the highest needs. Removing nurses and no longer having a 1 nurse to 1 school ratio is incredibly dangerous. As a bachelor's and master's educated nurse specializing in pediatrics, I'm here to tell you that the regional model is extremely negligent. Untrained and unlicensed staff members are not appropriate to make nursing decisions and judgments.

This will change, um, the change to a regional model will lead to lawsuits, child injury, and even death. As nurses will not be in the schools full-time. Nurses know how to navigate the health system, including when to make the call to 911, when to tell parents to pick up their student, and when something is life-threatening versus benign. We advocate for our students, coordinate care amongst providers, and are the ones medical providers trust to follow their care orders, which are written for a nurse to interpret and manage. ASD nurses manage and communicate to parents students about outbreaks of lice, bed bugs, and scabies.

As nurses will be in and out of the schools and covering mostly chronic medical needs, these situations will either be overlooked by untrained support staff or unable to be managed appropriately due to time and nursing limitations. Another reason to keep one nurse to one school is for staff safety. I believe I may be the only CPR-trained professional in my building. Last year I had a staff member with a medical emergency, and I had to perform CPR, and I was told by both Anchorage Fire Department and the staff member's cardiologist that without my actions to start CPR, this staff member would have died. Let me be clear: if the regional model is implemented, our students will suffer.

Families will be uninformed and misinformed about their children's health statuses and the dis—.

Thank you for your testimony, Emma. Uh, could we have Greta Wade please come forward? Greta Wade, and then welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

My name is Stacy Fuccello and I actually originally planned to speak about why nurses are essential, but after some reflection, I realized there is a deeper issue at play. We have been told that difficult decisions must be made, and I agree. But why, why aren't those difficult decisions focused on placing experienced leadership in positions where sustainable, thoughtful solutions can be developed? The proposals currently being discussed do not reflect that approach. The idea of coming— combining art and music teachers into one role is deeply concerning.

That is like asking a dentist to perform open heart surgery. There are two entirely separate fields of study. They require different certifications and professional expertise. We would never accept that standard in medicine, so why should we accept that in education? The proposed regional nursing model is equally troubling.

It was reportedly based on a conversation with a friend in another state with a significantly different nursing support structure and scope of practice. No supporting research has been presented. In fact, there has been acknowledgement that there is no clear understanding of how this model would function here. Entertaining ideas without data or viable implementation plans wastes the time of board, the community, and most importantly, our students. It prevents us from focusing on meaningful and sustainable solutions.

If we truly need to make hard decisions, why are we not examining and flattening the hierarchical structure within the Ed Center? Over the past 2 years of budget crises, the number of senior positions that have been added, um, would cover the entire nursing, art, and music budget combined, and that does not even account for the assistant directors, directors, and coordinator roles. Yes, hard decisions, they need to be made, but they must be the right hard decisions.

Thank you for your testimony. Uh, not seeing Greta Wade come forward.

Just a reminder for our audience, we want to hear from as many of you as we can before before we have to adjourn, so please limit applause. Uh, not seeing Greta Wade come forward, our next two speakers are Jan Gilbert and Sarah.

Okay, welcome Greta, you have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready. And then Jan Gilbert and Sarah, so one of those two is present.

Hi, my name is Greta Wade and I am the nurse at Diamond High School. You have a test this tough task of deciding what constitutes an essential service during our fiscal crisis. All across our nation, similar decisions are being made and school districts are facing these tough times, and some of them have decided to cut nurses.

Some of those districts decided to go for the, the model that's being proposed or something similar to it. But it's— the bottom line is it's cutting nurses. I wonder what these districts would say now to the parents of the following students who died in schools where there was no nurse to help them. What would they say to the mother of Mercedes Mears, a 10-year-old who died of an asthma attack at a nurseless school, or to the parents of Rashish Presley, a 9-year-old who collapsed and died at a nurseless school? The list goes on.

When I Googled a similar search about student deaths at ASD, what I found instead were stories of heroes. Heroes like Regina Pierce, the designated nurse at West High School, who in 8 years with the district performed CPR 6 times. Susie Whited, who won the Denali Award when she was a designated nurse at a school, and she saved a student's life with the quick assessment and prompt use of an AED. In 2023, there were 10 drug overdoses. Not one of them was fatal.

10 Drug overdoses at ASD in 2023, and not one was fatal. A nurse in each school is not nice to have. We are essential infrastructure. Please consider keeping the one nurse in one school model. As though a student's life depends on it.

Thank you so much. Thank you for your testimony. Our next— not seeing Jan Gilbert or Sarah.

Hello, Jan Gilbert, 14-year school nurse. As it was admitted tonight by the school work session board, a regional model is the lowest model of nursing care you could implement. Other districts have tried it and it has failed. Many research articles specifically detailing why regional model will also not work in our district have been emailed to you. We are all wondering, have you read them?

The facts are there in black and white. A regional model may work for a scheduled service like counselors or other appointment-based therapy, but a school nurse's office is run like a walk-in clinic. I invite any of you to come to my office for a day. Students come in and out all day long with medical needs and a lot of mental health needs that are not going to come up on the acuities chart. Parents come by, they email, they call all day long, are Emergencies happen, OCS reports occur, that is never going to show on your acuties.

In addition to the scheduled medications and treatments that have been brought up, when we look at the math, we're assigning 9 nurses now to cover 14 schools, right? There, 5 schools don't have a nurse but there's going to be a nurse in charge that's dispersing us. Now she's taking time away from students to be the lead nurse, reducing her time with students. And if there was a nurse out sick, now you have 6.5 schools without a nurse. Saying that the regional model is going to fix the possibility of a nurse being sick and needing a sub I'm not sure how that's coming across, that it would be helpful to be in a regional model where you've cut 25 nurses.

And what is the savings of a regional model? I didn't see a breakdown like the other department. Miss Gilbert, thank you very much for your testimony. Uh, not seeing Sarah come forward, our next two speakers are Christy Sitz and Amber Smith.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Thank you for your time. I recognize the difficult budget decisions you face regarding funding education.

However, we must also acknowledge the tangible consequences of these cuts. Larger class sizes, fewer educators, the loss of essential programs and student opportunities. Years of flat funding have contributed significantly to the current deficit. It is imperative that our governor and our legislators are held accountable for adequately funding education.

As educators, our primary responsibility responsibility is to provide quality instruction and meaningful connections with our students.

I recently spoke with members who are concerned about being asked to teach content areas for which they have not been trained. This is a direct result of resources being stretched too thin. We need schools that function at high levels and empower educators to teach in the areas where they are most effective. Your decisions will have lasting impact on our students, our educators, and the future of our community. I urge you to protect the essential programs and supports that define the strength of Anchorage Public Schools.

Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Not seeing Amber Smith come Moving forward, our next two speakers are Krista Hippler and Joanne Eliason.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Not which button? There you go. Sorry. Hello, my name is Krista Hepler. I've been a school nurse with the district since 1995, and I'm extremely concerned about the proposed regional nurses model.

This model takes nurses away from our schools and limits our direct interaction with students and instead shifts the care to non-medical support staff in our building. I'm here to advocate for one nurse and one school. School nurses are all about making connections with students. Having a school— a nurse in each school school every day allows us to have building— build relationships with all students and their families. We are nurses, educators, social workers, counselors, mentors, coaches, all wrapped up in one.

School nurses have a unique opportunity to work with a very diverse group of students in ASD. We make a difference in students' lives every day, but most of what we do is not publicized. I would like to share with you one story which reminds us how valuable nurses are in our schools. I have a young student who some would say was a frequent flyer. She has many stomachaches over the last few days, but what seemed to be possible stomach virus or constipation to a layperson wasn't adding up with me.

I know the student well and knew there was more going on. My communication with the student, her teacher, her mom, and all my assessments led to a concern of appendicitis. But this time the child wasn't even complaining, likely because she was flying on an airplane that night and didn't want to miss out. Her teacher sent her down because she was acting pretty quiet. I contacted mom and urged her to take her in for an evaluation and ultrasound before getting on that airplane.

She did, and she went in for surgery. The surgeon said she would not have made it the next day without it rupturing. Nurses need to be in every school. Delegating these duties to office staff is a huge, um, responsibility and liability. Transitioning to the regional model is not as simple as they made it sound.

It may look good on paper but not in real life. Every child matters and every child needs a school nurse. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker to be heard who can join us up front is Yurisha Hardy.

Please welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. There we go. Hi, my name is Joni Lison.

I'm a nationally certified school nurse. I've been with the district for 26 years. I am here here to speak in, in favor of One Nurse One School. In Alaska, full-time school nurses are a safety requirement. According to the Alaska Department of Health, our children experience higher than national rates of asthma, severe allergies, seizure disorders, and behavioral health crises.

