2/9/2026: School Board Meeting

001recording in progress. dog. Test test test. Yes. Yes. So, really quickly, if I could have everybody's attention, it's going to be a full house tonight. Once we get all the seats filled, that's 219. Once it's filled, we'll have people sit out there um once they're done with the lists here. So, just something to think about. All our exits are on this side. There are no exits on this side. The exit in the back the parking lot and try and count noses if we can. Other than that, um if you could remember not to clap if you can so we can get through all testimony because everybody deserves to be heard. And other than that, you guys have a good night and thank you for being here. Good evening. We'll call this special meeting of the

002ASD school board to order. Today is February 9th, 2026 at 6:01 p.m. here in the boardroom. Present are members Jacobs, Bellamy, Donley, Hollowman, Lessons, and Wilson. And online, I believe we have member Higgins. member Higgin should be joining us online and I'll announce when he arrives. We have called ourselves to order and engage on a roll call. Um, student representative Madison, would you please lead us in the flag salute and then the land acknowledgement to the standice. We acknowledge that we gather here today on the traditional lands of the Dina people of the upper Cook Inlet. For thousands of years, the Dina people have been and continue to be 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

003and learn in our community. >> Thank you, Madison. We want to welcome you to our meeting and thank you for attending and supporting the work. Our >> point of order Donley, your point of >> um we did the land acknowledgement, but we didn't do a roll call. >> Um I announced the roll call. It's everyone but member Higgins. I >> Okay. So, is Member Higgins not going to be able to attend then? I'm not sure at this time he announced he would be attending online, but I at this point I can't announce him as attending because he's not with us. >> Okay, >> member Higgins joined us at 6:03 p.m. Uh, moving back to our agenda, we want to welcome you to our meeting and thank you for attending and supporting the work of the

004Anchorage School District and this board. The board thanks students, parents, teachers, staff, school business partners, and the entire community for your investment in our district with your time, your talent, and your tax dollars. There is a agenda in front of us for adoption. Is there a motion to approve the agenda as drafted? >> Move to approve the agenda presented. >> Second. >> Motion made by member Hullman, seconded by member Bellamy. Is there any opposition to adop adopting the agenda as amended? Yes. >> Drafted. >> U Miss Sullivan, could you um please call a voice vote on the approval of the agenda? >> Can we speak to the opposition? >> I'm not sure if approval of an agenda is debatable motion. Let me research really quick. >> Okay. U member D. It looks like it's debatable.

005Um so if you have debates about a motion to adopt our agenda, you're welcome to speak. >> Yeah, I'm just concerned about the timing of this meeting. Seemed like it was very short notice to the public. I'm glad so many people are actually here tonight. Congratulations on all of you for taking the time to be here. Um, but it does seem like it was unnecessarily an emergency meeting and that it's something that could have been handled in a regular course of business or with at least a couple more days of notice to the public. >> Yeah, thank you. Member Donley, I can speak to the timing of the meeting. administration asked for as much time as possible to take action based on this resolution if the board were to approve it. And um all the

006resolution which is our sole agenda item tonight um directs administration to do is to perform research and draft a proposal. Um in addition to future work in both later this school year and next year. Uh in addition, it offers an opportunity for the public to provide comments on our overall budget. So I think increased public engagement is appropriate and if we didn't approve our agenda, there's a risk of us not taking public testimony um tonight. And so um I would encourage approval of the agenda and if there's other discussion on the agenda, members are welcome to speak. >> I would move to amend the agenda. I would delete the resolution that appeared under action items but include the public comment portion so that the public can comment on anything they might wish to comment on

007tonight. >> Is there a second to that motion? Seeing none, that motion fails. Miss Sullivan, seeing no other members who wish to speak, a voice vote on the motion to approve the agenda, please. Student Representative Madison. >> Yes. >> Member Lessons. >> Yes. >> Member Bellamy. >> Member Hollowman. >> Yes. >> Member Wilson. >> Yes. >> Member Donley. >> No. >> Member Higgins. >> No. >> Representative Jacobs. >> Yes. Agenda is adopted by 522. move on to public comments. Welcome to the board's only opportunity for public comment this evening. We have set aside a time slot uh to hear from the public and during this period of time uh the board will not engage in discussion with members of the public. This is your time to speak and our uh your time to speak and

008our time to listen. The school board welcomes the public to observe and contribute to our meetings through their comments. However, to be productive, our meetings must be structured and civil. We utilize Robert's rules of order, uh, which has stipulations including do not attack a member or speaker's motives. Please no profanity profanity or file language. Please refrain from disturbing the meeting. No cheering, applause, outbursts, or waving of signs or posters to ensure we're able to hear from all speakers tonight. And if you have handouts you wish to share with the board, please give them to Miss Sullivan who's seated to my left. We'll rule on issues of decorum as they arise. And thank you for taking to provide testimony to the board. >> Point of order. >> Member Dling. >> Um, typically we have public comment,

009a public comment period where people can comment on anything they want. And then when an action item before it comes up, there's additional opportunity public comment. You said this would be our the public's only opportunity to comment. Tonight, >> we have moved all speakers to the very front of our meeting so we can hear from everyone as soon as possible. >> Thank you. move with our student speakers first. Our first two testifiers this evening are Sophie Dejar and Tyler Dejar. Sophie and not seeing Sophie or Title. We'll move on to uh area of Arya Redme and then Jacob Morris. Jacob Morris, if you're here, please come forward. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Hi, my name is Arya. This is my third time speaking to you. I am in fifth

010grade. My school is Turning Elementary, but I will be attending Robing Middle School next year. First, I want to talk to you about the sixth period school day. I have always wanted to join choir since I was three years old. I finally joined the Turnigan choir in elementary school. I was really looking forward to middle school so I could do fine arts. I just found out that emerging students will not be able to do fine arts. This will mean that lots of emerging students will quit so they can do band, choir, and orchestra. Fine arts is important because it is another way to express your emotions and it improves your math skills. Also, fine arts is fun and it gives you a break from the more stressful classes like reading and math. I'm also sad

011to hear that I will not have access to middle school sports. Middle school sports are important because it's good exercise and great teamwork. Another reason is middle school sports is another way to socialize with people who have the same interest as you. Some sports are outside and it's always good to get fresh air. I'm concerned about some of the changes in elementary school specials. I have a sister in second grade and I want her to have the same experiences I had at tourn. That means having a real music teacher. That is important because the art teach because if the art teacher teaches music, how will we learn to play musical instruments? If the music teacher can't play an instrument, then they can't play music for the choir. I also want my sister to have a

012full two hours of Ignite. If Ignite gets switched to 30 minutes, then students won't get as much done. For example, students won't get to do dissections, brain puzzles, or other challenges. I would appreciate it if um you if you kept these special programs. I hope this will be the last time I talk to you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening. My name is Jacob Morris and I'm a junior at South Anchorage High School. I'm also a wrestler and have been one since I was 7 years old. When people talk about cutting sports, they usually look at numbers on a spreadsheet. What they don't see are the lives behind those numbers. I wouldn't be standing here today without wrestling. Through this sport, I've

013earned multiple state titles and national achievements. But more importantly, I've learned lessons that go far beyond medals. Wrestling taught me work ethic. It taught me how to fail, get back up, work harder than I thought possible. When you're tired, hurt, and still expected to perform, you learn discipline. That mindset didn't stay on the mat. It followed me into the classroom and into my goals for the future. Wrestling also gave me something just as important, relationships. Coaches who pushed me when I didn't believe in myself. Teammates who became family. Those connections shaped who I am, and I wouldn't have them without this program. This isn't just my story. Studies consistently show that students who participate in sports have higher graduation rates, better attendance, and lower rates of risky behavior. Sports give students structure, accountability, and a

014reason to show up, not just to school, but for life. Cutting wrestling and other sports doesn't save a school. It costs it. It costs opportunity. It costs mentorship. It cost students who might otherwise fall through the cracks. For me, wrestling wasn't extracurricular. It was a foundation. And for many students at South Anchorage Wrestling, sports are the reason they stay motivated, focused, and driven. Please don't take that away. Invest in it. Because when you invest in sports, you're invested in students and in futures. Thank you. >> And thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Clayton Reed Maguire and Zane Gerlock. >> Welcome Clayton. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Hello everyone. I am Clayton Magcguire and I'm a senior at South Anchorage High School. I'm a member of the

015wrestling team and have seen the benefits of participating in sports firsthand. I've seen students who are shy and don't really speak up be absolutely changed by participating in sports and I've seen those effects on myself. I've always been fairly outgoing and talkative. But I've learned actual leadership skills through wrestling and it is mostly because those people and I were able to gain confidence by participating in sports. I've also coached at the middle school level and have seen how sports affect those students. They're able to gain confidence in themselves. But what I believe is more important is how they learn about who they are. By participating in sports, they were able to develop grit and choose to be people who work hard and keep trying when things aren't easy. Then when they eventually move to high

016school, they can be more confident because they know they fit in with at least one group at the school. Sports would be cut. These benefits would be lost. students who need sports would see them taken away. Now, I want to clarify this cut probably wouldn't affect me. Even if I wasn't graduating, I'm able to get rides from my parents and go to club wrestling practices, but some other kids aren't able to do that. And a lot of kids find their sports in middle school or in high school. Most kids don't have to do it or yeah, most kids have to do it through school because they don't have right opportunities. These budget cuts would affect people unfairly. Last thing I want to clarify is sadly I don't have a solution. I understand that money is

017really tight and a lot of that is out of the ASD's control. My point in talking tonight is to let you know what sports actually do the school district and that cutting them cannot be an option. Please find a way to keep sports alive and encourage. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Hello. My name is Zay Gerlock. I'm a junior at South Anchorage High School and I'm here to encourage the reinstatement of wrestling as a sport in ASD. I could spit out statistics and data about how valuable sports are in high school, how sports give people goals, help them focus, stay out of trouble, and improve mental health exponentially, but everybody has that information. And still, the decision to

018save money over valuing kids' futures remains. So, here's something that's not on a spreadsheet. How it's going to affect high schoolers personally. For me, wrestling has given me uncountable opportunities and has developed traits like discipline, grit, gratitude, and respect. My grades are never higher than during the wrestling season when I have a goal I really care about right in front of me. This motivates me to work harder, not only on the mat, but in the classroom. Here's the bottom line. Without wrestling, me and my parents are going to leave ASD and go to another place in the state with wrestling where they where they care about their students futures. Now, some will argue that um the future your future isn't that greatly impacted without this trivial sport, but that is the farthest from the truth

019possible. Through wrestling, I've been given the opportunity to go to college for free through scholarships. But if wrestling is cut for me and many others, this won't be an option. The college dream won't be affordable, forever changing my future. Without wrestling, I would be limited to trade school or no further education. What motivation do I have to excel in high school? If this is the case for me, getting into high level colleges is what keeps me in AP and dual enrollment classes. If wrestling isn't reinstated, the opportunities and futures of ASD students is at risk. In the reaction, people are going to leave. The high testing athletes, the leaders, and the students with dreams of a future in college sports, they're all going to leave. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next

020speaker is Jaylen Lorenzo. And then if Sophie Dejer is here. Second call for Sophie. >> Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening, members of the board. My name is Jaylen Lorenzo and I'm a junior at Service High School. I've been on the varsity volleyball team since my freshman year and being a student athlete has truly shaped who I am. When I first started high school, I didn't know how hard it would be to balance everything. I joined the biomedical career academy, took AP classes, practiced every day, and helped at home. There were times I felt overwhelmed and unsure if I could keep up. But volleyball gave me something something steady to hold on to. It gave me structure. It gave me motivation. It gave me a reason to push

021myself when things felt heavy. Being a part of this team taught me discipline, time management, and accountability. It taught me that my education comes first and it and that if I want to play the sport that I love, I have to show up in the classroom as well. Volleyball doesn't take away from my academics. It makes me stronger in them. It's also my outlet. When life feels stressful, the court is where I reset. It's where I build my confidence, friendships, and a sense of belonging. It's where I've grown mentally, physically, and emotionally. And I'm not just speaking for myself. I'm speaking for every girl who finds her confidence through this sport. Every girl who learns how to lead, how to work hard, and how to believe in herself. I think about my little sister who's

022in fourth grade. She comes to our games, watches us play, and talks about how she can't wait to wear a service jersey one day. She looks up to us, and I want her and every other girl after her to have the same opportunity to grow, to belong, and to belong, and to discover what they're capable of. Please help protect this program for current and future student athletes because volleyball isn't just a sport to us, it's home. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Um, we have about 10 individuals who signed up just prior to 6 PM and I want to make sure if there are any other students who chose to sign up that we give them the first opportunity as is our practice. So, are there any other students who signed up tonight

