ÅÝܽÊÓƵ

Dear ASD Staff and Families,

Today's decision by the U.S. Department of Education to release frozen education funds is a major win for Anchorage students and families.

When these funds were withheld without warning, it put vital programs at risk—programs that support English learners, summer learning, and students furthest from opportunity. Anchorage took action because our students deserve stability, not disruption.

In light of this news, we will restore as many services as possible. We are still waiting on important information. For example, we are coordinating with the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the funds are properly released, which will permit the District to restore supports. 

We’re proud that our lawsuit helped lead to this outcome. We’re also grateful to Alaska’s congressional delegation for listening to our concerns and helping ensure these funds reach the communities they were meant to serve.

This outcome shows what’s possible when local communities stand firm and demand that commitments to students are honored. We’ll continue to speak up for what’s right and do everything in our power to protect the services our children rely on.

We appreciate the continued patience and support of our staff, students, and families as we work through this transition. ASD will provide further updates as more information becomes available.

Sincerely,

Team ASD

Dear ASD Staff and Families,

Earlier this week, I delivered a message no school leader ever wants to send. The decision to issue layoffs and reassignments just weeks before school begins was devastating, but necessary given the sudden and severe disruption in funding at both the state and federal levels. In the days since, many of you have reached out with questions, frustrations, and heartfelt reflections. Your honesty, advocacy, and care for our students have meant more than I can express.

As we head into the weekend, I want to touch base with what we know now. While there have been some developments worth noting, this crisis is still unfolding. The impacts are real, the uncertainty remains, and our direction is unchanged. We are staying focused, we are staying engaged, and we are not backing down from what this moment demands.

Through strategic use of vacant positions and limited alternative funds, we were able to reduce the number of layoffs. These were difficult choices, but they reflect our determination to provide stability for our students. Still, the loss of positions will have a real and lasting impact. Essential services, including after-school programming, summer learning, literacy and math support, and ELL assistance, will be reduced across our schools. These are not extras. They are foundational supports that our students rely on.

This week, we met with staff from each of Alaska’s congressional offices to advocate for the release of frozen federal education grants. I want to thank our delegation for their time and attention.

We learned today that the U.S. Department of Education will release a small portion of funds following a letter from 10 U.S. senators, including Senator Murkowski, urging the federal government to restore all of the federal funds withheld on July 1. As a result, our 21st Century Program will ultimately be restored due to these additional funds. This is a meaningful development, but it is still only a partial restoration. Most of our frozen federal funds remain unavailable, and the Governor’s state-level veto remains fully in effect.

This next part is critical to understand. Moments like this create openings for confusion, false claims, and even deliberate disinformation. The stakes are too high to let that go unchecked. That is why we are actively updating our with clear, factual, and timely information. Use it. Share it. Point others to it. This page is not just a source of answers — it is one of our strongest tools to push back against misinformation, defend the truth, and protect the integrity of our schools and our community.

To our staff, families, and students, thank you. This week has pushed us, but you have shown up with strength, honesty, and a deep belief in our shared purpose. You are our anchor, and it’s you that makes this fight worth it.

We will keep showing up, keep speaking the truth, and keep leading with purpose, together.

With resolve,

Dr. Jharrett Bryantt
Superintendent
ÅÝܽÊÓƵapp

Dear ASD Families and Community, 

This is not the kind of message I expected to send in mid-July. Just weeks before students return to school, we are being forced to issue layoff notices and reassignments across the ÅÝܽÊÓƵapp. This is happening only because public education in Alaska is being actively undermined by unstable decision-making, delayed funding, and systemic negligence.

Many in our community are only now learning how serious the situation has become. That is understandable. Summer in Alaska is short, and families rightfully take this time to rest, not monitor legislative backchannels. But while our community was enjoying the holiday weekend, federal education funding was quietly frozen just before July 4, leaving districts and students stranded without warning.

This letter is not just an update. It is a warning, and a call to action.

What Just Happened, and Why It’s Alarming 

On July 3, the U.S. Department of Education froze nearly $46 million in federal education grants statewide, including more than $14 million for ASD. These funds were already budgeted to support after-school programs, special education, English learner services, and Alaska Native student services. Now, with the school year weeks away, we are scrambling to preserve critical supports while losing staff and resources. 

At the state level, the Governor vetoed bipartisan school funding twice, after districts had already finalized their budgets. When the Legislature overrode his veto by a 46–14 vote, the Governor still slashed an additional $200 per student without warning, creating a $4.3 million shortfall for ASD with no time to prepare. A special session is now scheduled to give lawmakers a chance to override the veto. 

The DEED Commissioner presented a proposal to the State Board of Education to cap how much local communities can contribute to their own public schools—a move that would strip even more funding from urban districts like ours.