Our schools also serve a growing number of medically fragile students with diabetes, epilepsy, epilepsy and complex care plans that require skilled nursing assessments and treatments. When a child stops breathing, goes into anaphylaxis, seizes, becomes severely hypoglycemic, or overdoses, minutes do matter. Minutes do matter. A regional on-call nursing model assumes emergencies can wait. They cannot.

Federal law requires schools to implement, not delay, care under IDEA Section 504 and ADA. If a nurse is not available, care is delayed and districts assume serious risk, possible litigation, Office of Civil Rights complaints, wrongful injury claims, and most importantly, preventable harm to students. Now, in Alaska, geography and unpredictable travel conditions make adoption adopting a regional nursing model a serious safety risk. We have two seasons in Alaska, extreme winter and construction. We have one major highway in and out.

A regional model that depends on response time cannot function safely in snowstorms, black ice, whiteouts, travel accidents, um, congestion. It leaves a non-medical staff member managing high-risk risk emergencies and increases reliance on already very limited EMS services. Please support.

Thank you for your testimony. Not seeing Eresha Hardy come forward. Our next two speakers are Deidre Brown and Jackie Higgins.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, members of the school board, and as the superintendent is well aware, my name is Deidre Brown. The board's role is to set direction, oversee stewardship of public funds, and hold the superintendent accountable for how district resources are used. I am asking you to apply that oversight to special education litigation spending. During the 2024-25 school year alone, the district spent well over $100,000 litigating a due process complaint against a single unrepresented parent with no legal background. This situation began as a request for collaboration to ensure a student returning to the district received appropriate services and existing accommodations.

Instead of resolving concerns through the required resolution process this that remained open, the district escalated to litigation despite my pleas to avoid it. Taxpayer dollars funded multiple attorneys, legal staff, extensive district time and resources, funds that far exceeded what we advocated to be continued in appropriate special education services and supports. Those funds didn't improve services or expand student supports. They funded conflict and character assassination. The district ultimately prevailed on a narrow legal standard tied to passing grades they controlled.

The district, uh, but legal victory is not the same as educational success or access, and it does not erase the very real harm experienced by my son or our family during the process. This raises a governance question: how much litigation is too much before the board expects early resolution. When disputes escalate instead of being resolved, students lose, families lose, taxpayers lose. I am asking the board to require transparency about due process spending and to expect good faith resolution before litigation, and to ensure district resources are focused on educational services, not legal Thank you for your testimony. If we could have Olin Raidmay come forward, and then, Miss Higgins, you have 2 minutes.

Please begin when you're ready. I want to start by saying it is wonderful to see so many people here to support their interest. My expectation is that everyone in the room is reaching out to their representatives to demand that they fund a district that has been underfunded for a decade or more. And remember, public funds are for public school. My name is Jackie Higgins, and I am back to speak about the district's track record record of lies to my daughter who attends Lake Otis Elementary in a life skills program.

Firstly, let's address the $50 million school built for 188 students. That school was built prior to needing cuts against the wishes of taxpayers. Now you come to two regional placement education programs and say, oh, sorry, one of you, or maybe both of you, need to close. To this I say that the poor financial choice to provide an affluent neighborhood with a new building against your constituents' approval should not be suffered by schools who provide essential service and structure to their particular students. How dare you all go back on your word to some of the most— the district's most vulnerable.

As a parent of a child with special needs, I can promise you we are battling on their every aspect of their life every day. The one thing we shouldn't have to do is worry about their safe environments shutting down because some adults who have power over their education can't take no as an answer. Cancer. That's called poor boundaries. She was forced out of her school because the ASD uses a regional placement program, but thank the stars at Lake Otis we have built community.

Shout out to Nurse Charles and shout out to Miss Day.

Now again, after lying to my face with the actual vote, you are trying to close her school again. Every time you all gain ground with my— me, my family, and all families with special needs, you go muck it up with another slight to our foundation. Tell me, why should we trust you? Simply keep their— I'm asking the district to simply keep their word. Unlike the time you tried— tricked me into signing an IEP to move my daughter around like a chess piece.

Unlike the time you wouldn't bus my daughter to Russian Jack even though your representative said you would, and now this is the school you want her to attend. Unlike you, the promises to provide staffing numbers for life skills program and have failed overall to provide. Just do what you said you'd do. Thank you for your testimony. Could we have David Hardy come forward, please?

David Hardy? David Hardy, come forward, please. And then we'll transition to the phone where Courtney, uh, Weston is with us. Uh, please star 6 to unmute. You have 4 minutes.

Good afternoon.

Oh, yeah. For Miss Weston? Yeah.

Um, it's all set up. The one interpreter is in the back, and I can see Miss Westman right here.

Good evening, everyone.

Hello, my name is Courtney Westman, and I'm I am the school counselor for the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

I am here today to explain the key reasons why it's critical to retain the AKSD special education teacher position. At AKSD, students received a tailored education that fosters both American Sign Language and English development, helping them gain the academic academic and communication life skills that they need to succeed.

These specialized roles ensure students have access to meaningful instruction and not just seat time, which is essential for true equity in education.

It is a specialized position that is— provides instruction and support that general education teachers simply cannot replicate.

The instruction is specially designed for students who are deaf and hard of hearing and reflects their unique language and learning needs.

Without educators trained in deaf education and communication access, students lose access to a curriculum that's built for their development, includes language acquisition, social-emotional growth, and academic achievement.

Students who are deaf or hard of hearing often require specialized instructional strategies that go well beyond what the mainstream classroom can provide.

This need is supported by established educational frameworks such which is the expanded core curriculum, which identifies the unique instructional areas required for deaf and hard of hearing students.

I respectfully urge the board to retain this essential teaching position. Our students deserve instruction, support, and opportunities that allow them to reach their full potential. Thank you for your time and for your consideration. And thank you for your testimony. We'll move to Mr. Reidman.

You have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, my name is Olin and I'm the father of 2 ASD students. Hang on one second. Yeah, there you go. Ah, good evening, my name is Olin. I'm the father of 2 ASD students.

I have one kid going into Rome Elementary School and you met her last week, and I'm sure you will meet her again. There are so many things I want to talk to you about today, but I'm going to focus on the number number of classes in middle school, sports, and nursing. My kids are in the Russian immersion program at Turnagain Elementary. I've seen amazing things come from this program— kids learning new cultures, exploring new ideas, and talking in another language. They're so excited to go to Romeg and learn and grow and experience new opportunities.

But if you decrease the amount of classes from 7 to 6, this will mean that the immersion students will not be able to pick another elective. They will have to decide that the immersion program or try something new like choir, band, orchestra, or art. These are vital by giving kids a chance to express themselves in different ways and try something new. I've heard from immersion families that this will destroy the program as kids leave to try something different. This is the age where kids soak up everything and they just want to try everything.

That's why the 7 periods are more important— is so important, just so kids get to experience new things they have interest in while continuing what they love. This leads to sports right here and now. You are setting the foundation by learning about health with exercise, knowing how to stretch, breathe, focus. Growth by learning what they could do. Determination by pushing harder than they ever have.

Team building by working together for a mutual goal. You are giving kids the opportunity to focus and release their frustrations and bond with others. Next is the nurses. I have seen my school nurse help with kids while I was volunteering, kids that just threw themselves to the ground and no one else knew what to do with. The nurse had the opportunity to go talk to them and get them up.

I've seen my school nurse respond to medical emergencies that weren't even with students. That when parents had concerns and collapsed on school grounds. It is vital that school nurses stay for daily operations and safety. Thank you for your testimony. If we could have Aaron Cronsbury come forward, and then Mr. Hurdy, welcome.

You have 2 minutes. Hey, thanks for, um, staying late. I know it's late. I'll get to the point. Um, the other day I had, uh, pizza for lunch.

And I brought it into my room. I teach at one of the North schools, Title I schools, and I did— I ate everything except the crust on my pizza.

And the kids came in and they—. I think I had 8 kids that asked to eat the crust of my pizza.

So I want to put into, you know, perspective. I mean, I wrestled at Bartlett. I know immersion programs and sports are super important, you know, but We have lawmakers who are not funding, not funding the people that, um, help this city run.

So thank you for your testimony. I'm not seeing Erin Cronsbury come forward. Our next two speakers are Christine Courturier and William Baxter.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hello, good evening. My name is Christine Courturier, and I'm the president of French Language Advocates Encourage, or FLA. It's a nonprofit composed of parents and community members who support the French immersion program at O'Malley and Goldenview. I'm also a parent of a second grader and a sixth grader, both in the program. I'm here tonight because I wonder about the future of this program.