023who didn't haven't had a chance to speak? >> Welcome. Um, if you could please state your name for our record and then begin when you're ready. You have two minutes. >> Hi, my name is Allison Coffee and I'm a member of the South Anchorage Wrestling Team and our first female team captain. Wrestling has changed my life. It has forced me to learn about delayed gratification, how to persevere through difficulties, and the value of hard work. The core values of our team this year were unity, gratitude, and discipline. If these were not our if these are not the things we hope to instill in a younger generation, what else can we hope for? As members and wrestlers from the South Bridge wrestling team, we seek to pay forward with many of our wrestlers going on to

024help coach our future teammates at Golden View, positively impacting our community. The idea of cutting cutting middle school sports is absurd. Middle school is a developmental time in a young teen's life. And by taking away school sports, we take away their opportunity to connect with their peers in ways they wouldn't be able to otherwise. Take away opportunities from them to exercise and build healthy habits and take away their opportunities to strengthen their mental health. According to research supported by the National Institute of Health, it is important to consider the extent to which sport participation may protect against symptoms of anxiety and depression. As adolescents who engage in recommended levels of 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activ experience of these symptoms. In a nation where suicide is one of the leading causes of

025death, would it not be important to provide outlets to our youth to ensure them safe spaces and support systems? According to ASD's homepage, you claim to empower students with essential skills and knowledge, preparing them for success in an everchanging world. Ensure that a district graduate graduate will be a fully engaged learner, will be primed for success, career and life skills, will be a strong and confident communicator, comfortable collaborating in a team environment, and will have a positive sense of self and a sense of purpose. Sports teach these lessons in a way that no classroom can ever fully cover. I invite you to consider the negative and harmful impacts that you would create in our community by removing sports from our schools or change your values because they clearly don't align. Thank you. Thank you for

026your testimony. Uh we have one parent of a student who signed up to testify. Kelly Gerlock, are you still with us? Start with our community speakers to be heard. And I want to thank every student who took time to testify this evening. Um our first two community speakers to be heard are Ali Pascin and Crystal Hans. Ali Pascin and Crystal Hans could please come forward. >> Welcome. Could you please state your name for the record then begin when you're ready? You have two minutes. >> Sure. My name is Crystal Hans. >> I'm here to speak in opposition to the proposed closure of the tutor monatory program. Excuse me. Families have been told that the tutor monatory program is not flourishing. Yet we have not been shown clear program specific data to support this claim. Monatory

027programs should be evaluated using long-term student growth, enrollment demand, retention, and the level of support provided, not vague references to overall test scores. What has also been missing from this discussion is fairness. The district's budget deficit did not appear overnight. It has been a known and ongoing issue. When solutions involve closing specific programs or schools, the burden should not fall entirely on a small group of students and families while others remain unaffected. Some children should not be the losers so that others do not have to carry any disruption at all. If right sizing is truly necessary, it should be done thoughtfully and over time through a multi-year transparent process that allows families to plan and minimizes disruption to students lives. What families are seeing now feels less like rational planning and more like sudden uneven

028cuts. We also see evidence of student success that contradicts the claim that this program is not thriving. This year, tutor placed second in the Anchorage Battle of the Books. And of the students in that age group, all but one were monatory students. This reflects a strong reading comprehension, collaboration, and critical thinking skills that this program is divine designed to develop. It is unfair for students, families, and teachers to bear the consequences of decisions made without transparency, adequate support, or shared responsibility. Before moving forward, I urge district to pause this decision, release the data used to justify and engage families in a public, thoughtful process that prioritizes students over speed. Thank you. >> And thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Chelsea Ambrose and Amy Bravik. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin

029when you're ready. >> Hello. My name is Chelsea Ambrose and I teach art at Glattiswood and Concaid Elementary Schools. As you know, ASD is proposing combining elementary music and art into a single fine arts position. While there are many concerns with this proposal, a glaring one being that music and art teachers are uniquely new uniquely prepared to teach our respective disciplines through decades of education, training, and practice. Tonight, I want to focus specifically on the logistical flaws. Currently, no art teachers and maybe one or two music teachers travel during the school day. Even those of us that who those of us are itinerant are scheduled so we don't lose instructional time to travel. Interestingly, rather than reducing itinerency, this proposal would continue ASD's reliance on itinerate positions. Under the new TA, when you account for

030planning PLC time, lunch, and passing, elementary specialists have 1425 minutes per week available for face-to-face instruction. Under ASD's proposal, fine arts teachers would provide two 50inute blocks per class per week or 100 minutes of fine arts for each classroom teacher's prep time. At Concaid alone, I have 15 full classes. That requires 1,500 minutes of fine arts instruction per week, but I only have 1,425 minutes available. So that leaves a shortfall of at least 75 minutes and realistically more since 50-minute blocks required for each class can't be evenly split. To cover that gap, ASD would need to add another itinerant fine arts teacher in addition to another itinerant PE teacher. In other words, this proposal does not reduce itinerency or staffing needs. It increases them while diluting instruction in two distinct, important, and well-loved disciplines. For

031these reasons, I strongly urge the board not to combine elementary music and art. The numbers simply do not add up, and our students deserve better. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening. I'm Amy Brabeck, an educator since 1996 and an ASD employee since 2001. At the end of last week's board meeting, each member shared their thoughts. Thank you, President Jacobs, for bringing up the importance of having courage in this difficult decision-making time. Thank you, Member Hullman, for sharing your decades of insight. What especially spoke to me was about spreading our successes. Take the success we have, excuse me, take the success that we have, moving it forward to the next kid, to the next classroom to the school across town. Along

032with considering consolidations, I'm asking you to be uh courageous and consider not cutting teachers from schools that have high achievement and high growth that so that successes can be shared. With budget cuts that have been proposed by ASD, three teachers will be cut at Chachoptional. That's 27% of our classroom teachers. Trick opt optional was created in 1973 by a group of parents who wanted an alternative learning environment for their children. Tricko has a strong learning community which includes students, teachers, and parents. Our school is a lottery school with a long wait list. Our program is purposefully multi-age with a theme-based model. These themes are teacher created based on Alaska state standards and taught in a two-year cycle and are morphed each year based on the students needs. This model has worked for over 50 years

033and has consistently we've been consistently one of the highest performing ASD schools in growth and achievements. It is essential for our school to have three family group teachers. Two kind groups feeding into three first and second grade groups feeding into three third and fourth groups feeding into three fifth and sixth groups. With these cuts optional will no longer be able to function after 50 plus years of successful high achievement and high growth. We're asking that you sorry I'm jumping um hoping to keep um high growth um and achievement schools intact to keep families in ASD also to keep um our ability to um share with others. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Paul Mcdana and Lesie Boyd. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening,

034school board. My name is Paul Mcdana. Uh my kids go to Chugiak and Mirror Lake Middle School. And for the record, I am a candidate for the school board at CD. Member Hollowman's seat. He's now over here. Um on the ballot for April. And with so much in this budget cycle, I just want to urge that there's a priority system where priority number one is don't cut something that would do developmental harm to any child. And number two, don't take a program and limit its resources to the point that it can't regrow when funds come back. To the first one, developmental harm to any child. We learned how bad that is during COVID and I know this board won't do that again. But the nursing model gives a lot of question to how are we

035going to support kids who need help instantly when there's not a nurse in their school. With that, it does bring some logic to looking at school sizes and the way that nurses can be brought to a fewer number of schools if that is the most sustainable model. But also on the point of no developmental harm, I urge the board to take off the first term of this resolution that retargets two schools that have already gone through this process. The board called it unjust and not the right choice in November and it is still an unjust and not right choice to close Lake Otis or Fire Lake. It's a very difficult process. And so in the spirit of doing no harm to our children, there are many other schools that will benefit from a nurse being

036able to be reassigned and those schools may be worth considering, but please consider the need for the children at Lake Otis and Fire Lake. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Thank you. My name is Leslie Boyd and I am an ASD graduate and parent. I want to start by saying thank you. Listening to the February 3rd schoolboard meeting, it was evident that you all carrying the weight of these budget decisions and their consequences. Member Hollowman, your closing comments at that meeting resonated. You talked about how beautifully unique with schools within our district can be from each other and about putting decisions in the hands of those who know our students by name, but you also talked about spreading our

037successes to other schools. I'm here to talk to you about one of those successes. I'm the parent of two students at Chugatch Optional Elementary. Chu is an alternative public school and the only standalone open optional elementary program in the district. While reviewing the preliminary budget, I was surprised that Chuguatch was not included in the alternative schools category. While the proposed cuts on alternative schools factored in each school's unique program, this was not the case for Chugatch. Page 30 of the budget states reductions or increases at alternative schools are not equally dispersed across each school as such as each operates differently. Staffing for alternative schools is based on programmatic need. Last April, community members representing Chugatch sat in this boardroom and testified, highlighting the unique programmatic differences that define Chugatch as alternative. These differences include an

038intentional model of multi-age classrooms based on precise staffing of 11 classroom teachers, integrated thematic instruction taught across a two-year curriculum cycle, and inquiry based learning through discovery. Our community presented on the fact that Chugach is consistently a high achievement and a high growth program despite its already reduced financial footprint. With our intentional model, the cuts proposed to Chuguatch aren't just a reduction. They will decimate the program. At a minimum, Chuach should be categorized as an alternative school and the same programmatic considerations taken for all alternative schools be applied to Chuguatch during the budgeting process. Beyond that, I encourage you to look at Chug's a successful program that can be a model across the district. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Rebecca Hills and Susan River. Welcome. You have

039two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Hello and thank you for including the community in this important discussion. My name is Becky Hills and I'm a parent of two students at Chugatch Optional Elementary. Under the proposed budget, Chugat would lose three of our 11 teaching positions. that represents 27% of our teachers. That level of reduction would be devastating for our school and would fundamentally undermine the program that has been intentionally built over the past 50 years. The Chugat community showed up last year to share the uniqueness of our model. So, some of this may be familiar. Our multi-year classrooms are not an accident or a convenience. They are purposefully designed. Older students, known as elders, support and mentor the younger students. The youngers have role models to guide them and then in the following

040year they step into the elder role themselves. This progression builds confidence, leadership, and a strong sense of accomplishment. Our curriculum is deeply honed and carefully developed. Students learn through thematic project-based learning that has evolved over the decades. The result is an engaging, meaningful educational experience and one that works. The data supports this. The test scores tell a clear story of success. We understand the extremely difficult position ASD is in with the current deficit and the Chuguatch community is actively advocating at the state level as well. We are not ignoring the broader financial reality. However, I ask that you carefully consider the disproportionate and devastating impact these teacher cuts would have to our unique program. As an optional school with a specialized model, we already operate with limited resources to maintain the exceptional learning environment provides.

041We simply cannot absorb cuts of this magnitude. Please consider the value of this unique program and help pre preserve it for current and future ASD students. Thanks for your time. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Okay, there we go. Good evening, Susan Ritter uh from West High School. Um, I took to heart when you provided this paperwork last week at the last board meeting and went through the preliminary budget and then I also went through the anchored school district uh through deed the number of students from 2425 enrolled. You guys have a tough tough decision to make. Hard hard decisions are to be made. So, I looked at numbers for elementary and high school, middle school. Um, and this 2425 is pretty close to

042the numbers that we currently see. But what I do want to point out is that there are 31 elementary schools that have less than 300 students in it, if this is to be believed. Um, there are eight high schools, six of which have between 1,200 and 1700 students. uh two others have less than 900 students. Uh one of your in your handout or your blurb today, you know, I want you want support and decisions. Uh I learned that service high school years ago was service handsh. And service high school, for example, is our German immersion program at high school. Why not take real shula out of Abbott Loop and put it in the section of service high school that is already a separate school and combine those two schools. So you have K12 German immersion

043separated by steel doors. Um I don't uh take this lightly. I know that there are a lot of issues, a lot of concerns. Um, and I wish you good luck, but um, you do have to make some of these decisions and we've got some com combination of elementary schools that need to be done. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Hannah Johnston and David Hardy. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Hello, my name is Hannah Johnston and I'm the elementary music teacher at Homestead Elementary and this is my 15th year as a music educator in the ASD. As an ASD graduate, I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to come back home and serve the community that supported me. This evening, I'm

044here to speak truth and to advocate for our students and families. I represent dozens of specialists who are the heart of their building. We know every single child that enters our front doors. We know their strengths and we support them in ways that no other subject or discipline can even touch. We build critical relationships with our students and families from that first day of kindergarten through essential music instruction each week to lunchtime clubs, afterchool ensemble, showcases, programs and performances, all of which are now threatened by the latest budget cut proposal. Knowing that my colleagues will be sharing more about the atrocities of creating a single fine arts position, I've instead opted to ask you to consider the impact of the equally atrocious proposal of reducing music to a rotational subject. Simply put, a rotation will

