Alaska’s school districts scrambled after the education grant freeze blocked $46 million in federal funds this summer. The Anchorage School District had already factored $14 million of the funding into its planned budget for the coming school year.
As a result, the district eliminated 34.5 full-time staff positions, though most educators were reassigned to different jobs within ASD. However, five educators were laid off outright, and schools now face service gaps with limited time to adjust.
The freeze disrupted summer assignments and planning, leaving teachers uncertain about their fall classroom roles and responsibilities. Corey Aist, president of the Anchorage Education Association, said the timing magnifies an already dire public school funding situation.
He described the sudden freeze as compounding the state’s long-standing failure to adequately fund Alaska’s public education system. District officials said every school would feel the loss, particularly in literacy support, math instruction, and after-school programs.
Special education programs will take a significant hit, especially paraprofessional staffing, already strained by prior vacancies and shortages. Many parents worry about worsening student support, particularly for children with special needs in early and middle school.