This program took years, the will of many people, and a lot of energy to build from the ground up and support since 2018, and we've been very successful. The announcement to split O'Malley came out of nowhere and raises a lot of questions. First, where does this come from? What's the rationale? What's the cost analysis?

And what's the long-term plan? O'Malley will become an under-enrolled school, so are we at risk of closure next year? Is there any plans for consolidation? At the bare minimum, we're going to lose 25% of our students. From losing the neighborhood program alone, but we're also going to lose families who can't afford to lose busing and would rather leave, and families who have kids in both programs and can't afford to drive to two different schools.

Our lottery numbers are high and show we have a strong program, but talks of splitting the school will probably have a chilling effect on prospective families and lower our numbers even further. So we are aware of the $90 million deficit. We know that combos are not ideal, and we know that, that drastic decisions must be made. But I'm really surprised that we've got no warning, had almost no time to give feedback, that stakeholders were not consulted, and that no information was shared. So in short, I'm all for providing a better environment for both students students and teachers, but we shouldn't lose a program as successful as the French immersion program.

Thank you for your time and your work. And thank you for your testimony. If we could have Michael Jones come forward.

Um, we did a switcheroo at check-in because I— he was like, I'm not going to stay and testify, and I somehow didn't get a confirmation even though I signed up last night. Your name? My name is Courtney Horosofsky. Welcome, you have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Um, hello, um, my name is Courtney Horosowski. I have 3 children in Spanish immersion at Chugiak Elementary and Mirror Lake Middle School and an upcoming preschooler. Um, also lots of things to talk about. The first one would be the, um, it has to do a little bit with the number of classes in middle school, but it also affects things going on right now. This year is that the middle schoolers not being allowed to waive PE, um, how it affects immersion students is that the policy 5041 requiring health— one quarter of health— has also butted up against the requirement for four quarters of PE.

And I have simply been told by the school administration that no waivers are allowed. And the compromise that came up with was that our 6th grade students who are just learning an instrument in orchestra or band, or just getting into choir, will be forced out of their fourth quarter music electives, which means they'll skip, miss end-of-year performances, and they will miss 5 years— or 5 years— 5 months of musical instruction on a brand new instrument just so they can take health, rather than allowing them to waive a quarter of PE when, if they participate in school sports, is 90 minutes at least, 5 days a week, which should more than make up for a PE class. That leads into next year. If they're down to 6 classes, that means that students will have to choose between immersion programs and having any electives, which is really going to reduce the value of that program. It's going to reduce the number of students who are willing to stay in it.

And I guess, why are we gonna fight so hard? Um, whoo, I support consolidating schools. I realize I have a lot of privilege being able to send my kid to a school of choice. Um, but how— at what point does it start to negatively affect other students? We should give everyone a good education and not preserve special programs for, um, basically and further stratify the discrepancies between students who are able to participate in those and those who are not, as seen by the busing situation at O'Malley, perhaps, if that happens.

Thank you for your testimony. I'm not seeing Michael Jones come forward. Our next two speakers Robert Miselik and Francis McLaughlin.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, members of the board, and thank you for the opportunity to speak. I'm the parent of 2 students in the French immersion program at O'Malley. The proposal to remove all neighborhood students from O'Malley in our announced in the middle of the special program lottery sends mixed signals to district parents about the future of the immersion program. It will predictably chill future enrollment as families hear that transportation, special education support, special classes, and before and after school programs may all be in flux. I respectfully ask, why has O'Malley been singled out to lose its neighborhood kids rather than boundary changes that would bring more students into O'Malley and strengthen the school as a whole?

What is the specific quantified cost savings the district expects to receive from removing neighborhood kids from O'Malley? None is identified in the budget handout. Families also need clarity on the long-term plan for French immersion. Is the district committed to keeping the program and to keeping it at O'Malley, or should parents brace for another surprise proposal in a year or two to move the program across town and away from where the majority of program families reside? Can you commit that there will be one French and one English teacher per grade so that teachers are not stretched into teaching both languages outside their strengths?

Finally, to what extent were O'Malley staff, who know the program the best, consulted before this proposal was brought forward. Last year I testified about the need to start hiring O'Malley immersion teachers promptly, and after these concerns were not heeded, uh, my child's 4th grade class spent the entire fall semester with substitutes instead of a dedicated French teacher, a disruption that was both foreseeable and avoidable. This makes me worried that once again the program's unique needs are being treated as an afterthought. I urge you to reject the management proposal and to look for ways to set up O'Malley for success rather than breaking it apart. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony. If we could have Shaquille Awan come forward, and then welcome, you have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

I can begin. Um, uh, thank you for, uh, having this meeting. My name is Francis McLaughlin. I have 2 daughters in the Chinese immersion program, my 4th grader at Scenic Park Elementary and and my 6th grader is at Beggich Middle School. My daughters love their teachers and they are proud of their schools.

They will both continue to Bartlett High School. Thank you to this board, the superintendent, and the school program directors. Thank you to Sven Gustafson, Brandon Locke, for working nights and weekends for our children. For everyone who is watching this meeting, please vote on April 7th Municipal ballot to approve the one-time school levy. The levy can save 80+ teachers for our schools.

This is critical. Now, um, Scenic Park has been allotted 4.5 less teachers next year, but the school enrollment is expected to be the same next year. Class sizes are already large and above the PTR levels. Next year, this issue will be worse. Please don't cut those 4 classroom teachers.

Our principal intends to cut 2 neighborhood and 2 immersion teachers. That leaves immersion with only 5 FTE, which is below the minimum 6 FTE needed for immersion to function K through 5th grade. Even with 6 FTE, my daughter's class next year in 5th grade would have 35 kids kids trying to learn Chinese. It's not going to work. They won't learn.

They'll fall behind. They will not be at grade level. Also, please allow immersion to continue to have 2 class periods in middle school by doing a 0 PE hour with the 6-period model so that immersion can continue to have an elective like band or art. Another option is to allow 1 class period to be completed online to reach their required credits for middle school. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony. Uh, would entertain a motion from the board to extend our meeting from the 11 o'clock time frame that's in our bylaws to the code maximum of midnight. So moved. Is there a second? Second.

Perfect. Motion made by Member Holloman, seconded by Member Lessons. Is there any objection to extending our meeting until midnight to allow us to continue to your public testimony. Okay, that motion is adopted. We're extended until midnight.

Our next two speakers, not, uh, seeing Shaquille Awan come forward, is Kate Hammer and Chanti Ward.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Good evening and hello again. I'm Kate Hammer.

My children are in the French immersion program at O'Malley Elementary. I'm here today to discuss my deep concern about the impact of the proposed changes to our program. More than 50% of our immersion elementary students are zoned for O'Malley neighborhood and have bus access. Many of our families rely on busing, and it's likely if we lose bus access, some parents will be forced to pull their children out of the French program. Also, immersion programs were originally embedded within neighborhood schools, in part to provide equitable access and greater diversity, which will be diminished without busing.

And what happens to families with children enrolled in both French immersion and neighborhood at O'Malley? In this new scenario, it's likely many of these families will leave French immersion as it will be nearly impossible to have one student in immersion at O'Malley and another at a different elementary school. Neighborhood siblings can't transition into French after first grade. In an education system that is hyperfocused on PTR and financial efficiencies, we can't afford to lose students students because of a last-minute and unvetted structural change. It's difficult to backfill lost students in immersion programs due to the language requirements.

I quote directly from ASD Memorandum 137: While there are clear advantages to maintaining small schools, current state funding levels do not provide the resources needed for the district to deliver consistent academic levels of service to all schools the district currently operates. After forcing O'Malley to be one of the largest one of the smallest schools left in the district, I worry ASD's next step will recommend for the full closure of the school. We signed up for an immersion program in a neighborhood school, and ASD is proposing a complete structure redesign without discussion with or agreement from our families. I'm willing to consider alternative options, but a 3-day holiday weekend is insufficient time to understand how your proposal will impact French immersion. There's a lot of fact-finding that must be done before a quality decision can be made.

Thank you for your time and opportunity to testify. Good evening. Thank you for your testimony. If we could have Shane Kennedy come forward and then Shanti Ward. Welcome, you have 2 minutes.

Please begin when you're ready.

I'm a product of the ASD education. A little short. It stays on. Good, good. It's okay.

I'm Shanti Ward, and I'm the product of an ASD education and the parent of a smart, kind fourth grader at Campbell STEM Elementary. I have served on the PTA board, and I have volunteered extensively, and Campbell STEM is quite literally my family. We did not know about Campbell STEM before we lived in the neighborhood before we lived in the neighborhood and realized quickly that Campbell STEM is the community. We care about our kids and we show up. We volunteer our time, our skills, and our limited resources to make our schools, kids, and community better.