045cause a profound gap in student growth. The proof can be found in the secondary programs. Music is not something that can successfully be taught in a single semester or bi-weekly delivery. There isn't a secondary, semesterly choir, weekly band, or bi-weekly orchestra. These are offered daily because music has to be continually nurtured. Imagine offering algebra for the fall semester and then not coming back to it for seven months. It's unfathomable. The thought of not seeing my students every week is heartshattering. Because of this proposal, we descend into the realm of the have and the have nots. One school will have a veterans program, holiday program, performance, concert, singalong, family night, and others will be completely without. I have cried myself to sleep thinking about dismantling of my own school's musical traditions. The most memorable of my

046own childhood experiences. The decadesl long tradition of a December sing along will be gone. No more students will join arm- arm singing at the top of the lungs or their decadesl long tradition of a hoot nanny bringing parents, grandparents, community into the building to sing and dance with their own children. It will all be gone. Let's not forget the thousands and thousands of dollars in instruments and music room inventory fundraised and supported by my families that will sit on the shelves. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Uh yeah, excuse me. David Hardy, have testified before uh this committee before. Um teacher admin business guy. Uh I want to address just real quick the concept of keeping high performance schools and then cutting low performance

047schools. Like I think that I've heard here So um the performance of a school depends largely a lot of it on the administrative team that's leading that school right and from what I've noticed here at ASD some of the lowest performing schools title one schools have the least experienced admin team at that school. So, as far as this argument about, hey, let's keep the highest performing schools and cut the lowest performing, there's really no weight to that because it's very complex, right? Um, I've worked in title and schools half my career. Um, I've also been principal and a vice principal. This is very, very complex work. So if you think that you um have sent because you've sent your kids to schools or if you teach in schools or if you've went to school that

048you know how schools run that is not the case. This is a very very complex um topic to handle and I will ask the people behind me like has anybody here called the governor's office in the past month? Right? because that's where the money ain't coming from. Okay. Uh we're going to propose a new charter school here. It's called Alaska Tech, by the way. And um I look forward to working with the committee about that. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Misty Nelson. Then there's a Brian spelled B R Yan, but no last name was given. If that's yourself, please come forward. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Hi. Uh, my name is Brian Smith and I I don't envy the decision that you need to

049make. Um, but I do need to let you know what some of the effects of the cuts will be on my little corner of ASD, the um, Whoville on a dustpack that we call Polaris K12 school. Uh I I still get a little misty when I see the seniors welcoming the the high school kids welcoming the kindergarteners and walking them to school at the beginning of the school year and then again at the end of the school year when the the the kindergarteners are parading around school with the seniors as they graduate. There are many reasons why the lottery wait list to get into Polaris is as long as the combined weight list for all the other ASD schools combined. The K12 program really is a gem. It's one of the district's crown jewels and

050it will not survive the proposed cuts. As budgets have been cut over the past decade, we've adapted. Teaching has gotten harder. We've been able to patch together a secondary schedule that provides students with the courses they need to graduate. But we are already at the breaking point. By mutual consent, we have sped teachers teaching sections of language arts and math, building subs covering study halls in rooms we used to have enriching classes. Our school nurse has a hundred other jobs. I don't make the master schedule, but I can't imagine a scenario where the remaining staff will be able to offer high school students the courses they need to graduate. I've been around long enough to know that the pending reductions are not survivable for our program. It's not just stretching a little more. The board,

051the administration, and the public need to understand that these cuts applied as forecast will break our little school. Maybe it becomes Polaris K10 school, maybe a Polaris K8 school. But much of the magic that happens in our multi-age program will be lost. And if budgets should ever increase in the future, this gem will still be broken. This dust will have been well and truly boiled, sterilized without graduates. For now, we are here. Thank you for your testimony. Not seeing Misty Nelson come forward. Our next two speakers are Nerissa Thorson and Jan Gilbert. >> Welcome. Please begin when you're ready. You have two minutes. >> Good evening. My name is Nurissa Thorson and this is my 21st year teaching uh in the Anchor School District. I currently teach elementary art at Trailside, Girdwood, and Inlet View.

052I am here tonight to speak about the proposed changes to elementary specialists, specifically the fine arts position. I earned a bachelor of arts with a major in elementary art education. I spent four years studying art history, studio art, art theory, and completing practicum experiences specifically focused on teaching art to children. I'm sure music teachers have a similar educational journey. We are professionals in our respective fields. At the last board meeting, it was mentioned that professional development could be provided if one person were required to teach both art and music. I want to be very clear, there is no amount of professional development in the in the uh world that could teach me how to sing. No one wants to hear me sing. I do not read music and I do not play an instrument. Um,

053expecting one person to be proficient in teaching both art and music is simply not realistic. As member Bellamy noted last week, uh, you may not have an artist who is also a musician. And that distinction matters when we are talking about effective uh, in instruction for students. I'm also deeply concerned about the lack of a concrete written plan for this proposal. There has been no clear explanation of how this new fine arts position would be structured, implemented, or supported. Um, notably, no art or music specialist or representatives from the fine arts department were included in the team that developed the proposal. If the district is considering a change of this magnitude, art and music educators must have a seat at the table. We work directly with students every day and we know what is effective

054and what best serves our schools. Keep art with art teachers and music with music teachers. I see firsthand every day the impact. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Jam Gilbert, school nurse 14 years. Due to our testimony time being cut to two minutes, I will cut straight to the chase. First, we as school nurses do not agree with being dispersed into a regional model. Miss Bellamy herself asked during last week's work session if school nurses had been consulted and what were our thoughts on the matter. The answer is no. We were not consulted. We were instructed by the director of health mental health that this model was their proposal for us and being the professionals doing the job. Thank you, Miss Belly. We do

055not agree that this is safe or prudent. While a regional model may suffice for services such as counseling, it is not a preferred nursing model. If the board is being maneuvered into accepting this less than effective model of nursing care because it meets a budget number such as cutting 25 school nurses, then meet with us. We are on the same team as you and we will look to rightsize and repurpose within a safe model of nursing care. I know your email boxes are being flooded with emails from my nursing colleagues to provide you with ample data and research to support this testimony. At my elementary school alone, I have already had over 3,000 documented student medical interactions for this school year, and it's only February. If you are adapting the regional model of care, someone

056needs to explain to my parents that their child's health care will be delegated to the front office who will be forced between calling home or calling 911. And secondly, as a parent and a taxpayer, please move forward with rightsizing and repurposing ASD buildings. I encourage you to vote yes tonight on the resolution. It's time to move forward. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Len Winfrey and Sunny Shields. Len Winfrey and Sunny Shields. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Thank you. My name is Len Winfrey, school nurse, and I support this resolution. With respect to our administrators who spent countless hours drafting the initial budget proposal, changing to a regional school model where there is not a nurse in every school, it's less less safe

057and less equitable to students on a daily basis. One nurse, one school is the model recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. I'm going to provide a blank diabetic care from our healthcare services page for your review. Please ask yourself, would you want a non-medical staff overseeing this student's care or overseeing the care of any health concern that could be life-threatening within seconds? A non-medical staff member isn't licensed to assess, plan, or treat and evaluate any injury. Specialized pediatric knowledge and skills are imperative to student safety, improved educational outcomes, and reduced absenteeism. According to combined data through Friday from six schools, student enrollment numbers averaging 250, there have been 14,868 office visits with 92% of these visits resulting in return to class. Put another way, again, in just six schools, students have been able to

058return to class 13,745 times so far this school year with a nurse in the building. Next year, I will be working at least 1190 student contact hours. I hope non-medical staff will need to find 595 hours annually if I work two schools, 893 hours if I cover four schools. Students will be sent home unnecessarily. Absenteeism will increase. Nurse positions can be reduced through school consolidation. In the meantime, students need and deserve one nurse, one school. I appreciate your time and attention. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Thank you, Dr. Brian. And board members, thank you for having us and thank you for the job that you do. I can't imagine being tasked with what you have to decide in the coming weeks. So, thank

059you. I'm an SBS counselor. My name is Sunny. Uh sitebased behavior supports for our kids that have behavior issues and that can only be in self-contained classes. We specialize in forming strong relationships with our students. So in times of crisis, we provide a safe person and a safe place to turn a 2 to three hour escalation into 10 to 15 minutes. The students see us as a person, a constant that will be there every day when needed. They need consistency. They need a full-time counselor. If we take our counselors and work them halftime at two different schools, those crises and evaluations may last all day instead of 10 to 15 minutes. We are the ones who complete suicide risk assessments. Um, and we have plenty of those almost every week. And in my 24th year,

060I've had a handful of suicides. And that is not something anybody wants to be a part of. I ask you to please not cut our positions so that we can be there for those assessments. During any day, we may have 10 to 15 alopments or more and sometimes several of the students will go in different directions. So, we need more bodies and hardly a day goes by where all of our staff gets a lunch break or a break at all because our TAs and our teachers and our coaches don't have enough time because of the elopments and the issues. We all love our jobs. We love being employed here. And again, I can't imagine being tasked with what y'all have to do, but I don't think taking away personnel from the SBBS program is the

061answer. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Danielle Vanney and Chad of Garandale. >> Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. My name is Chad Dondell. I am a Christian, a husband, a father, taxpayer, a business owner, and I am a wrestler. I know you are facing difficult financial decisions, and I appreciate the responsibility you carry. Wrestling serves 540 students in our district. Total net cost last year was about $156,000, which equals just $290 per participant. That makes it one of the most costefficient sports programs we offer. It costs significantly less per athlete than many other sports while serving a large number of students. From a fiscal perspective alone, it is a high participation, lowcost program. But what makes this moment especially important

062is the growth of girls wrestling in Alaska. In the last five years, girls high school participation has grown from 146 students to 465. 219% increase. It's more burden than tripled. From 2016 to April 2025, girls club participation has increased 288%. This is not a declining sport. It's one of the fastest growing girls sports in our state and the United States. Wrestling is also uniquely inclusive. For many young women, wrestling is not just another sport. It is the first time they feel athletically empowered on a truly level playing field. It is one of the only sports where students compete against others of similar body size. Success is not determined by height or by fitting a physical mold. Girls who may not find a place in sports like basketball or volleyball can compete on equal footing in

063wrestling because of weight classes. The structure creates opportunity where other sports sometimes unintentionally limit participation. Eliminating wrestling would remove opportunity for one of the best sports in Alaska. >> Thank you for your testimony, sir. If you'd like to submit the entire amount of your comments to the board, we would appreciate it. Thank you for coming up. Our not hearing from Daniel Vney. Our next two speakers are Christa Fortune and Piper Ditler. >> Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening. My name is Christa Fortune and I am an ASD graduate and the parent of a current ASD student and wrestler. um here to speak about wrestling. Uh I wanted to echo the sentiments of what we've heard from the young men and women tonight. Um the effect cutting sports would

064have on all of our children's mental and physical health because after all, our responsibility is to our children. We are tasked with setting them up for success and it would be a massive failure to our kids to cut their sports because of circumstances completely out of their control. Sports like wrestling teach young men and women concepts that are valuable and applicable far beyond the mat. Perseverance, resilience, determination, humility, to name a few. Qualities we all want and need our young men and women the future to have. Some of these students have been wrestling most of their lives and have planned their futures around being able to continue to wrestle at school. To take away wrestling would send the message that all the hard work they have been doing is not important. it would negatively impact

065them and our communities futures for years to come. I recognize this is a complex issue and I have no idea what the answer is, but I do know that it would be 100% the wrong thing to do to cut their sports. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> My name is Piper Ditler and I'm the music teacher at Spring Hill Elementary. I have a bachelor's degree in music performance and I'm two months away from finishing my masters. In addition to teaching, I've spent over 25 years as a working musician, directing ensembles, coaching and leading youth, writing music, performing as a jazz vocalist, and as a studio artist with Anchorage Opera. I understand that the district is facing extreme budget cuts, but combining music

066and art under one teacher or switching to semester-based teaching is not a real solution. These approaches may save money on paper, but reducing music instruction costs students in real measurable ways. There's a large body of research showing that music education supports children's cognitive, emotional, and social development. Music improves focus, problem solving, and emotional regulation skills students need to be successful in school. Numerous studies also show that the inclusion of music education in elementary schools results in higher scores on standardized academic tests. Music is not an extracurricular activity. Making music train students to analyze patterns, sequence information, and regulate their responses in real time. skills essential to math problem solving, reading comprehension, and scientific reasoning. Music also plays a critical role in student mental health, a growing concern at all grade levels. It improves a structured

067collaborative environment. I'm sorry. It provides a structured collaborative environment that supports regulation, connection, and belonging. Our students deserve a fully supported full-time music program taught by trained professionals. Music teachers develop highly specialized skills and over many years and asking educators to divide their time between art and music short changes both subjects unfathomably. Music is too fundamental to learning to be treated as anything less than a core part of education. Thank you for supporting our students >> and thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are lighter, Lona Lighter, and Ela Squire. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening board. My name is Elaine Squire and I'm coming here as a parent and community member. I would like to convey my support for the consolidation effort despite the fact

068that it is a difficult conversation to have as we face this deficit and declining enrollment. It is important to do what we can to mitigate the effects of the shortfall. The best time to have consolidated school was two years ago when the process first began. But seeing as that did not happen, the next best time is now. The community at large has spoken out in support of consolidation, but it's difficult when it targets the school your children attend. No one wants to see the impacts hit close to home. However, it is important to recognize the feeling of community follows the children, not the building they are housed in. Many of the children will follow their friends and neighbors to whichever school they're moved to, and the teachers they are familiar with may also follow. Children

069are resilient, and the impacts of this will be short-lived. Board members, I implore you to follow through with what you have requested of the administration yet again. You've said so yourself that you have failed to do what was necessary the last few times that you face the same decision. This is a painful process, one that affects the very children this district seeks to serve. However, it is a necessary one, and we have more than a dozen schools that are nearly half their capacity and services that are already stretched thin over our large footprint. By not consolidating our resources, we'll be hardpressed to give our students the services we are obligated to provide them. As we move through this process, please be cognizant of the purpose of this co consolidation effort. Now is the time to

070use cold calculus rather than emotion. We must shrink our footprint in order to provide exemplary education to our students. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Uh good evening. and thank you for all of your work. It's a terrible job that you have to do, but I appreciate it. Um, I've taught music in ASD for 25 years. Um, I have a bachelor's of music. I'm a master educator um, degree. The music specialty, um, that I really like doing is beginning band that I've taught in over 25 different elementary schools. I've also taught middle, high school students guitar, piano, ukulele, beginning, intermediate, advanced, and jazz band. Now I teach in the elementary schools. I teach ukulele recorder guitars. xylophones and many other percussion instruments.