When SNAP benefits were being threatened, our school came together and created a community pantry. We filled cabinets, kitchen, winter gear, and Christmas gifts. This is Campbell STEM.

Our community is diverse and multi-generational. Our recently retired school secretary Paige, who still shows up for work, has served at Campbell since the '90s. Her 4 kids all attended all of their elementary and some preschool at Campbell STEM. Her daughter taught my daughter how to cook indigenous meals. Her son, Mr. Ward, taught her Kindy indigenous education and complete foursquare dominance.

They are Campbell STEM. Coach Roland has enlisted a team of community members along with the PTA to raise funds and maintain an ice rink and cross-country ski loop so our kids have access to winter sports. He often hops the fence from his home behind the school to volunteer his free time. He is Campbell STEM. When I look out the window at home, I regularly see a minimum of 10 Campbell Cubs playing outside, and every few blocks in my neighborhood you will find a similar pocket of Campbell Cubs.

They are Campbell STEM. Our community works in our school. Our staff and teachers are our neighbors our parents. Dr. Whitaker's relationship with local groups to engage our students with the community, including basketball, tennis, and wrestling. Through the extensive efforts, our teachers, staff, and students became the only nationally accredited STEM program helping our students succeed in our community.

That is Campbell STEM. There are some things that cannot be replicated and cannot be replaced. We are not excess. Campbell STEM is our community.

Cow Cubs can do great things. Thank you for your testimony. Not seeing Shane Kennedy come forward, our next two speakers are Megan Pelletier and Karen Rakos.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Good evening. My name is Megan Pelletier.

I'm an ASD graduate and the mother of 3 students in French immersion. I have a lot of questions and concerns, particularly that you haven't considered the effects this proposal will have on the French program. What is the long-term plan? In the 4 days since this proposal was announced, my mind kept going back to February of 2019. I was sitting in this room in the front row like the good student ASD taught me to be at an immersion information session.

During that meeting, I was asked if I registered my child for an immersion program, please make a full 13-year commitment to this program. And I did. In fact, my family made a 17-year commitment because I had 2 more children join the program later. My oldest daughter is part of the first class that kicked off French immersion. Every year she's had teachers who are creating classroom materials as they go, many of whom arrive in the country days before the school year starts.

Even with these challenges, we kept our commitment to French immersion. COVID hit, my kids were learning through Zoom. And then behind masks. Imagine trying to learn a new language, learn in a new language, without being able to see your teacher's face. We kept our commitment to French immersion.

My daughter was offered a place in the highly gifted program at Romeig. We renewed our commitment to French immersion. One year ago, we were here begging you to allow us to immediately hire French teachers. You voted that down. My fourth grader spent an entire semester with substitute teachers.

They didn't speak French. Most of them didn't. I could have put her across the room in a neighborhood program with a fully certified teacher who was very skilled, but we kept our commitment to French immersion. Now you have to consider this rate sizing proposal and what it means for the future of the program, for the future of the students and the families who have made this long-term commitment. I ask that this school board and administration do what is right and stay committed to the long-term success of French immersion, just as I was asked to by ASD.

Thank you for your testimony. If we could have Stacia Thomas come forward, and then welcome. You have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready.

My name is Karen Rakes. Is this okay? I'm sorry, my name is Karen Rakes. I am a volunteer at Campbell STEM Elementary. I retired from Anchorage School District last May.

I started my ASD teaching career at Campbell in 1999 before it was a nationally certified STEM school, and I taught there for 11 years before taking the opportunity to transfer to the school I had attended as a child, Rabbit Creek. As a science advocate in my roles for many years as a STEM site-based specialist, science fair coordinator, first-use science kit teacher trainer, and more. When I learned that Campbell Elementary was seeking STEM certification, I transferred back specifically to be a part of this groundbreaking endeavor. In 2016, Campbell staff initiated a proposal to become a STEM-based neighborhood school, which was accepted by the school board in the spring of 2017. Since then, our students students, staff, parents, and community have worked tirelessly to become the only STEM-certified elementary school in Alaska.

What does this mean? Our students engage in learning experiences that integrate all STEM disciplines. Our staff participates in ongoing STEM-specific professional learning. We work with community partners and stakeholders to support and sustain STEM programs. Our students use critical thinking and collaboration skills on a daily basis.

Our students demonstrate their learning through performance-based assessments. If Campbell STEM closes at the end of this school year, we're being told our students will be dispersed among 3 different neighboring schools. Our program will cease to exist. This is not right. ASD states its focus is to produce citizens who are effective communicators and collaborators.

We are doing exactly that at Campbell STEM Elementary. Closing a program of this nature and quality runs counter to ASD's stated mission and goals. Please keep the only STEM-certified—. Thank you for your testimony. If we could have Falcon Chase come forward.

Falcon Chase, and then welcome, uh, Miss Thomas. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

My name is Stacia Thomas. My daughter attends Airport Heights Elementary. I am an advocate for my neighborhood school and the neighborhood schools in our city. Please be kind to the schools that are working hard to provide quality education to our neighborhood kids. I love the neighborhood school model.

My daughter is able to attend a school that is incredibly and beautifully diverse. She goes to school with kiddos that live a few blocks or less than a mile from where we live. It is an enriching experience to walk to school every day and stay within our immediate community. Because I live so close to our school, I am able to volunteer there at least 3 days a week and sometimes more. Reading one-on-one with students has become my new favorite thing to do.

I am concerned about issues regarding equality in ASD. The administration is suggesting closure of neighborhood schools. Our neighborhood schools serve everyone, not just some. Lottery programs do not. These programs are, for the most part, are less diverse than our neighborhood schools, and they are in fact optional.

They are not essential services. I believe the school district needs to look into consolidating or closing the lottery program. We need to bring these lottery kids back into their neighborhood schools. They will benefit. All our students will benefit from a more equal school system.

My daughter is having a fantastic year at Airport Heights Elementary. Thank you to the administration and the school board for the efforts you have made in years prior to make that possible for her this year. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your testimony. Not seeing Falcon Chase come forward.

Our next two testifiers are Jean Robinson and Charles Zimmer.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Hello, my name is Jean Robinson. Um, I urge you to reconsider the part proposed closure at Campbell STEM Elementary School, the only nationally accredited STEM elementary school in Alaska.

Reaches— research has shown early STEM education strengthens critical thinking, problem solving, and long-term academic success. Campbell students are already benefiting from that foundation. Campbell serves a diverse student body with over 60% of the students coming from low-income households. Despite this, students demonstrate measurable remarkable growth and strong engagement. More than 70% of the special education students meet or exceed their individualized growth goals, and attendance remains above 90%.

These outcomes reflect strong instruction and targeted support even without additional Title I funding that similar schools receive for this type of student population. Campbell houses 6 developmental preschool programs and 1 regular preschool program. Preschool program. Relocating them would fragment services and significantly increase transportation and staffing costs. Keeping them centralized is a fiscally responsible choice.

Campbell is deeply woven into the community, hosting well-attended STEM events and organizing food and toy drives for families in need. Maintenance concerns have been addressed. The January water main break during extreme cold weather was challenging, but any school in Alaska could have faced that. Funding was already secured through April 2025 school bond, and renovations including a planned boiler replacement are scheduled to begin in the summer. The solution is funded and ready.

Closing Campbell now would eliminate a program that is delivering results, increasing costs through program redistribution, and disregarding a maintenance solution taxpayers have already funded. Preserving Campbell is not just an emotional decision, it is responsible for this financial and educational decision for this district. I respectfully ask you to protect Campbell STEM Elementary School. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony.

Could we have Kim Bailey come forward? Kim Bailey, and then welcome. You have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready. Good evening, my name is Charles Zimmer. I have been teaching in ASD for 26+ years.

I am currently teaching 4th grade at Campbell STEM. I respectfully ask you to reconsider closing Campbell STEM. Roughly 10 years ago, our leadership team became aware of alarming statistics about projections for STEM-related jobs going unfilled due to shortages of interested applicants and shortages of qualified applicants. We pondered this issue and decided we needed to get our kids excited about STEM. We developed curriculum integrating STEM in all content areas, including PE, music, art, and library, particularly the engineer design process and the scientific method.

We later committed to seeking accreditation from a national STEM accreditor. Roughly 2 years ago, we became the only nationally certified certified STEM school in the ASD. Our students are motivated to learn at the best of their ability, are highly engaged in all content areas, and continue to improve test scores on all assessments. Our kinders can design a house that the big bad wolf cannot blow down and is earthquake-proof. Our 5th graders design solar-powered ovens to cook cook homemade pizzas.

We call this solving real-world challenges. In summary, please, please reconsider closing Campbell STEM because it is proven to provide a high-quality education. Campbell STEM is a jewel in the ASD's crown. We should keep it. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers, not having seeing Kim Bailey come forward.

Uh, could we also have Cameron Hoyer join us, please? Cameron Hoyer, you have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

My name is Kim Bailey, and I have been a music teacher in the district for over 30 years. I'm here to voice my concerns over 2 major cuts to the budget. First of all, the elementary fine arts specialist changes. Art and music teachers have had years of university university education in their field and are not qualified to teach the other subject. Music concepts require repetition, practice, and rehearsal.

It is not realistic to think that concepts will be retained by kids when there is a whole quarter or semester in between the times they meet with their music teacher. Since specialists are one of the only stable staff members that all of the kids know, especially in these times of drastic cuts and turmoil, specialists should be placed at their homeschool and have a say in the model, which we haven't. Please consider altering the proposed specialist model from 3 to 4 specialists so that students can get the fine arts education they deserve. Second, O'Malley Elementary's French and neighborhood programs go hand in hand. Having French and neighborhood together in the same school benefits both programs.

It promotes an inclusive community and connects diverse student populations. By moving the neighborhood students to a different school, the thriving French program will be negatively impacted. Many French immersion families join the program because they were already in the O'Malley Zone neighborhood and they could use bus transportation. If you take away busing, some of these kids may have to drop out of French. There are some families with siblings in both the French and neighborhood programs.

It will be difficult or impossible for parents to get their kids to two different schools in the morning. Again, the French program will probably lose students. I believe that most neighborhood parents, students, and teachers would prefer to have combo classes, as is often necessary at immersion schools, if it meant that they would get to stay at O'Malley. Does closing the doors of O'Malley to the neighborhood kids really save that much money? The school will still need to fund utilities, support, maintenance, and a BPO to cover the school for the French program.

How does letting the neighborhood kids stay at O'Malley increase costs when these essential services will be there regardless? Why should classrooms go empty when there is room for all of the kids at the school. Thank you for your testimony. If we could have Amanda Adney come forward, please. Welcome.

You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Hello, my name is, uh, Cameron Hoyer. Uh, tonight we are asking you to decide whether or not Campbell STEM is able to continue to do great things. I hope that your answer is yes. I've spent a lot of time these last few days trying to absorb and understand the news that I received about Campbell Elementary closing its doors forever, and I'm not sure, uh, I'm not sure what I can say in 2 minutes, uh, that would help you all understand how important Campbell Elementary is to me. To my fellow teachers, to our community, and most of all, to our kids, to our students.

I've been working at Campbell for 28 years, 1998, and, uh, in that time, lots of people ask, you know, hey, why, why didn't you ever transfer to another school? Or, or I get this one a lot, how, when are you going to retire? Why don't you go try something else? And, and the reason I, I don't is, uh, I stay because I, I feel like I'm working at one of the best schools in the district with the best people. Um, I have a son and a daughter that both attended Campbell Elementary.

They both thrived at Campbell, earning good grades, earning academic scholarships, graduated from Service High. And both went on and got degrees, one electrical engineering and one in science.

I think a lot of people here don't understand what— we don't understand how a school with such a dedicated principal, teachers, nurse, staff, school with great attendance and high enrollment, and a STEM school is being considered for closing. In my opinion, that school School should be the last thing that should be, um, please, uh, please reconsider. Thank you for your testimony. I'm not seeing Amanda Adney come forward, um, and then so Amanda Adney and then Catherine Augustin, please. Catherine Augustin, you're here, please come forward.

Welcome, you have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready.

Thank you. Good evening, members of the board and Superintendent Bryant. My name is Amanda Adney. I am a school nurse here to advocate for student health and safety by maintaining one nurse, one school. School nursing is far more than ice packs.

We manage complex conditions like diabetes, life-threatening allergies, and seizure disorders. In an emergency, seconds are not just time, they are heartbeats. Under a regional model, a nurse that may be absent 1 to 2 days a week. That is a liability this district cannot afford to take. At my school, we do not have a counselor.

A visit to my office may start as a tummy ache, but through presence and trust, I discover the root cause. It's bullying, it's test anxiety, or it's the silent grief of a student who recently lost a parent. If I'm split between buildings, those tummy aches go untreated. The trauma goes unnoticed and students are sent back to class in distress. The current model, one nurse, one school, is about prevention and trust.

I know my students' baselines. I am a consistent thread in the threat. I am a consistent thread in the fabric of my school's community. When you regionalize care, you turn a healthcare provider into a ghost. You lose the relationships and early intervention that keep kids in class and ready to learn.

I urge the board to prioritize student safety over budget cuts. I am not the only one with this concern. To show our collective commitment to student health, I ask my fellow student nurse— school nurses in this— in the audience to please stand. And now I invite all parents and staff who stand with school nurses to please stand with us. Board members, the community standing before today are the heartbeat of our schools.

You are voting on the safety and well-being of every child these people represent. Do not trade their safety for regional model. Choose the standard our children deserve— one nurse, one school. Thank you for your testimony. That's seeing Catherine Augustin.

Our next two speakers are Catherine Wheelis and Lisa Smith Feigl.

Catherine Wheelis, Lisa Smith Feigl.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Good evening. My name is Catherine Wheelis, and I have 4 children in the Anchorage School District, 3 at Kincaid and 1 at Mears. I came here tonight with a speech prepared to advocate for my child. It was all typed up on this piece of paper, um, for my child with type 1 diabetes. To keep the one nurse, one school model.

Her life quite literally depends on it every day. However, tonight, as the regional nursing model was proposed, I made a shift in what I want to say. The way it was laid out tonight, it appears each school with type— with each school with a child with type 1 diabetes will have a full-time nurse. I hope that moving forward, whatever cuts have to be made, each diabetic has a full-time nurse If not, you'll be hearing from me again. However, I do see major weaknesses in the regional nursing model.

My daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a few months into kindergarten. She was 5.

The steady hand of an experienced and familiar nurse made that terrifying, terrifying time manageable for my child and myself. Most one type— most type 1 diabetics are diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 9 years old. Another peak in diagnosis occurs between the ages of 11 and 13. Those children cannot manage their diabetes on their own.

And diagnosis can be quick. My daughter was diagnosed on a Tuesday and was back at school the following Monday. As the school year goes by, each year your number of diabetics will increase, so you can set your full-time nurses up at each school at the beginning of the year based on the need in August, and that need will only increase, shift, and change. The model you proposed, proposed is not a solution. It is a ticking time bomb.

One nurse, one school is the only equitable option for our kids. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. If we could have Norman Beasley come forward, and then welcome, you have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Thank you very much. Thank you to the school board for taking this time to listen to our testimonies. My name is Lisa Fiegel, and I'm a parent of a 4th grader at Denali Montessori, and I'm also the co-president of our PTSA. I'm here to ask you to preserve our 6th grade program at Denali Montessori. Our community was shocked to hear on Friday afternoon about the ASD proposal to cut 6th grade.

We had no notice. We had very little time to mobilize, but here I am. Denali Montessori is an alternative program that expands the choices that ASD offers to families. The Montessori curriculum is intentionally designed around a 3-year cycle, and that's backed by research. In upper elementary grades 4 through 6, students progress through a carefully sequenced academic and developmental arc work, and 6th grade is the capstone.

It— and removing it would interrupt our curriculum at its most critical point. 6Th graders at Denali, they're leaders, they're mentors in our school, and they receive the socio-emotional benefits of the stable, caring environment. And also, our 6th graders get recess. As a person who is regularly substituting at middle school, I can guarantee you that those kids would benefit from some recess.

It is unclear to us what possible cost savings, if any, would come from eliminating our 6th grade program. I mean, why is it even on the list? Our current upper elementary students have above normal growth percentiles. The data shows we're doing great things. Removing a single grade level from a high-performing Montessori school will not meaningfully close a budget gap, but the closure would have significant impact on students and families who deliberately chose our curriculum.

We believe in parent choice. Thank you for your consideration. Also, please make middle school 7 periods. And thank you for your testimony. Our next 2 speakers are Shannon Methy and Amanda Thompson, who will be joining us over the phone.

Okay, um, Miss Thompson isn't with us tonight, so Mike Gruntz, please come forward. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. I'm not used to doing this sitting down.

My name is Shannon Methy. I'm, uh, head rifle coach at West High School, uh, and I'm here to talk about sports in general, rifle specifically. Excuse me. I also teach economics, so I'm going to go at this from that lens. Um, grades, graduation rates, attendance rates, competency rates— that is the gross domestic product of Anchorage School District, or it should be.