071Um the proposal to cut a consistent year-long K5 elementary music education to four months is not setting students up for success when they reach middle school and not just in music. Um this also negatively affects of course the music's ability to improve other content areas which is what uh the former speaker just spoke of. Uh music is similar to learning a language or sports where skills deteriorate quickly without year-round practice. four months of um learning from developmental well it reverses developmental core skills to a short-term unit skill. These are skills um these skills of music need to be taught rettaught over time for permanency to develop the developmental core skills. These um cuts also have consequences for the child's cognitive and other things that the other one mentioned. um widely cited benefits of use of

072music are in areas such as spatial temporal skills and blah blah blah. Um excuse me. But um the point is is that we're tied we're the duration and intensity of instruction is the necessity of actually teaching these skills. They have to be consistent with learning reading scores and um all other things during a consistent year-long activity. the four months will not give you all the benefits that one would get um through music through the other cognitive developmental areas. Also um you're going to be giving students a third grade education in music and art. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Kim Bailey and Stina Stina Gia Maloney. Stina Jolo Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> My name is Kim Bailey and I have been a music

073teacher in the district for over 30 years. I am asking you to reconsider the elementary specialist model that was proposed at the last schoolboard meeting. To my knowledge, neither the fine arts department nor any specialists were consulted for this new model. These are the very people who understand how the current system works more than anyone in the district and they should have been at the table. Music is one of the seven intelligences critical to the development of every child. It isn't a fringe or extra. It is vital to every child's education. For many elementary kids, music is the highlight of their day. Some parents have told me that music is the only subject their child will talk about at home. They will excitedly tell them a composer fact or sing a song that the class

074is working on. And as a third grader told me, I love music. It's the only place at school where I learn history. When I already struggle to teach all the concepts that the kids need to know in a regular school year's time, I can't imagine how much will be lost if half of that time is gone under the new model. I believe the burden that itinerant specialists have on the budget has been exaggerated to the school board. The references to itinerant travel taking so much time out of the day are extremely rare and not the norm. The majority of specialists don't travel at all and if they do, it's usually for a full or half day. From personal experience, I know that the majority of specialists who stay at one school end up taking many

075extra duties to compensate for school needs. When groups, recess and lunch duty, stepping in for sub positions that could not be filled, and so on. Contrary to what was suggested at the last schoolboard meeting, there is no downtime for specialists when all of these other duties are needed and expected. If specialist positions are cut, elementary teachers will struggle even more to find people to fill these essential extra positions. Cutting the number of specialists from five to three teachers will not improve the system. It will make it much harder to fit everything in. The current specialist model may not be perfect, but it works. Please trust the experience and knowledge specialists have when it comes to delivering their program. They as well as our fine arts directors know what's best for the kids and they should

076have been consulted. I'm requesting that you keep the current elementary specialist model and not adopt a >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening. My name is Sina Jonaloney. I am a pediatrician in Anchorage as well as a parent of a wrestler at South Anchorage High School. I come to you this evening both as a professional and as a parent. As a physician, I implore you not to cut student sports. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports student participation in sports and activities. This is because there is a strong evidence base to show that student athletes enjoy lower rates of anxiety, depression, suicide, substance use, and risk-taking behaviors. Conversely, they have better self-esteem, better grades, higher college acceptance rates, and prolonged lasting effects from

077their participation in sports, both physically, mentally, and for their social and emotional health. Not only do these students flourish while they are in your school district, but they will benefit from their participation long after they leave you. I strongly encourage you to reconsider cutting student sports. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Lisa Elmo, Lisa Kilmo, and Chad Robert Gerbach. >> Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening, board members and Superintendent Bryant. My name is Lisa Chelmo and I've been an elementary art teacher in the Anchorage School District for 12 years. I'm here tonight to advocate for art and music education and to ensure these subjects are taught by experts rather than combined into a single position. I recognize the

078gravity of our budget deficit and the uncertainty facing Alaska schools. While I understand the goal of basing three specialists at a single elementary school to meet the budget and foster stability in relationships, the plan to merge art and music roles is deeply flawed. Expertise matters. The fine arts umbrella is broad, but the pedagogical requirements are vastly different. Art education builds visual literacy and critical thinking through a curriculum I helped develop for our district based on the complex national core art standards. The suggestion that we can effectively teach both subjects is unrealistic. Art is not just crafts. Despite my masters in art education, I have only two college credits in music. I'm not qualified to teach elementary students music beyond the most basic level. Forcing teachers into roles outside their certification is a disservice to our

079students and a compromise of district standards. Specialized programs drive attendance. At my school, a full choir motivates students to show up every day. As an art teacher, I wouldn't even know where to start with a choir. And like Nerissa said, no one wants to hear me sing either. If experts are replaced by placeholders, students lose their very programs that connect them to their school community. I suggest a collaborative proposal. I want to help the district navigate these lean times. Instead of a one-sizefits-all specialist role, I propose the following. Let's form a committee. Task a group of us, art teachers, music teachers, and administrators to solve these scheduling challenges to allow teachers to teach in the fields of our expertise. Let's pro protect the integrity of the arts. Let us help you find creative ways to

080maintain the three specialist goal without sacrificing content. In closing, art and music must be taught by teachers certified in those spec excuse me in those specific fields. Our students deserve please value our professional expertise and allow us to provide the high quality. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> My name is Chad Gerlock. I'm the parent of a South Anchorage wrestler. But as they have spoken so eloquently about the benefits they've experienced through the sport, and I concur with all they said, I will not speak to those points. Instead, I implore you, as a retired teacher of 25 years, coach of 30 years currently officiating high school and middle school wrestling. The strongest uh leverage and relationship I ever had in my classroom with students,

081especially those marginalized, were with those who I was able to convince to wrestle. I think all coaches of all sports could attest to the same. My classroom success with these student athletes was dependent on the time I spent with them outside of the classroom, in the practice room, and during competition. Classroom teachers can't always focus on growth as a process. Curriculum maps dictate content to be covered, assessed, and then move on. As a coach, however, you get to teach that failure isn't the end. It's just part of the process. As a coach who's competed against ASD coaches and now officiates their events, I've had a front row seat to see the positive relationship ASD coaches develop with their student athletes. And it is evident that athletes are athletics are an important part of the curriculum,

082albeit extra, but no less important than academics in the development of our young people. Please don't cut athletics. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Cara England and Benjamin Michler. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. I'd like the time to represent two minutes, please. Thank you. My name is Aara England. Thank you for revisiting school consolidation. Unpopular opinion, but limiting this conversation to the two schools discussed in the fall does not capture the full scope of the district's fiscal challenge. I recognize that families and schools have already been through multiple rounds of uncertainty and these decisions are difficult for everyone involved. Therefore, I proceed with the utmost grace. ASD charter schools are required to submit balanced budgets. Charter parents, APC boards, and school leaders do this work

083in good faith, submitting meaningful commitments to families about staffing and student support. It has come to my attention that Roshula leadership and likely other leadership within charter schools were recently required to advocate to retain a nurse position that was included in their already submitted budget. For parents, this creates un understandable uncertainty. Families believe this support was planned for their children. Yet, that position became unclear due to district level adjustments after charter budgets were submitted. This raises an important governance question. When charter budgets are treated as operational commitments, but elements can later be re vvisited without a predict, excuse me, predictable process, it creates a gray area for parents and APC boards about who is actually making the decisions at their school. Charter schools exist because families value school level decision-making, parent voice, and educational innovation.

084For those promises to be meaningful, the process must be transparent, consistent, and understandable to families who rely on it. Charter parents and stakeholders across Anchorage and Alaska. Use this as an opportunity to see clearer, shared expectations around charter governance. Families deserve confidence that charter staffing and services represent stable, reliable commitments. My hope is that we as APC members of charter schools, parents, district leadership, and policy makers can strengthen clarity around. >> Sure. Charter autonomy is understood and respected in practice. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Thank you. So, we've heard a lot about wrestling tonight, which is pretty awesome because you probably haven't heard a lot of that in the last month or so. But I just want to say if you

085knew any of these um young athletes that gave their testimonies and you saw what wrestling has done for them or their sport has done for them, you wouldn't be considering cutting sports in the district. I have five children in the Anchorage School District and sports has been an irreplaceable part of their growth and development. There are things that they have learned and are learning through school sports that they are not likely to learn in other ways. I know that they are better disciplined as a result and I see this spill over into all aspects of their lives, including helping them be disciplined and keeping um their grades up, especially since I won't let them do sports if they don't. For many kids, sports is one of the few things that keeps them going through the

086toughest years of their life, middle school and high school. I extend my strong recommendation that wrestling at least be added to the sports not being cut at both the high school and middle school levels. Wrestling has benefited my children in teaching them how to manage tough emotions, have good sportsmanship and respect hard that hard work pays off. uh give teaches them about positive mindset, perseverance, discipline, accomplishment adds both elements of a team sport and an individual sport. Improvement in mental health and self-esteem, not to mention the physical health benefits. There's little room for them to get into trouble due to the physical and mental demands of the sport. I am one of the uh that doesn't matter. Wrestling is, according to the information that you have put out, the fifth most popular sport and the

087sixth least expensive sport at 290 $290 per wrestler and it's the fastest growing sport among girls. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Mary Ellis Donaldson and Christine Eckle. Apologies. Christine is going to be joining us on the phone. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin with your >> Thank you. I started teaching in the Anchorage School District in 1981. I was a an elementary instrumental teacher for 11 years. Um, the first year I taught was in Pennsylvania and I joined the music educators national conference and was sent a beautiful book that I still have. This is in 1977. I received it and there's one page um that has what you learn with delight you never forget. And I truly believe that. I just wanted to come today and say amen to

088all of the current teachers. I retired in 2008. I had a wonderful career in this district. I received all kinds of support. I'm going to try to read something though real quickly. This was an evaluation I got in 2002 at Sand Lake School where I taught for a total of of 20 years. Both instrumental and classroom music standards two and three identifies and teaches de to develop developmental ability of students. Absolutely masterfully developmentally appropriate, excellent strategies, excellently executed, demonstrates high expectations for each learner. This is like 800 kids twice a week. Um, every second is filled to the brim with learning. 100% actively engaged students, meeting success with each note. Monitoring student learning like an eagle. Uses assessment as a tool for teaching ongoing. Provides feedback to students. Positive, specific, literally applied with every possible

089very positive results. One of the secrets of your success creates an optimal learning environment. Space is used creatively. This was a year I was teaching in the in the multi-purpose. >> Miss Donaldson, thank you so much for your testimony. You please submit your full testimony and written comments. We would appreciate it. Our next speaker is Christine Eckle who's online. Please begin when you're ready. You have two minutes and star six to unmute. I believe we could hear you now. Please begin. When you're ready, you have two minutes. >> Okay. Thank you. Hello. I am a parent of an ASD wrestler and while I acknowledge there are many deficits in this proposed budget. I am here today to speak on wrestling specifically. Wrestling is renowned for its rigorous demands on both body and mind. It cultivates

090strength, stamina, flexibility, and coordination at an exceptional level. The discipline required to succeed in wrestling nurtures healthy lifestyles and equips students to manage adversity with resilience and poise. For many, this is a transformative experience that shapes lifelong habits and fosters a sense of accomplishment. The mental fortitude developed in wrestling and all sports is unparalleled. Students who participate learn to confront challenges, endure setbacks, and rise again, building confidence with self-worth that will serve them well far beyond the realm of athletics. Unlike activities that may be limited by financial barriers or restrictive entry requirements, wrestling is accessible to all. Echoing Judge Yurandrell's testimony, it welcomes students of every body type, background, and ability level, offering equal opportunity for participation. Its inclusive nature is not only admirable, it is essential to the spirit of our educational community, ensuring

091that every student can find a place and a purpose. For many, wrestling is a gateway to higher education and future success. It provides access to college scholarships and the chance to compete at elevated levels. To deny students these opportunities would be an unjust deprivation of their aspirations and dreams. ASD athletics play an imperative role in the entire state sports programs. Iron sharpens iron and many other districts rely on Anchorage, the largest district population in the state to provide upstanding athletes. I won't pretend to know the difficulty you are faced. So I only have one suggestion. Um perhaps uh we can adjust the budget by uniformly or proportionately reducing municipal employee salaries to offset the entire sports deficit. Can you imagine the headline municipal? >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Aaron

092Hensley and Alissel Devonport Weer. >> Welcome you. Two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Hi, good evening. My name is Aaron. >> Is it There you go. There we go. All right. Cool. My name is Aaron Hensley. I'm the music teacher at King Kade Elementary and I'm also a parent of a student in the Anchorage School District. Um I'm asking the board to reconsider the uh fine arts position. Um as a music teacher, I I engage with every single student in my school. Um, I've gotten to know them all. I've been at KK for three years, and I have spent so much time and energy building these relationshipships with my students. And a couple weeks ago, I got to sit down at a staff meeting to go over the proposed budget. And on the

093slide that went over the fine arts uh proposal, at the bottom, it said the we believe these changes will help support stronger relationships with students. And my first six years as a teacher, I was an itinerant teacher between two title one schools and I I was split half and half. And I can tell you right now that having a teacher be gone for just a couple days makes building relationships harder. And I couldn't imagine trying to build relationships with students for one semester and then being gone. And I'm concerned that these types of changes are going to negatively impact all elementary students. And I believe the number we're at like 17,000 students if I remember correctly. I could be wrong. Um and I as a parent I I don't want my child missing out on

094these types of events. I she loves art. She loves oddly enough health. No, not trying to upset anybody, but I it's the truth. And so um I don't believe that these that being the this fine arts model is sustainable. I don't believe it sets clear expectations despite what some may believe. And I truly believe that music teachers, art teachers, and everybody, they need to be included in the conversation so we can find a more proper, equitable solution to this problem. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Thank you. Good evening. I'm Lisa Davenport Wheeler and I've taught public music for over 30 years. over 20 of that secondary choir and some band. And now I'm at my 10th year at Trailside Elementary School.

095Specialists are specialists. We teach very specialized skills. We go to college for these skills. Some of us have multiple degrees in our specialized area. I myself have an undergrad and a master's degree in music education as well as many more hours of workshops. But the reality is that I've trained for my specialized area all my life. Music school. Music skills start at a young age. Many of us know that music education is valuable at many levels. It's a disservice to deny those students who can't even advocate for themselves. And that said, we need to be very careful when we're talking about cutting music hours are asking non-m musicians to teach music. We need to really stick to the facts. There are very few music teachers who use their teaching day to travel to their secondary

096school. And when they do travel, it's usually 30 minutes out of their day. When we discuss how to save money, we decide real cost versus real loss. To deny a child the opportunity to have a full music education, to be taught music by musicians, we steal their opportunity to develop actual musicianship as well as the chance to practice higher level creative thinking skills, to develop the love of music and performing, and to understand the world and what it means to be human. This would truly be a loss. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Amanda Thompson and who's telephonic and then Kate Hammer. Miss Thompson, you can hit star six to unmute if you haven't. Good evening, schoolboard members. My name is Amanda Thompson. I'm an ASD grad, charter,

097and neighborhood school parent, and I currently teach art at Turnigan and Tutor Elementary Schools. Through teaching art, all grades over the years, I've seen how varying levels and qualities of visual art education affects my students from graduating seniors and incoming kindergarteners. For example, in my position at King Techch teaching juniors and seniors, I found a distinct decrease in spatial creativity and critical thinking abilities from students I had earlier. When I asked about their elementary art years, I found there were big gaps in their visual art education. These spatial and creative problem solving skills are the same ones that help adults do things like right-sizing a big district with declining enrollment and increasing budget line items. Spatial ability helps you notice unused spaces. Creative and critical thinking helps you come up with practical and respectful solutions

098to all sorts of problems you as a board are facing. Us elementary art teachers are here to help. Don't reduce us as this art music combo proposal would do. Lean into our strengths. Research grants. Support us in forming a fine art solutions committee. I invite you also to come and observe the learning gains that my elementary art students are making. Some of them are working on a Gustaf Clint Ston Garity decorative birch tree stitching project. I did have three boys, however, who are crying alligator tears that were trying to thread needles. What was going on? Why were they so upset? Threading a needle and making stitches requires several skills and growth mindsets that are doom scrolling world just doesn't give us. I reassured them that if they persevered, they would get it. By the end

099of the class, they were tenderly smiling. Maybe you will gain some joy and aha moments too by this kind of focused art instruction. Who are doing fine arts really well right now? Charter schools, charter school community, please contact me if you're interested in forming a statewide support organization that can help support. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening. My name is Kate Hammer. My children are in third grade and kindergarten in the French immersion program at Omali Elementary School. I wear this Omali green sweatshirt as a proud parent and a proud alumni of the school myself. This is my second time standing before you. I don't envy ASD's incredibly difficult task of managing this budget. Last year, our French immersion program made compelling

100arguments both in English and in French that our program adds value to our community and is worth protecting. Our program is strong. We grow every year and immersion programs are an attractant to ASD. My husband retired from the Air Force this year, and one major reason we decided to stay here and not move out of state is our children's enrollment in the French immersion program. I'm not here today to make that argument again. I'm here today to remind you that while every program on the budgetary chopping block has value, and we all deserve stable, long-term funding, our program has some special timing needs that shouldn't be overlooked. We start searching for and hiring our French language teachers now in February. It's a sometimes challenging hiring process and visa processing takes months. This year, we were

101significantly delayed and two of our incoming teachers were late, one by several weeks and one by an entire semester. Our fourth graders were taught French by a succession of subs in a combo situation with the fifth grade teacher. And this was not ideal. When we signed our children up for the French immersion program, we made a deal of sorts with ASD. Every program has pros and cons. One of the cons of immersion is that our kids get less math and ELA instruction and the fun extras from a typical classroom. The immense value is they graduate bilingual and gain other intellectual and cultural benefits that will serve them for life. These benefits take time. If ASD ends the program now through cuts to teaching staff, it's a lose-lose for our students. They end with all the

102cons and none of the pros. Immersion must be taught with continuity. We can't miss one year of instruction at any grade. If we do, the entire investment falls apart. Thank you for your time and opportunity to testify. Good evening. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Julie Cleven and Jackie Higgins. >> Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Hi, good evening. My name is Julie Cleven. I am the high school head volleyball coach at South High School and a parent of a senior. Thank you for taking the time this evening to listen to us. I'm here to speak on behalf of all middle school and high school sports, urging you to work with coaches and staff to come up with ways to reduce program expenses and seek

103solutions to continue to make all current sports available to all students. Middle school sports aren't just about athletics. They're so important to those kids and I think we've all gone through the benefits of the health and the mental aspects of sports. Um, high school sports the same. They are essential. If I was on the board or making these decisions, it wouldn't even be on the table as an option to cut. That is how important they are to students. High school sports unite communities and schools together. They foster school pride and they offer life-changing opportunities for students. Hard work, discipline, the stories of triumph and perseverance. This is what high school sports does for kids and it's irreplaceable. Volleyball in particular has one of the highest female participation rates. Over 400 girls last year. Caring coaches

104and administrators have sunk their blood, sweat, and tears into these programs for years and years. and to see them potentially go away is just devastating for us now and for any future volleyball players. Solutions. What can we do? Let's form committees with coaches, booster clubs, and admin to find cost-saving measures and alternatives. Consider appropriate cuts to optional programs like preschool and other charter schools that may have low enrollment. Charter schools and alternative schools are wonderful if we have the money to fund them all. Increase participation fees. Allow booster clubs more freedom to assist programs and see corporate donations in the community earmarked for sports. Reduce coaches addendums. I, for one, would coach for free if given the option. Reduce technology spending. >> Uh, thank you for your testimony. Please email your your comments to the

105board. We would appreciate it. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Um, I would like to first stop by saying in the real world world going back on your word is a lie. That's what it's called, a lie. Um, I am Jackie Higgins. I'm the chair of the Special Education Advisory Council. Um, and what an unprecedented time we're in right now. Uh, here we are again speaking about which schools to close and what jobs to cut. I want to voice my displeasure at the at this conversation needing to happen, but I feel like we need to address the elephant in the room. $90 million is not going to fall out of the sky into our laps and we cannot pay staff on credit. So as a community, what are we willing to

106give up? We can say cut admin staff and ask schools to pick up the slack, but that requires infrastructure overhaul that we cannot afford either. When looking forward, we need to look at what safely and effectively can be cut while still providing the best education for our students. I want to make something very clear to everyone in the room. I'm the parent of children who attend uh optional schools and the parent of a mo or I am a mother of a child who is in the special education program. Um public funds belong in public schools. Public means every student has an opportunity to participate or attend. It is my understanding that funding for special education is spent in every school. Yet every school is not required to accept students with higher levels of need. Some

107programs are allowed to decline students due to their level of need entirely. Is that public or is that special interest? In the time in a time where money is scarce and the community needs to do what it is what is best for every student, not just what uh we need to do what is best for every student, not just what we feel is our little piece of the pie. I would like to ask the school board and community and the district as a whole to take the time and the fine tooth comb that they're going to use to make these cuts and look at the places where there are niches and that don't serve the greater community. We have to stop attacking special education. Lake Otis and Fire Lake, both our regional placement programs. You

108all have that do not serve those children. But yet here we are again. Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Kimberly Hayes and Claire Smith. >> Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening. My name is Cla Smith. I'm the parent of an eighth grader at Golden View and a sophomore at South. I'm here to speak against the proposed cuts to high school sport, specifically Nordic skiing. I'd like you to put yourself in the shoes of a hypothetical student starting tenure year in 2026 2027. Her name is Leah. She's on track to graduate, has carefully planned her credits, and has worked hard for years. She began Spanish in seventh grade, and she plans to take AP Spanish as an elective. She's also maximizing academic rigor by taking

109AP art. Like many students, Leah earns her P credits through school sports, crossc countryry, running, Nordic skiing, and tracking. But now Nix is gone. There are essentially no winter sports option. Suddenly she's short of 0.25 credits. No problem. She'll just switch an AP elective for a P class. Except there's another problem. PE class availability has not increased. Seats are full. Now the question becomes very real. Does Leah graduate on time or standards changed for her or does she graduate late? These are not hypothetical concern. When you remove graduation credit opportunities, you create real barriers for a real student. I feel we will soon have many Leah student who did everything right and still fall short. To close a $90 million gap, I urge you to look elsewhere. A few options come to mind. First, a

110district admin salary freeze holding every district department to last year budget could save nearly $400,000. Second, programs added in recent years such as preschool can be cut. Although valuable, it should not be uh district funding should not uh function as daycare. I urge you to consolidate all the elementary school that that could reduce uh building maintenance, utility and cost. Cutting 1.3 million by eliminating high school sports come at enormous cost to student. We can and must do better. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening. My name is Kimberly Hayes. I am a highly qualified music educator in my 10th year at ASD serving Bear Valley Elementary and Clatt Elementary. I hold a bachelor of arts and music and a masters in of

111arts and secondary education. I'm level two or certified. I am here because a student's cognitive development is at risk. Music and art are not hobbies. They are neurological necessities. Research shows that music in instruction accelerates brain development in areas responsible for language and reading. Art education builds the critical neuroplasticity required for complex problem solving. Similarly, CDC data confirms the physical education and health are directly linked to higher grade point averages and better classroom management. However, these benefits are being strangled by ASD suggestions for balloon sizing class ballooning class sizes, for dropping health, and for combining art and music into one. You don't want me teaching my stick figures to art. Large classes create environments where behavior issues spike and individual learning needs go unmet. Health is vital for physical and mental education of our students.