That is what we produce. That is what we do. Economics informs us that there's a multiplier effect for every dollar that is injected into the economy, either through government spending, private investment consumer spending is multiplied as it travels through the, the economy, the economic circle of activity. Sports in general, rightfully, is what my concern is with sports in general, is that multiplier. When I look at my classroom, my students, the students who are involved in extra activities, whether it be sports or whatever, have higher attendance rates, higher completion of assignments better grades.

These are the goals that I think that, you know, these educators and you as the board are aligned on. And I feel like eliminating those are counterproductive. And as far as absorbing rifle into ROTC, I was kind of shocked to hear that. Um, have you talked to ROTC about that yet? And one of those things is that my whole team would have to enroll in ROTC classes for the semester to be able to participate in Rifle Read ROTC.

Um, 4 of my students, my 21, are already members of ROTC program at West. The other 17 are not. If they wanted to be in ROTC, they would have joined ROTC. A couple of the schools in the district, the ROTC program doesn't have a competitive rifle team anyway. So I'm not sure how that's going to work, and I see that I'm out of time, so I thank you for your time this evening.

Thank you for your testimony. We'll hear from Miss Amber Sides after Mr. Grunsen. She's available via telephone. I welcome you. 2 Minutes, Mr. Grunsen, please begin when you're ready.

Thank you, and that was a bang-up talk. Um, good afternoon. Thank you for allowing me to speak respectfully. I'm now going to address the only people here that can solve the crisis that we have placed ourselves into. Hello, fellow voters.

Congratulations on achieving exactly what we voted for. We have plenty of blame to go around. We can blame the school board, who has some of the most amazing data around and saw this problem coming 10 years ago, yet is still dithering about closing a couple of buildings. We can blame our governor, who in his 8 years in office has presided over the largest cuts to education and decline of student scores in Alaska history. We can blame Dena Defund Education Bishop.

She spent her entire career at ASD advocating for increasing funds for our school, for our children, and then immediately started stabbing in them in the back the moment she became the Commissioner of the Department of Education. Let's pass some blame to our Revenue Department and its Commissioner Dale Crum. We went from collecting an average underpayment of oil royalties of $200 million a year annually to $200,000 last year. $200 Million, that might fix some little problems we have. How about our do-nothing legislature that passed a whopping 32 bills last year?

Way to do your jobs. The least amount of legislative branch action of any legislator in the United States. But the real blame is right here. It's us, all of us that cast votes with our permanent fund dividend in mind and not our children or our state. Those of us who are too scared to vote for a Democrat because we always voted Republican, or vice versa.

Ooh, scary. It's just cowardice. The real blame is the short-sightedness of Alaskans who proclaim we don't care how they do it in the lower 48 while keeping our hands for that sweet, sweet welfare check. So let's stop wasting time. It's time to hold the governor and the legislature accountable for their inaction.

Thank you for your testimony. We'll ask Shoko Takahashi to come forward as well as Miriam Walker, and then we'll go to the phone for Amber Sides. Ms. Sides, please press star 6 to unmute and you can begin when you're ready. You have 2 minutes.

Good evening. I am—. Sorry, we're transitioning to the phone really quick for one testifier, then we'll come back to you. Am I unmuted now? You are.

You have 2 minutes, please begin when you're ready. Okay, my name is Amber Sides and I have a daughter in kindergarten at Winterberry Charter School. I wish I could be so lucky as to be here to raise advocacy for my child to be able to play a sport or engage in an art at school, but I am not. I am here to advocate for my child to simply stay safe at school. I'm not going to bore you with the details of just how complex her type 1 diabetes diagnosis is, because the reality is, is if you cared about keeping kids safe at school, nursing models wouldn't be slated in the same category of budget cuts as arts and sports.

Switching to a regional nursing model is not the best or the right choice. It does not work, not for the overall well-being and safety of medically complex kids who fight every single day a battle greater than you could ever imagine just to have a chance at a normal life. Every single ASD nurse plays a critical role in our school district. They take on the role of a caregiver to our medically complex kids. I encourage you to treat the nurses as if they saved your life once, because that is what they do for my kid every single day.

We need one nurse in one school. Have you really thought about the liability and the risk the school district will put themselves in if a non-medical staff assumes responsibility for the monitoring and care of a medically complex child in the absence of a nurse. My daughter's baseline is death every single minute of every single day. She deserves a consistent full-time nurse to keep her safe at school so that she can learn along with her peers. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony.

Good evening. I am a teacher at Sunlake and Chugach Optional Elementary Last week, my 5th grade student draw a jellyfish on the black paper using oil pastel. Student learned how to blend pastels. The technique we went through together created a transparent effect that made their drawing looks like real jellyfish growing in a dark ocean. I witnessed their surprise and excitement at what they created.

Achieve. Another week, my 3rd and 4th grade created Vincent van Gogh study night using painting and collage technique. Students learned about art history, the artist, studied his painting style, and discussed how color and line could express their feelings. When they finished the project, I heard a student say, "I never thought I could actually make this famous painting, just like Vincent van Gogh. Many students were amazed by what they could do.

Art and music teachers are not just teaching technique from their curriculum. We can bring out what students might have inside of them, things they never thought they could be capable of. Younger children need to see or discover the possibility within themselves. Art and music teachers have magic in their hands when they are in their field. I studied art education for 4 years in New York.

I have been taking many art classes and workshops for the past 20 years to improve myself as an art educator and also artist so I can give my best to my students. I teach art at 2 schools, but I have a great relationship and trust with my students because what I do— staying one school wouldn't create strong relationship with student if I teach music. Thank you so much. Thank you for your testimony. Not seeing Miriam Walker come forward, our next two speakers are Caitlin Poindexter and Sarah Sundberg.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

My name is Caitlin Poindexter. I'm a health teacher at Denali Montessori and Campbell STEM. I have 600 students and 28 classes between both schools. I have the opportunity to teach and learn from every student in each of my schools. As a first-year elementary school specialist, I have had the opportunity to get to know the value of Montessori and STEM from a teacher's perspective.

At Denali Montessori, my 3rd graders and 6th graders are the leaders in my classroom. They are in their, they are in their 3rd year with their general education teacher and help guide and teach the students in the grades below them and bring them up. They are an integral part of the success of our school. I have one upper elementary class that does not have 6th graders. They have fewer leaders in the class.

I manage more behavior and I teach less content. It is not Montessori at its best because it is incomplete. Campbell STEM is the only nationally accredited elementary school in the national— STEM is the nationally certified elementary school in the state of Alaska for STEM. Alaska is a STEM state. A large part of our workforce is engineering.

—This majority of my friends. Our local engineering firms are recruiting outside of Alaska because our universities are not graduating enough engineers for our Alaska workforce. Campbell STEM is fostering future engineers starting in kindergarten. Students at Campbell STEM learn the scientific model and the engineering design model and have two amazing STEM labs at their disposal. I have seen—I've been able to experience what this means.

My Campbell STEM students are deep thinkers. They ask insightful questions. I have said I appreciate how you think more times than I can count. Campbell STEM students are doing great things. They are creative, engaging, and outside-of-the-box thinkers.

They make me hopeful for our future. Closing— Campbell STEM cutting Denali Montessori 6th graders is not what is best for our students. Thank you for your testimony. If we could have Teddy Harris come forward, please. Welcome.

You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Um, hello. It's on, or— okay. Uh, my name is Sarah Sundberg, and I have 2 children who attend Campbell STEM Elementary School. Um, I read that the reason for the possible closure of my son's school was stated as an excess to ASD's needs. The statement left me questioning what need is measured as an excess.

If it's financial excess, the closure would only save the school district about $900,000, a mere 1/100th of the current deficit. The community and personal needs, however, those aren't measurable. My son's aspiration to become a robotics engineer was born long before he ever stepped foot inside of a school. He saw a video on online of Boston Dynamics dancing robots and knew instantly that engineering was his destiny. Naturally, I was so excited that our neighborhood school happened to be STEM certified.

It is in fact the only public ASD elementary school that holds a STEM certification, and it doesn't make sense to close the only school that can provide a strong foundation for students interested in science and technology. ASD even recognizes the need for STEM on its website, and I quote, because career opportunities for graduates are increasing in STEM fields, exposure to STEM learning is emphasized in the K through 12 curriculum. If the district decides to close my boy's school, it snuffs out hope and opportunity for so many kids like him, an opportunity that can't be offered at any other ASD elementary school. My boys love their school and its unique and innovative integration of science and technology technology into everyday lessons. Lastly, but definitely not least, they love the educators and the staff they've come to know and trust over the last 5 years.

Campbell STEM isn't just a school, it's become an essential and irreplaceable part of our community, one that would be dissolved if the doors were to close. Please consider what Campbell STEM means to our families and our community. There is no measurable amount of excess worth the loss of our school. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony.

Our next two speakers, and I'm seeing Teddy Harris come forward, are Miles Dennis and Dr. Laura Moore.

Okay, Dr. Laura was telephonic, but she's since logged off. So, um, Miles Dennis and then Allison Pasquin, please come forward. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Good evening, members Members of the board, my name is Miles Dennis. I'm a commercial fisherman and I'm the head coach of the Chugiak High School cross-country ski team. I'm an ASD skiing and running alum, and I'm here to voice my opposition to the cutting of ASD sports, specifically Nordic skiing, and to voice my concern about what this decision will mean for the mental health of ASD kids.

I do not know if I would be here without skiing man and sport, but I don't think that I would be. Having lived with chronic depression for most of my life, I cannot emphasize how much this sport has done for me in this regard. Throughout my childhood, skiing and running became the place where I found community, where I connected to the place we live, and where I made some of the most meaningful relationships of my life— I mean, uh, relationships that I continue to benefit from to this day. I now get to see this happening with the kids on the high school team that I coach. I believe they are better off for sport, and I have to believe this because it is obvious in what I see every day.

I see them making connections with themselves and with others. I see them supporting each other through disappointment and difficulty. I see them building a community and becoming a part of it, and most of all, I see them finding joy through sport. In a time when depression and anxiety is rising in children, where children are feeling unprecedented levels of social disconnection and isolation, and in a state with the highest rate of youth suicide, one of the worst things that I can imagine doing is taking away sport, specifically a sport that gets kids outside moving and playing during the darkest part of the year. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony. Good morning. If we could have Christine Kell come forward. Welcome. You have 2 minutes.

Please begin when you're ready. Good evening. My name is Ali Paskin. This is my 10th year as an elementary school secretary. It is a full-time job.

At Aurora, our nurse on average sees 40 school nurse-related contacts a day. One day last week, in addition to the student that needs hourly checks, the student that gets tube fed, and the more than half dozen students that take meds during the day, The nurse also managed a broken bone at recess and a seizure on top of the other ailments that came into her office. As a secretary, none of this is in my job description. I have no medical training. I don't even have to be CPR and first aid certified to do my job.

The front office staff is not a substitute for a full-time nurse. Losing our dedicated school nurse will impact attendance. I don't have the medical training to determine who should or shouldn't be sent home. Students will miss instruction time and will lose educational growth by not being in class. Losing our school nurse will impact financial stability of our families.

Parents will have to leave work to pick up students and stay home with them, losing income and adding an unnecessary financial strain. Also, ambulance transport could cause financial ruin. Losing our school nurse will impact military readiness. Active duty parents leave their duty stations more often, resulting in the unit's inability to, to be ready to do their jobs protecting our country. And when a serious medical emergency is mismanaged— because it will be, because front office staff are not medical professionals— what is our fate?

I don't want to live with that kind of pressure or guilt. The legal ramifications for the district and for me personally could be devastating. I invite the school board as well as the ASD leadership to spend a few hours in the front office. See how a front office runs, the tasks we do, the projects we manage, the large number of staff, students, family members, and community we interact with. Running a front office is a full-time job in of itself.

Trying to make us nurses also is unrealistic and dangerous. One nurse, one school. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. We could have Adelaide Schilling come forward, please.

Adelaide Schilling, welcome. You have 2 minutes. 2 Minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Uh, good evening, members of the board. My name is Christine Kaup. As a parent of 2 thriving Campbell STEM students and a future third, I respectfully urge you not to close Campbell STEM Elementary. Campbell is not a traditional neighborhood school. It is the only STEM-certified elementary program in Alaska where students build collaborative and problem-solving skills, creativity, and critical thinking.

This is exactly the kind of program that helps the district retain families. Families intentionally chose Campbell STEM's program. Closing it would disrupt learning continuity, break trusted teacher relationships, and undermine confidence in district commitments. The only rationale for closure was facility disruptions and maintenance needs, but Anchorage voters already approved an approximately $11.5 million bond package specifically for renovations at Campbell, uh, with work scheduled to begin this summer. That tells us 3 things: the district identified Campbell STEM as worthy of investment, the community supported improving it, and a solution to facility concerns is already underway.

Closing the school after voters approved those improvements creates a clear contradiction between community direction and district action. Utilization has also been cited as a primary driver for right-sizing. Public statements indicate Campbell operates at roughly 74% capacity. However, district data shows dozens of other schools are operating below 70% and even below 60%. If right-sizing is primarily about utilization, the numbers show we should continue to invest in Campbell STEM, and it should remain open.

Finally, I'm deeply concerned about the timeline of this process. Families were given just 4 days notice of the proposed closure with no supported analysis, data, or reasoning. A decision affecting students' voter-approved investments in our specialized program deserves a transparent and deliberate process. Please protect programs that retain families. Please honor voter-approved investments, and please do not close Campbell STEM Elementary.

Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two in-person testifiers are— not seeing Adelaide Schilling come forward— Donna Yeats and Aaron Reese. Please come forward.

Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

My name is Donna Yates and I work at Fire Lake. For the third time, I respectfully urge you to reconsider the proposed closure of Fire Lake. Closing this neighborhood school to make room for a charter school would have significant and lasting consequences for our community's most vulnerable students. Students and families. Fire Lakes, the only school in the area that provides free meals to all students.

Eliminating a school that guarantees food security for every child would harm our families who struggle financially. I spoke with student nutrition today and was told that there's no guarantee that Eagle River Elementary will be a CEP school next year since the state makes that decision in May. Fire Lake is the only school in the area with structured learning classes. We serve of students who require additional academic, behavioral, and emotional supports. Relocating this program would disrupt critical routines and relationships.

These students struggle with transitions within our four walls. Imagine what happens when you tear those walls down. Balancing the budget by closing economically disadvantaged schools in favor of charter schools raises serious concerns about equity. Neighborhood public schools are obligated to serve all students regardless of income level, disability status, or academic performance. Repeated efforts to shut down the same neighborhood schools create a perception that the voices of families and community, community members are not being heard.

Trust between the district and the community is fragile. Moving forward with another closure attempt reinforces a narrative that economically disadvantaged schools are viewed as expendable. Budget challenges are real, but solutions should not come at the expense of students who rely most heavily on public education services. I respectfully ask the board to explore alternative cost-saving strategies that do not involve closing Fire Lake. You've saved us twice.

Please save us a third and final time. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two in-person speakers are Mark Anthony Norman and Cynthia Dedabla, please come forward. And then we'll head to the phone for Michelle Geidel.

Uh, please, if you look like you're unmuted, you can— you have 2 minutes. Begin when you're ready.

So, Michelle, if you're with us online, you're unmuted. Please begin when you're ready. You have 2 minutes. Okay, can you hear me? I can, please proceed.

Okay, my name is Michelle Guidal. I am the parent of two children at Denali Montessori. One kiddo is a current fifth grader and my other kiddo is a first grader, and our family has been a part of this school for almost six years. I am testifying to you today to urge you to keep sixth grade at Denali Montessori. I do so because the Montessori Montessori program was one that fit our children well, and knowing that they would have a consistent and stable educational environment.

With the Montessori option, 6th grade is the culmination of a progression along an arc of development in which they build foundations, they deepen understanding and become leaders, and removing it removes this progression. I have seen firsthand the growth and progression of my 5th grader And if 6th grade is removed from our school, she will not have the opportunity to become a leader. She won't have the opportunity to finish building her foundation or deepen her understanding of topics. Removing 6th grade from Denali will greatly impact the children and the children, uh, the children that they learn to lead. Please remember and consider our current 5th graders came into the school system during the COVID pandemic.

So they were essentially already robbed of much of their first year of elementary as kindergartners. Keeping 6th grade at Denali gives some of this lost time of elementary back to those students. So I urge you again to retain 6th grade at Denali Montessori to keep the integrity of a full Montessori program intact. Again, I thank you for your time. Thank you for your testimony.

Not seeing Cindy Detaplan come forward. Terry Wood, please, if you're still with us, come forward. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Thank you. Hello, my name is Mark Norman. I'm a father of my son Wyatt Norman. He attends Campbell STEM. I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska.

I'm a product of ASD, and I'm a homeowner, homeowner that lives in walking distance of Campbell STEM. This decision directly impacts my family, my neighbors, my students, my neighborhood and my community. Campbell is a fully functioning neighborhood school serving real families. It should be treated— it should not be treated as an expendable line item. We were notified, and in less than 2 weeks the board is going to schedule the vote.