112Art and health are neurological necessities for our students. The problem is not the teachers and it's certainly not the students. The problem is a systemic mismanagement of funds. It is unacceptable to claim a budget crisis that requires cutting studentf facing programs while top administration continues to draw exorbitant salaries. Every dollar funneled into administrative bloat is a dollar stolen from a child's development. We must stop asking what can we cut from the classroom and start asking why is the top so heavy while the foundation is crumbling. cuts should never directly impact the students. They should start at the top. I urge the board to prioritize the classroom, reduce the class size, and protect the elementary music, art, PE, and health programs that make students whole. Thank you for listening >> and thank you for your testimony.

113Our next two speakers are Brock Cider and Amos Tonison. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. My name is Brock Sides and I'm a parent of a kindergarter at Winterberry Elementary who lives every day with type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a severe chronic life-threatening autoimmune disease. There is no cure. There is no remission. There's no time off. It requires constant monitoring and clinical judgment every single day. I'm here because the proposed cuts to school nursing coverage create a very real and unacceptable risk for children like my daughter. Managing diabetes is not simply giving insulin or responding to low blood sugar. My daughter's survival depends on accurate insulin dosing, continuous monitoring, and immediate emergency response throughout the school day. Insulin is life-saving, but is also dangerous if administered incorrectly. In a

114hospital setting, it is considered such a high-risisk medication that two registered nurses must independently verify it before it is given. That standard exists because even small errors can be fatal. The proposed cuts would require non- nursing staff to take on insulin administration. That is not safe. Non-medical staff do not have the training to interpret blood sugar trends, troubleshoot medical devices, or make real-time clinical decisions while also carrying out their regular duties. Equally important is a consistency of care. Type 1 diabetes management is highly individualized. Blood sugar trends, insulin sensitivity, and early warning signs develop over time and cannot be fully captured in a written care plan. A consistent nurse who knows my daughter can recognize subtle changes before they escalate into emergencies. A rotating or inconsistent nursing model removes that continuity and significantly increases risk.

115Schools that serve children with complex medical needs require consistent, qualified nursing care. This is best practice and it is required under the ADA in section 504. And most importantly, it keeps children alive and able to learn safely. To put it plainly, if the proposed school nurse rotation is implemented, my family and others like ours will be left with little choice but to move to states that can ensure our children's safety at school. >> This is a safety issue. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Hello, my name is Ames Tonison and I am a secondyear music teacher. I work four days a week at Beayore Elementary and one day a week at Clatt Elementary. Firstly, I want to thank you for all that you do. I

116know this isn't easy and I appreciate you taking the time to consider what is best for students. As an elementary specialist, or should I say a teaching artist, I want to implore you to find a way to avoid two week and/or semester rotations for elementary music teachers. My main points are as follows. Moving to this rotation will elimmit eliminate numerous after-school activities that we provide and students look forward to each year. Specifically at Beayore Elementary, I have over 70 students enrolled in spring choir and almost 20 in my percussion club. That accounts for nearly 30% of the student population at Beayshore alone. Secondly, music is a neurological skill. Between the ages of 6 and 12, the brain is in a sensitive period for neuroplasticity. Short-term training or months as per what you are suggesting may

117show improvements in basic rhythm but year-long consistency is required to engrave permanent structural changes in the brain. Thirdly, music is one of the few classrooms where social emotional learn skills are a focus of instruction. It is in the national and state standards that we are to teach musical citizenship and that includes being able to listen, take care of materials, respond to the needs of others and work as a team. Fourthly, as we increase class sizes, behaviors are only going to worsen. Relationships and trust are one of the key ways to mitigate this issue, and we can't build strong relationships when we are in the building for four months of the year. I came to ASD because of their reputation for the music arts. Our high school and middle school programs are stellar and put ensembles

118that I saw and worked with in Colorado to shame. To keep it like this, I urge you to close close schools and funnel resources so that students can get meaningful music instruction. We are experts, not just exposure. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Adam Shiks and Colonel Lisa Mbett. >> Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Okay. Good evening. My name is Adam Shiks. There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs. Thomas Soul, we all know that you have a hard decision. But your decisions are not unique. The same problem that you're facing is being faced all over the country. Omaha, Chicago, Denver, Houston, they're all facing the same kind of budgeting problems you're facing because they're same facing the same population, student population,

119and inflationary dollar problems that were not predicted six years ago. So, your problems are not unique, but they're still yours to solve. I'm here to advocate for the hard decisions that you have to make and to consider not only what's on the table, but what's off the table. In terms of my total tax burden, it's 38%. I paid $12,353 last year in property tax. That was up 15% over the last 10 years, and that increases another 20% if the current adjustments go through. I'm willing to pay an additional 50% more on that property tax if it means solving part of this problem and you're willing to meet us halfway. Why? I have a daughter who's 16 and like me who is dyslexic and I pay around $15,000 a year for out of ASD support and

120tutoring in Readwright Alaska to get her the support that she needs. She's dyslexic just like I am. And I had the same support but in schools in in my school system in Ohio. I was able to support those kind of things uh and and accomplish what I did as a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force uh because of of the support that I got. I'm willing to pay more tax, but you need to meet us halfway. Hard decisions are hard decisions. There are no uh solutions, only trade-off. Thank you for what you do for us. That's it. Thank you for your testimony. I welcome you. Two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Thank you. Good evening, board. I am Colonel Lisa Mabbat, the installation commander here at Joint Base Elondorf Richardson. I appreciate

121the opportunity to provide comment tonight alongside so many members of the community. As a representative of nearly 10% of the ASD student body, I would be remiss in failing to state clearly how critical it is that the 20,000 or so families working to provide national security on JBER can count on consistent highquality academic programs and services, student activities and sports, and health programs here in the ASD public school system. These programs provide vital continuity as our military students move from state to state and allow our military members to focus on the mission in the knowledge that their kids are developing well. Strong student, strong schools attract military families, help us retain that talent, and grow a strong workforce here in Alaska that supports Joint Base Alador Richardson in a thousand ways. Over the last two

122years, I've deeply appreciated members of the board and the district staff both educating me on the district's budget challenges and in continuing to passionately shoulder the work of teaching, coaching, and mentoring students despite the challenges you face. Thank you for continuing to engage in this difficult decision decision decision space. And if we at JBar can help offer data to assist regarding our 3,300 3,800 students each year, please know that I and my staff are always happy to meet. Thank you for your testimony and joining us tonight. Our next two speakers are Alex McKe and Janice Park. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Thank you. Uh I'm Alex McKe. I am a 27-year veteran educator here in the Anchorage School District. I'm also the parent of a 2024 Diamond graduate. Um

123I wanted to come before you tonight to talk about two things. Um the first is to encourage you to reconsider consolidation of schools. I think that there's a lot to be gained from the efficiencies that come with full school buildings. Um, I wanted to also say that um, tonight we've heard testimony from Chugatch Optional as well as Polaris K12 indicating that the reductions in staffing at those two facilities uh, could impact the ability of those programs to continue. I am a staff member at Shnook Open optional which is a school within a school. Uh, Shnook has 13 teachers right now. We are slated to lose two to three as I understand it. Uh within our current 13 staff members, six of us are open optional program and seven are neighborhood classroom teachers. With that reduction,

124uh it's likely that our program will also need to be reduced by at least half if not closed altogether. Um, I think that it is important for you all to be aware and for administrators to be aware that without some sort of thoughtful consolidation um that it's possible that lots of your lottery programs could end up uh off the table uh without some careful consideration. Um, lastly, I wanted to say thank you to both uh President Jacobs and also to Dr. Bryant for their public comments recently supporting the uh Aea contract renewal. Uh I know that it is really important to your current staff members to know that we have your support uh and continued uh encouragement as we go forward. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have two minutes. Please begin when

125you're ready. >> Thank you. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Janice Park. Can you hear? My name is Janice Park and I'm a candidate for Anchorage Assembly District 4. I'm here tonight to voice my strong opposition to the resolution that directs the district to once again pursue school closures and consolidations. Just three months ago in November, the board heard from hundreds of parents, teachers, and students. You listened to the data. You considered the impact on the neighborhoods. and you voted to keep Lake Otis and Fire Lake Elementary. Keep them open. That vote was a commitment to those families, students, and teachers. Bringing this back to the table now before the ink is even dry on that decision undermines public trust and creates a state of perpetual instability for everyone. We were told

126these closures are a financial necessity due to the 90 million deficit. However, we can't claim to have a fiscal emergency after spending tens of millions of dollars on a single building replacement like Inlet View. Real fiscal responsibility means prioritizing the students that we have in the classrooms that we already own. It means focusing our limited resources on the BSA, the base student allocation to keep teachers in classrooms and sports in our middle schools. Closing schools is a permanent solution to what should be a temporary funding gap. Once a neighborhood school is gone, the community fabric is torn. The families leave the district and further worsen our enrollment numbers. I urge the board to honor its November vote, do not use our neighborhood schools as a first resort budget lever. We need to stop the back

127and forth on closures and start focusing on responsible long-term strategy. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our last two speakers this evening are Rachel Blakesley and Jacob Gin. >> Oh, you have two minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Good evening, members of the school board. My name is Rachel Blleyley and I'm the parent of a current and future ASD student. I want to begin by underscoring that I understand the urgency of our financial situation and the need to identify efficiencies in the district. I also recognize that the crisis we are in is largely a result of chronic underinvestment from the state legislature and I am with you on that. That said, I have concerns about how this resolution came to be and how it moves us forward. Just a few months ago, this

128board reviewed and ultimately voted not to close the schools proposed for consolidation in the fall. Those communities went through an intense and painful process, were told their schools would remain open by board decision, and are now seeing the same schools effectively brought back into consideration on a dramatically accelerated timeline. If ASD is going to undertake a true and well done right sizing effort, it should be done through a clear and equitable process with ample time to do it right. One that identifies a target number of building reductions needed and applies consistent criteria to do that that doesn't change year to year. Reopening prior proposals so quickly risks eroding trust and creates the perception that decisions are being revisited without a true plan in place or a fair process. I'm also troubled by the broader context

129of this resolution. Just last week, the board approved the application for a new charter school to open in two years, despite projected ongoing deficits and no guarantee of increased state funding. Advancing school closures and new school openings at the same time raises serious questions about alignment, planning, and long-term sustainability. With this resolution, my hope is that you make a clear case for how proposed school and program consolidations will directly improve safety and outcomes for all students. Be it restored school nurses or prevention of cuts to programs and sports that may never be returned once eliminated. These are my observations as a parent, an ally in our collective fight for highquality public education. Thank you for taking these concerns seriously and for the difficult work you are doing. >> Thank you for your testimony. U second

130call for Jacob Gin. Not seeing Jacob, that completes public testimony for this evening. We'll take a fivem minute recess and then resume our agenda. Thank you. We'll call ourselves back to order at 8:06 PM. Uh we have one action item tonight under C1 ASD resolution 2526-01 directing the ASD administration to identify school consolidation and operational efficiency options to preserve and strengthen student academic efforts uh student academic programs. Is there a motion? Member Les. >> Uh yes, Mr. President, I move ASDR25-26-01 S.1. >> Second. >> Motion made by member Lessons to adopt version S.1, seconded by member Wilson. Member lessons, the floor is yours. >> Thank you. Before I can discuss the substitute, I want to and need to acknowledge that it began with and leans heavily on a document that is not officially before us,

131resolution ASDR2-26-01, which was drafted and shared with the board and with the public on Friday, February 6th. If you were to ask me to summarize that resolution, I would say that that initial um proposal implicitly asked the board a fundamental question. Do we do nothing to consolidate our footprint with a $90 million deficit for FY27 and beyond? Or do we look for a way to do something to better serve our students needs, albeit in an accelerated timeline? More specifically, and to fully credit the original resolution, um the first document asserted that the board is responsible for stewarding public public resources to prepare all students for success in life. Acknowledged our deficit, a trajectory of enrollment decline over time, our loss of purchasing power um amid unpredict excuse me, unpredictable and insufficient doses of state funding.