A vote of this magnitude and that timeline is insufficient. Families have not had adequate time to review the financial justification, submit public record requests, receive those responses, and independently examine the numbers before a final vote. This closure was placed on the same agenda as other major proposals affecting nursing and school sports. Each of those issues, uh, deserve focused discussion, so it's unfair that we're all bunched into this one meeting, as we can see by the timeline that we're on. Closing a neighborhood school has lasting consequences for children, families, and surrounding community.

Campbell should not be closed. Do not move forward. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next in-person speaker is Holly Veloso.

Holly Veloso, if you're with us, please come forward. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Um, I'm not great at this, so here we go.

Um, I've worked with the Anchorage School District for nearly 19 years, and I'm also the parent of 4 adult children who went through Anchorage schools, including alternative, charter, neighborhood, and homeschool programs. You've heard a lot of people speak tonight, all with valid testimony, but less than a year ago, the Anchorage School District Communications Department used Campbell Stem Elementary as the face of Prop 1 capital improvement bond proposition, and 30,614 voters spoke to you with their vote and chose to remodel Campbell Stem. I understand the value of school choice. I have also personally seen that many alternative programs often draw academic economically advanced students and economically affluent families to pursue options outside their neighborhood schools. For me, to see Rokoshula with a budget reserve of $1.6 million, the ability to fundraise $50,000 in one auction evening, and a population of 84% not economically disadvantaged students being suggested as a recipient of a district building and potential recipient of a $19 million remodel while also suggesting to repurpose the voter-approved $11 million from Campbell STEM.

Dissolving Campbell STEM's alternative program, which is an alternative program as voted by this board and which currently serves around 350 students, 60 to 70% of those considered economically disadvantaged, is a hard pill to swallow for many Campbell STEM students. This program is a life and future-changing unique educational opportunity. Closing the Campbell STEM building would also result in all students' loss of the $40,000 outdoor learning lab at Wolverine Park and to the students' regular access to and use of our ice rink, man, maintained by our school staff and parent community, and the funds spent on the roof replacement over the last 2 summers, a complete waste. While not covering the full remodel, would the $11 million cover critical upgrades to Campbell STEM? If not, and another solution is required.

Why is Campbell STEM Alternative Program being dissolved rather than relocated like all other charter schools or alternative programs have had to go? Thank you for your testimony. Um, we could have Erin Day come forward. Erin Day again. Erin Day, welcome.

You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Hi, my name is Holly Veloso. I'm here to speak on behalf of Campbell STEM.

Campbell STEM is not just another neighborhood school. It is the only STEM-certified elementary school in this district. Families lottery into this school, and many parents have purchased homes in this neighborhood specifically because of Campbell STEM. I originally had my daughter in another lottery school and actually pulled her because we found out how awesome that our neighborhood school is.

If $11 million is the average deferred maintenance across the district, which we learned tonight, I question why one of our strongest academic schools is being targeted. From a financial standpoint, the proposal makes very little sense. Campbell STEM spends about $20,000 per student. Willow Creek, that we possibly propose to switch to, about $25,000 per student. Gladys Campbell's Woods spends nearly $30,000 per student.

Based on the district's own proposed student transfers, Campbell STEM is saving the district over $2.2 million. Even more concerning, the district has acknowledged that closing Campbell does not create significant cost savings over a 5-year period. So we are being asked to lose an exceptional, high-performing, cost-effective school for very little benefit. This is not responsible stewardship. Campbell's success is not accidental.

It comes from strong leadership by Dr. Witt and an incredible group of teachers, many who've been there over 15, 20 years, who produce excellent academic results with fewer resources. Many of these teachers live in the neighborhood, mentor students beyond the classroom, and invest in this community all year long. This collective group is not easily replaced once it would be dispersed. It also feels deeply unfair to take away grants specifically designed— designated for our STEM school, especially when Campbell has nearly— has a nearly 90% attendance rate because students love going there.

The process itself is troubling. Our neighborhood has had no warning until we received a Friday afternoon notice 4 days ago. Over.

Thank you for your testimony. Uh, Aaron Day is next. Next, followed by Imre Manyoki. Imre Manyoki, please welcome. You have 2 minutes.

Please begin when you're ready. Hi, my name is Sherry Smay. I'm reading on my counterpart at Fire Lake, Aaron Day. Hello, my name is Aaron Day. I really love math.

If you ask my husband, he'd also tell you I love math. He'd tell you I'm a terrible public speaker— accurate— but he'd likely say one of my biggest strengths is how much research and tenacity I can put into an argument. Fire Lake was put on the chopping block in fall of '24 because of a very archaic calculation of determining a school's building capacity. On an enrollment spreadsheet, Fire Lake looked small. A friend of mine stated she wished we could share the building with the charter school.

She saw the district's data stating that we are at 48%. But I love math and a good argument. That is true. Our SLC program is very specialized. It requires numerous classrooms.

To calculate how full our school is, you need to understand the students and program needs. For gen ed and sped classroom spaces, we have 18 of 25 classrooms being utilized. That's 72% of our building. Some might laugh at that number, but I would then educate them on the growth that is happening in Eagle River. Carroll Creek subdivision would be walking distance with approximately approximately 130 homes.

Closing our school means all those new students would be bused 2.4 miles to Eagle River Elementary. Across the highway, 1.4 miles, are parents who come to our school for their polling location, but their 79 kids are bused 4 miles north. Basic math shows boundary lines need to be updated. Closing our school will increase transportation costs. Moving SLC to Alpenglow will have a domino effect on middle school SPED programs, issues the administration hasn't even been upfront about.

What looks like a small move is far more negatively impactful. Firelake is where I found purpose, and it's the community I want to continue to serve for decades to come. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Is there a Barry Kwan present?

If so, please come forward. Welcome. You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Ready?

I'm supposed to press the button? Yep, you're live. Okay, uh, first off, I'd like to say that, um, I agree with the nurses in the sense that, um, the, uh, the cuts to the nursing program don't sound Good. It sounds like, uh, the kids are having a reduction in safety. I think safety should be, you know, a number one priority.

Uh, if you can't keep the kids safe, then, you know, then that, that's just a bigger problem than the educational issues, I think. Um, but my main, uh, reason for being here is because I've been, um working, applying my skills in science and engineering to, uh, develop methods to improve the educational process, the quality and the efficiency of the overall process. I've been looking for ways to apply that to the school district and make substantial improvements to the overall functioning of the public school system. But the problem seems to be that, you know, I was under the impression that the school board was, you know, in charge of the system, but it seems like the school board's being handled financially by the state and federal governments. So it seems like there needs to be some substantial legislation to You know, the cuts are very taxing to the students.

They're not allowed to vote, so that's called taxation without representation. And whether it's litigation or legislation, something needs to be done so that these kids' futures are locked in and not having to chisel away at their freedom. Thank you for your testimony. Testimony. Welcome.

You have 2 minutes. Please begin when you're ready.

Good evening. Um, I thought I won't have a chance, but yeah, here you go. So, um, I'm here to provide some data why we should keep the Campbell School. Last year, the Campbell got overall proficiency of 41%, suppressing the district's average of 35%, and it's the only one to show double-digit growth of 16%. And the current proposing relocating 120 20 students to Willowcrest, where the 3rd grade proficiency is being cut in half.

Campbell got 40%, and we're going to drop them to 15%. Willowcrest is a target support school. Moving our students over there to a target support school is irresponsible. Education is more important than just money saving, and moving them there, it's not good. And for the enrollment, the significant decline enrollment is not quite true on the data.

Over the 5 years trend, uh, the loss is only like 3.6%, and this year we saw a 6.8% increase. And also we have over 50 students in the Pre-K program, and they are going to stay, and we will have a rise. And for capacity, Campbell is at 73%, higher than many schools in the district. And then without the 6th grade move away, possibly possible. We may be around like average 85%, it's pretty utilized.

And then the rest of the paper from my thing is, um, really well talked about, about the school, like the model and stuff. But I really want to say is that saving the $2.2 million or something like that, but we need to gamble 345 students' future, it doesn't make sense. And then we only got like 3 days to look in the data, and then that's all we got. It's not fair to the students at Campbell. Please reconsider saving the school.

Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Members of the board, it is now 11:59. We have only 5 testifiers remaining. My intention is to add the remainder of our agenda and our 5 remaining testifiers to our agenda on the 24th, and those individuals can choose to come testify or they can submit written comment.

Aside from that, our agenda is set. Um, only written testimony will be offered on that evening. With that said, it is now midnight, and by code we must adjourn. Thank you.