132asserted that enrollment decline has resulted in underutilized school facilities and reduced the district's ability to provide robust levels of instructional service. Noted that the board did not advance the administration's proposals in November 2025. acknowledged the board's receipt of updated financial information since that time as well as new public input via our balancing act survey and recognize that it may be important to both revisit the question of consolidation and our reliance on most on the most recent analyses conducted by the administration from an actionable perspective. If the board would have heard and approved the initial resolution, it would have directed the administration to expeditiously identify school consolidation and related operational efficiency options that could improve academic service levels for students and generate short-term and long-term savings. I wanted to capture the original so heavily because this

133substitute began with that document and in some ways directs the administration to do much the same. However, the substitute varies in a few areas which I want to articulate and draw the board's attention uh towards as well as members of the public. Um early on it adds a new section specifically detailing the district's fiscal forecast. It is to be frank the most depressing page in the entire budget book. It is page 13 if you're curious and it articulates what happens after our $90 million deficit. It's the $42 million deficit the next year and then the $30 million deficit the year after. Um, so I wanted to translate that information to this resolution. Uh, it amends a section which in the first document only identified underutilized school facilities as being vulnerable to staffing instability, combination classrooms,

134and straining resources. by instead clarifying that there may be five categories of school types for which these statements are true. Underutilized elementary schools, elementary schools with low enrollment levels, more heavily utilized elementary school facilities which enroll students in two separate academic programs at low levels in one or both programs but actually wouldn't be underutilized uh as a as a whole building. um small secondary school facilities and underutilized secondary school facilities. Those are nuanced um references, but they are specific and they're varied and each of them in their own way um poses challenges to uh supporting all students for success in life. There's a slight modification of the fifth whereas adding language clarifying that consolidation would improve the district's long-term outlook. the seventh whereas adds adds language acknowledging that the board has received those updates to

135our fiscal forecast since November of 2025. Um and underscores the board that the board should it pass this would be open to um evaluating options in addition to those which we have previously received. This is a document which casts a broader net than simply looking at the proposals we saw in November of 2025. The last whereas adjusts language directing the administration to focus on the most recent analyses conducted to language agreeing that those recent analyses remain important and should substantially but maybe not exclusively be relied on at this time in identifying possibilities for consolidation. In essence, it creates space for the administration to assess as many options as feasible in a very short period of time. Finally, it adds language clarifying that the process for feedback on any newly identified options would be before and

136during our February 17th meeting in person telephonically written as well as the acceptance of written testimony after our February 17th meeting when anything might be formally proposed in advance of our February 24th meeting. Um, anecdotally, I knew February would be complicated, but it's really complicated. So, it spells out a broader, it would direct the administration to look more broadly at consolidation possibilities um should the board approve this resolution this evening and the administration would then need to come back to the board uh in about a week's time uh and make that formal presentation. >> Thank you, member lessons. Um I'll jump in the queue seeing no other hands raised right now. um to ask a question first to Dr. Bryant. Um I haven't checked in with administration regarding their perspective on the revised S.1 version

137of the resolution. Is there any concern about any newly modified language? >> Thank you. Uh Mr. President, based off of my reading of the substitute uh resolution, I don't it seems that all these changes are reasonable and aligned to the the broader vision behind the the original resolution. Uh, Mr. Anderson, is there anything logistical that you would like to flag? >> Negative. >> Thank you. So, no concerns. >> Thank you. Um the only other um item I wanted to flag for the board's uh attention uh to make sure we're all getting the discussion on the same page is that this resolution um simply directs administration to take a series of actions both short and long term um and does indeed cast a wider net uh for potential solutions for the board which um if this

138process is to begin needs to be done as quickly as possible. I um applaud member lessons for taking the original and improving it with providing clarity on the timeline and um I do intend to support the substitute and um am interested in hearing any other board feedback. Member Donley. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Um I think the proposed substitute is is an improvement over the original main motion. Uh I remain concerned about page two parag sub paragraph paragraph three sub paragraph one uh of which there was public testim testimony tonight that I agree with raises the specific consideration reconsideration of the decision the board made in November to not close Lake Otis and um Fire Lake. I believe that is inconsistent with our rules since our rules require a notice of reconsideration within a specific

139time frame that was not met. Um so it would be a violation of our rules to do what paragraph sub paragraph 1 proposes. Additionally, I believe it would be really um a blow to to the the public perception of the process here. Um as identified by the public testimony, uh I believe that's inappropriate to highlight it in that manner. Um I am open to consideration for school closures. That makes sense. I do not believe the Lake Otis or the Fire Lake proposals made sense. They weren't the best solutions at uh for this district. Um that decision was made. It should be honored by this board. Um and I would move the amendment I have submitted to the secretary that would delete sub paragraph one on page two. and just renumber the uh the uh segments

140following that appropriately. >> Question. >> Is there a second to the motion before we discuss? >> I'll second it for the purpose of discussion. I have a question. >> What is your question about the amendment? >> Is he talking about number one under now therefore be it resolved? Is that what he's talking about? I don't I'm trying to figure out where he is what he's talking about. U member Donley, can you clarify the the section of the amendment? >> Yeah. Page two, paragraph 3, subp paragraph 1, which reads, "Previously analyzed school consolidation proposals presented to the board in the fall 2025 recognizing the urgency of the current fiscal situation and the value of the most current research and analysis. Um I do not believe that is necessary for to highlight it in that fan manner

141and is inconsistent with our rules. Um um so that an overall analysis could still continue but it wouldn't highlight and and and specifically ask for a reconsideration of the decision the board made in the fall. >> Member Donnie, do you have any additional comments regarding your amendment now that's been seconded? No. Okay. >> Member Higgins, do you have discussion on the amendment? I see your hands raised. >> No. I I have another issue, so I'll pass on this one. >> Okay. U member Halman. Thank you. Um I do want to say generally and and somewhat in response to the testimony, none of us think these cuts are good. I I don't know of a single thing that we're looking at that any of us feel is a positive. It absolutely is a response to a

142dramatic drop in funding that actually happened a year ago. And at that time we had a robust fund balance. Um and we were able to use a lot of that money to mitigate those cuts uh and see what the future brought. And it wasn't until December that the the governor proposed basically a flat funding like what we got last year or the year we're in. And in talking with a lot of people, uh there's a misperception that we're $90 million in debt. We're not under budget or over budget. We're on budget for this year. Um things are going reasonably as predicted. um is simply in planning for next year with the funds that were allocated that matches this past year. There's a $90 million shortfall to continue doing the same thing we're doing now. We're

143not adding in any area. Um it's simply trying to continue as we are. The big difference is we don't have robust fund balance now because that doesn't get replenished out of the budget specifically and rather dramatic cuts are being made and we all knew the number but we didn't know exactly what that meant until the administration brought its proposal that that is very dramatic. Um, specifically to the amendment, I want to say the thing that has changed is seeing the FTE cuts that are going to hit virtually everywhere. And I felt um back in the fall that we were thinly staffed, but I also saw the value in what was happening both at Lake Otis and at Fire Lake. And that's still happening. They won't have as many staff next year. and the situation they

144will be facing is worse worse than I thought it would be when we voted on it in the fall. Um worse than I think any of us imagine. Um as well as wide ranging cuts in things like nursing. Um sports are are a severe and dramatic loss to our students. um to some more than others, but but to a large number of our students, it's a it's a severe disconnect from the district and from their school and from their teammates. Um I've been associated with the district for about 30 years, either as a teacher or um on this board. I've never seen an assortment of cuts anywhere close to this. And historically, we really did have the ability to shift and perhaps cut something else to save something or use a little bit of fund

145balance to keep Ignite a few years ago. Um, we chose to go a little below what we normally kept in order to keep that program alive. Fund balance isn't there. There's hardly any part of this district that's not already touched by these cuts. And so if we try to look for somewhere else to get a few million dollars to keep something going, it's it's just not there in this case. So I I do think because we voted in the fall, um it's reasonable to state in the resolution that we're asking the administration potentially to look at that again because there are other schools we also voted to close. I think they're on the table. Um I I just think it's fair to be explicit to the administration. Um if we do want them off the

146table, we need to say so. And if we don't want them off the table, we need to say that as well. So I I don't support the amendment. I do want them to feel free to once again review everything with fresh eyes. Um the the consolidations at this point uh it it does break up a program. It breaks up a team that may be doing great work, but it will mean better resources for the students in the consolidated schools. It will mean more students that have a nurse on hand all day or a bigger part of the day. It it will mean any number of things. uh can just operate a bit more efficiently. It doesn't actually save us a whole lot of money and I know that's counterintuitive. Uh but it also ties into

147the rather complicated formula for funding schools and I won't bore people to tears with that. Unless you want to be bored to tears, I'm happy to do it after the meeting. Um but it really is a complex issue with pitfalls that you would not see quite frequently when we try to talk about it. com is, "Well, that just doesn't make any sense." And it doesn't. It's just the way it is. It has to do with when the legislature meets and brings their budget, when the governor announces an amount of money, when we have to do a budget earlier than any other school district because ours has to go through the assembly and so many other school districts don't. Um, we don't really know how much money we're going to have, but things look more bleak

148for the legislature today than they did a couple of months ago. So things keep falling the wrong way and it has brought about a rather severe situation. So I I am um comfort saying to the administration consider everything including things that we may have voted to exclude recently. Thank you. >> Thank you member Hullman. I'll jump in just u there wasn't a point of order made but there was a reference to that language not being consistent with Robert's rules of order um andor policies. My research indicates that a motion can contain similar items language at a future meeting um provided a couple of things aren't true. One is that a motion um to reconsider isn't still available. But two, even if a motion to reconsider is still available, Robert's rules appears to allow um for

149a a motion, a new main motion to be substantially similar or to utilize some or all of those parts in instances where there is a significant change of circumstances. And so, um I don't believe that there's a um any conflict with language there. And I do appreciate member Donley raising that point. Um it was something I considered when beginning to chart out what this path might look like uh if the board wanted to adopt such a resolution. We'll go to member Higgins. >> Thank you. Um the there's several issues, but let me start with the first one is just plain the estimate time. Okay. You you you want the the information on cost savings and and finances and how [clears throat] it works for different ones. uh next week. Um the the in the past

150we've had information to the board giving us some numbers and the numbers didn't include everything from my standpoint. You know, we had uh special programs being moved. We got a lot of things. We got increased cost of of of the uh transportation. We got cost of facility accommodations when we move special ed. I want an accurate figure. But when I tried to look at one time where we had a a a cost estimate where they had not included it, um uh I got blocked by the administration. So this is an important issue. I don't want to get information that supports it without getting all the information. And I don't see how they can give us an estimate next week from the past of how long it takes to be able to come out and give

151us accurate figures of where it's changing. We know there's a lot of finances with it and in some cases with these estimates you don't get the savings. You got to put money up front and you got to do that. So um I guess I'll I'll go to the COO and the superintendent and that is can we you know you're maintaining that within a week you're going to be able to determine and give us reasonably accurate figures on the cost associated with all of these things that take place. uh in that period of time. Of course, you got a lot of unknowns even while we're doing it, but that's a serious concern to me since we're accelerating it based on money. Um that's a big concern. >> U member Higgins, could you phrase that into a

152question quickly? >> Yes. I would like to know from the administration the time frame necessary to be able to provide us uh reasonably accurate information in regards to cost and savings associated with closing a school. >> Sure thing. Through the president, >> we're know we're going to need additional busing. We know we got other things. So that's what I'm asking for. How long is it going to take to give us and I'm going to scrutinize it of course, but give us a good um uh number for how much we're going to save or what and and and recognize the cost associated with it. >> Sure. Thank you, the president. Um member Higgins, that's a great question. At a high level, when a school is consolidated, you're no longer paying for the cost of that principal

153and certain staff members at the school. There are some additional nuances when it comes to the school funding formula that I'll ask Mr. Ratliff to clarify, but one of the reasons I assume that number one as part of this resolution is because the board recognizes that this is an urgent situation and expediency means that we need to lean heavily on analysis that was done over many months. So the upside of allowing the administration to look at previous analyses is that we would be the most confident of those two buildings of any um we were to analyze. So um Mr. Mr. Ratliff, could you clarify what we would know about the cost savings of the school and what we would not know? >> Uh, sure. So the [clears throat] cost savings we know you know there

154will be principal librarian clerical bo custodians all the utility costs um the and like the agenda that's paid out it's assumed that the supplies and the teaching staff and the prepare prepare professional staff all the students um typically saving about $900,000 per elementary school on those operational costs. Um so on the revenue side what you had asked about is there's a hold harmless provision that allows us to keep the school size adjustment revenue uh wholly intact for the first two years and then it steps down over years three four and five. Um so at the time you know for these smaller elementary schools we do end up losing about $800,000 in revenue also. So our expenses go down over time and so does our revenue. But the savings really is in those first couple of

155years where you can redirect that money somewhere else and then we save on the long-term capital costs as well. >> So, um just to summarize for for member Higgins at a high level, um part of the reason why number one of this of what would be resolved in this resolution would be for the administration to lean into previous research that we did in fall 2025 or fall 2025. in which case we would feel fairly confident that we would know many of the logistical pieces of a successful school consolidation which is everything from transportation to new boundaries to how services would be consolidated between schools receiving schools. I highly recommend that if the district were to consolidate school buildings within this current fiscal year going into next fiscal year that we do lean on previous analyses.

156Um the feasibility of producing new schools for consideration would be very difficult and would highly increase the risk to the school board. So I do want to be clear about what is feasible and practical in the um very condensed timeline that we're operating in. Well, let me ask then, for example, the cost associated with moving an SBBS program where you've got uh physical issues associated with the school that needs to be accommodating and how that would work and then the busing issue uh with it. Are those were those included in your calculations? >> Mr. Member Higgins, um I'm going to say this conversation is germanine to a particular building which is not referenced in our resolution tonight. So, uh, if you'd like, I'll ask administration to circle back with you and get you that data.

157Um, but right now, we're sticking to an amendment regarding specific language on a resolution which doesn't specifically direct administration to close any building or rightsize any building. It asks them to do some research and generate a proposal. >> I will excuse me, but disagree at one point. He just said they have extensive information on these truths. And I'm asking in that case specifically in response to his his answer, uh, did you include that information that you said is extensive to give us information we can use for decision-m? >> I'm not sure I understand that question. Could you rephrase that question one more time? >> I believe I heard the superintendent says he has sign he has he has the data uh to support these two schools. It would take longer for the others. if he

158has the data for these two schools, did it include the physical accommodation issues and busing and other things such as that since he said this has already been done. >> Okay. So, I think the question is did the most recent proposal the board voted on November campaign contain information regarding transition of SBPS programs and busing. >> Um, we did consider the busing and we worked it out. What you never know is parent choice, right? Um the fact that you redo a boundary doesn't mean everyone is going to um choose to go to that school. A good case in point is Lake Hood and Turnigan where we thought this this group of uh students would be going to Turnigan. As it turned out, it was certainly less than that. So we can't predict the future. Um

159but we we did plan for busing support for uh both of the schools in the fall. The uh one thing I kind of picked up on the resolution is it doesn't say that we can't change something if we can do analysis to make it even cheaper and we may have some we may be able to find some option um to avoid moving a program to a school that costs money and instead find some better solution to save even more. I think at this point we're all acutely aware that if we can find a way to save additional funds, we're not going to be held I I don't believe the board's intent is to hold us strictly to what we came up last fall. If we can find even additional savings to that and naturally if

160the board directs then we will do everything we can to follow that process um using a baseline u what's already been done and then look for even more efficiencies and a creative way to um capture any additional savings. >> Thank you Mr. Anderson. Um, I'll note that a plain reading of the resolution directs administration to to cast a broader net and doesn't limit you to the most recent analysis alone. Uh, member Bellamy, the member lessons. >> Thank you. Uh, thank you um, member lessons for SS S1. It it made it better for me. Uh, I second member Don Lee's uh, uh, amendment because I was trying to understand what he was trying to say. But I think um the way this is written, the way S1 is written, I mean we do we have to

161do something and this is among uh this is one of those things and I really appreciate uh the whereas number four because it really expands uh gives uh the the administration lots of um uh opportunity and guidance on what we are expecting. So while I will vote no on the um amendment, I do support uh the overall uh resolution. >> Thank you, member Bellamy. Member Les, >> thank you. Um I appreciate the chance to have this discussion. It's a complicated topic and I think the more we can uh pursue clarity the the better. So again um there's language here that recognizes and really I think directs the administration to identify new opportunities to promote efficiencies. If we can save more money and serve students better by golly let's do it. I will say anecdotally that

162I know I don't have all of the answers, but I will try. And I got the budget book when everybody else did uh Friday afternoon, a week and a half ago. And I sat down a lot at my kitchen table over the next four days, looking at the budget book, school by school, looking at the projected enrollment numbers, looking at the projected FTE, looking at maps of where our schools are, who's part, you know, where where are geographic clusters, and I came up with a list of about two dozen schools. where we could take action to improve building utilization, improve levels of service, and by that I mean specifically we could increase the FTE available for students. We can I have no idea how busing would work. I don't have all the answers. But when

163you improve FTE utilization and building utilization, um you can also generate savings by not paying additional front office staff by not paying additional all the people who make our schools work are all critical, but it may not be critical to duplicate those roles. And I think that that is the core hope of this substitute as a whole. Let's work to improve the options that we have available for our students so that we can give them the very best possible opportunities in frankly the very worst of times. And so I'm willing to try past the administration to try really hard over the next week to come up with some solutions. Some of them may be familiar, but I hope there are some new ones. So this is aspirational. Thank you, member lessons. I just want to

164make sure we're framing conversation specifically on the amendment. Then we'll go to member Higgins who has his hand raised. Do you have additional conversation on this particular amendment? Okay, member Wilson on the amendment. >> Yes, just wanted to state that these are all incredibly difficult decisions. Um, every single one of them. Um, but I do appreciate the way S1 is written and allows the administration to continue to come up with ways to consolidate that bring down costs ideally and even more ideally serve our students more efficiently um based on the circumstances that we're in and the decisions that we have to make. Um, and the ideal is finding creative ways, allowing the administration to find those additional creative ways to provide our as many of our students with as many services as we possibly can

165in assuming that that the cuts that that we are going to have to to make. So, I do not support the amendment that member Donley has put forward, but I do support the S1 amendment that member license has put forward. >> Thank you, member Donley on your amendment. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I I agree with a lot of what was said by the prior three speakers and I have uh supported closing six schools or recent years and the board's actually approved closing five and I'm very open to hearing an analysis just as member lessons mentioned of other schools that are out there that seem to have a much greater potential than the ones that were brought to us in the fall. Um, and I think that this resolution, even absent this one paragraph I'm

166proposing to delete, would clearly empower the administration to come back and do a full analysis of all the schools out there and bring us back uh proposals for closure. Um, I we we knew, Mr. President, I believe we all knew that there was a budget gap of approximately $80 million in the fall when we voted against uh closing Lake Otis and Fire Lake. So, I don't believe that the circumstances have changed. Although $10 million is a lot of money, but it's still not that you know of the we knew there was a serious problem we were faced with at that time and the Lake Otis and Fire Lake closure proposals were not the way the best way to go forward at that time and I don't believe they they would be now. Um this amendment

167would make it clear that the board needs better proposals for closure from the administration. Um and the failure to pass the amendment could be misinterpreted by the administration to just uh bring return bringing us the same school proposals as before. Um I think it's appropriate to talk about these specifics because they are directly related to the language that I'm proposing to delete from the substitute motion. And specifically, the Lake Otis plan called for the moving of vulnerable special needs students from Cassum to Lake Otis, where we've invested millions of dollars in Cassum to facilitate those students being there. And it was just a bad idea to move these vulnerable students out of consume all the way across town to another school that wasn't designed to handle them. and also the placement of a immersion school

168into a neighborhood school situation which would not allow you unless they wanted to be in that particular immersion program to produce part participate in their neighborhood school anymore. Um those were fatal flaws with the proposal we were brought. I don't want to I don't think we should have to repeat that analysis again. We we rejected that for really good solid reasons and I would like to see new proposals come forward um along the lines of of some of the ideas that member lessons was suggesting but I don't I think if we don't take this language out it's going to send the wrong message um that would actually not facilitate that as much as it should be. Is there any further discussion on this amendment? Hearing and seeing none, a voice vote. Miss Sullivan, please. >>

169Student Representative Madison, >> no. Member Bellamy, >> no. >> Member Hollerman, >> no. >> Member Donley, >> yes. >> Member Wilson, >> no. >> Member Higgins, >> no. Member Lessons. >> No. >> President Jacobs. >> No. >> Amendment number one fails by a vote of 1 to six. We're on discussion of the underlying resolution S1 version. Is there additional discussion? Member Higgins. Uh, is this on the entire resolution or we do we have another motion? >> This is on the resolution. >> Okay. Um, yeah. My my what? Okay. >> We have the substitute. Um, >> oh, it's a substitute motion. So, okay. I'm going to hold that. >> The substitute resolution was moved. It's a main motion to adopt the substitute. Member Higgins can speak on anything regarding the >> main. Okay. But you know,

170uh, one thing is that we talked about, we're talking about consolidating schools, but you know, I remember this year that the pres the superintendent talked about right sizing, not downsizing. And right sizing means looking at options, using some of this school for daycare and preschool. But we could use it, we could use a facility for moving administration and eliminating the lease, and that would probably save a lot of money, too. Uh so um uh there are some pros and cons here uh for different things and I want to see other options cuz we said we're going to rightsize not just downsize. So uh what we saw this year with proposals was downsizing it. It reduced the amount opportunity to use the space in a different creative way that is necessary for the community or may

171reduce expenses in other areas. uh and I hope that that is incorporated understood that we're looking consume school consolidations but we're looking at efficiency options. I want to make sure that that's not that that includes other options that are out there. And and the other comment I'll make is that I'm here in Juno right now meeting with legislators um a lot of them and some of them at their request. That surprises people, doesn't it? Um, and and I'm not giving up that we're going to get some type of increase, we're not going to solve $90 million thing. And most people think that next year with with changing the governor and other changes that things will be different. Uh, but this year, um, they're not giving up that something isn't out there. I heard from the

172head of the finance committee, um, uh, for the for the House that this is a higher priority. Education is number one issue here in the legislature right now. and um um the that this is higher than their uh budget for food for the caucus. I like that. That was a really positive statement. The the Senate is a little bit surprised that the public isn't being more uh assertive and start, you know, harassing them uh type of deal, but they know that that's just a matter of timing kind of issue. So, I'm I'm not convinced we won't get something, but I am um I am also convinced that we're going to have a big deficit any way you look at it. Um regardless of what does locally and here, but I don't want to dismiss that

173we're not that we have no hope here in the Juno because I don't think that's correct. It is correct though that the the amount of funds that we need and what they're going to be able to do uh is is probably very unrealistic. Uh but I don't want to dismiss that something good can come out of this a little bit. So how much I don't know. >> Okay. Member Lesl >> um I want to I appreciate the questions and conversations this evening. I want to underscore one of the things that is really important and pressing on my mind. We heard um from a teacher at Polaris about the question of whether or not high school students are going to be able to have enough access to credits needed to graduate under the PTR plus4. I

174believe that we are severely hindering the curricular options for our high school students to be able to take the classes they need to graduate. That's not elect. I mean, you need to have a certain number of electives, but but to get across the finish line, you need four years of English. You need four years of social studies. If you want to go for the Alaska Performance Scholarship, guess what? You need a higher level of access to world languages, to other robust academic offerings. And I think we are very, very close, especially at our smallest secondary schools, to not being able to do that. And I think that that needs to be fixed. And I would hope that a solution to secondary schools being on the brink is a part of the proposal that would come

175out of um this the work that we are asking the administration to do. We have to allow students to cross the finish line next year. Member Donley, >> I agree with the comments of member lessons, but I do not think to accomplish those goals, paragraph sub paragraph one is needed in this res in this substitute motion, and I think it's a fatal flaw in it. Um, so I think it's an improvement over the original uh motion, but it's still fatally flawed because it has this specific paragraph that would tend to indicate that the administration could come back with the same proposal that we've already rejected for very good reasons. >> I'll close conversation out. Sounds like there's no additional comments by indicating and reframing the the issue that um this resolution asks administration to prepare

176options for us regarding right sizing and consolidation. Um the board has been provided with ample public testimony that um we should examine reducing our footprint in the ways that makes make the most logical sense. um we should and need to depend upon the expertise of district administration to identify uh the best potential candidates and I don't want to personally leave anything off the table. um I will trust their judgment because I have a day job that does not include um municipal planning or demographic work and um I appreciate each of the expertise of the board members on the dis but to the best of my knowledge that isn't any of our strengths and so I think getting their feedback so we can evaluate that proposal would be infinitely valuable and will help us make an

177informed decision as to what we want to be able to fund next year with a deficit that um is roughly $90 million Um, with that said, Miss Sullivan, a voice vote on this resolution, please. >> Student Representative Madison, >> yes. Member Donley, >> no. >> Member Wilson, >> yes. >> Member Higgins, >> no. >> Member Bellamy, >> yes. >> Member Lessons, >> yes. >> Member Hollowman, >> yes. President Jacobs. >> Yes. Resolution 25-26-01 S1 is adopted by a vote of 5 to two. That completes our business for tonight. >> No, that's not the way it works, Mr. President. The substitute motion has now been put voted to replace the main motion. Then the vote becomes on the substitute motion. Uh, member Donley, the main the main motion was to adopt the amended version, not the

178original version. A main motion to adopt the original version and then a separate motion to substitute was not made. We only had a main motion to adopt the substitute version. This is consistent with actions the assembly takes when they have a original version and an S version. And I would invite you to look to their process as well. I'll look through their processes, but I've been following Robert's rules of order for decades. And everywhere I've ever worked, uh, the substitute motion once it's approved, it replaces the main motion, then you vote on the main motion. >> In this case, there was a two different documents and we adopted the amended document. Uh, if you would like to appeal the ruling, the chair, we have a process for that as well. It's not that I think

179the result's going to be any different because folks voted to adopt the the substitute. Um, but I do think that that's not the way it's done. Um, so I would appeal the decision of the chair, but I'm not anticipating any different result here. I just think it's the proper way to handle Robert's rules of order. >> Is there a second to appeal the ruling of the chair? Seeing none, that motion fails. Is there a motion to adjurnn? I move to adjourn. Second >> made by member Bellamy, seconded by member Wilson. Seeing no opposition, we are adjourned at 8:52 p.m. Thank you everyone.