This is not a coincidence. It is a pattern. These decisions reflect a coordinated failure of leadership that disregards the will of Alaskans and jeopardizes the foundation of our public schools.

Standing with Courage and Thinking Beyond the Crisis

Some state and local leaders have had the courage to speak out. They have called this pattern what it is: reckless, short-sighted, and devastating to Alaska’s students—our future. But speaking out is not enough. We must act. And we must hold ourselves accountable for what happens next.

We have to hold two truths at once:

• Yes, our schools need more funding, greater predictability, and protection from decisions made in bad faith.
• Yes, we also need a long-term, coherent strategy to ensure every dollar is aligned to student needs and our shared values. 

These truths are not in conflict. They are both essential. We must advocate and plan. Defend and lead. React and rebuild. That is what this moment requires.

What We Have Already Done, and Why It Was Not Enough

Earlier this year, ASD approved one of the leanest budgets in district history. We cut 42 central office positions. We reduced more than $30 million in salaries, benefits, and services. We drew down reserves below our policy minimum. After exhausting these options, we had to make agonizing decisions to increase class sizes, and pause enrichment programs. These decisions were not made lightly. They were made to protect the classroom and preserve core services.

But even those deep cuts were not enough to absorb the shock of frozen federal funding and last-minute state reductions.

That is why today, layoff notices and staff reassignments were issued. These are not abstract policy outcomes. They are real people. These are real losses. And students will feel the difference when they walk into school in August.

This Is What Happens When Systems Fail ÅÝܽÊÓƵapps

When school districts are blindsided by mid-year funding losses, school districts cannot plan, cannot hire, and cannot deliver the consistent services that students need. These disruptions weaken everything from after-school programming to counseling to special education.  

We are being asked to run a modern school system with unstable and unpredictable resources. This is not sustainable, and this is not acceptable.

If we don’t stop this trend now, it will continue. The proposed cap on local education contributions would make it harder for communities like Anchorage to invest in their own children. If approved by the State Board of Education, it could remove millions more from our schools in the years ahead.

What You Can Do Right Now

There is still time to act, but not much. Here’s how you can choose to make a difference:

• Submit public comment to the State Board of Education at eed.stateboard@alaska.gov  by 5:00 p.m. on July 25 regarding the proposed regulation on local funding contributions for education.
•  before August 2 to share your perspective ahead of the upcoming special session. 
• Reach out to Alaska’s congressional delegation to let them know how you feel about the federal funding freeze. 
• Share this information with others who may want to stay informed or participate in the process. We’ve created a  with more information and details.

We Are Not Backing Down

To Team ASD: Thank you. Your commitment, even in the face of disruption and uncertainty, is extraordinary. You should not have to carry this burden.  

To our families: Thank you for your trust and for your growing advocacy for excellent public schools for every child. We need your voice now more than ever. 

To our students: You deserve stability, opportunity, and a system that is worthy of your potential. This is not your fault, and we will not stop fighting for you. 

We are not just managing a crisis. We are resisting the slow dismantling of public education in Alaska. And we are doing it with clarity, courage, and purpose. 

When this moment passes, Anchorage will still be standing. That is because we will not be silent. We will not be passive. We will lead. 

 

In solidarity and resolve,

Dr. Jharrett Bryantt
Superintendent, ÅÝܽÊÓƵapp

The ÅÝܽÊÓƵapp joined this lawsuit because the unexpected freeze of federal education funds has caused significant disruption to our core mission of educating all students for success in life. Our students’ success depends on professional learning support that drives early literacy, strengthens mental health services, and improves graduation rates. These funds also provide targeted support for English learners and for families whose livelihoods depend on agricultural work, logging, or fishing.

Districts like ours rely on timely and predictable access to these funds to meet federally mandated obligations and ensure a strong start to the school year. When longstanding commitments are withheld without warning, it creates instability across our schools and directly impacts the students who depend on these programs the most. Legal action became necessary to protect those students, uphold our responsibilities, and restore the stability every public school system needs to serve its community well.

You can read the full court filing here.

The budget book is available on the FY26 Budget Solutions Hot Topics page.

On July 1, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) Commissioner sent to all superintendents, flagging the issue that Federal funds would be delayed for all Alaska school districts. On July 9, DEED that the U.S. Department of Education will freeze federal funds through the Elementary and Secondary Education (ESEA) Consolidated Grants, and districts should not obligate funds in excess of their anticipated carryover amounts from FY2025. 

The ÅÝܽÊÓƵapp is facing a potential loss of approximately $14 million in allocations. 

Every school in the ÅÝܽÊÓƵapp will have an impact on support services as a result of the funding withholdings. That said, some schools that have previously received more support will feel a greater degree of impact. 

• After-school programs (21st Century program)
• Summer School Programs
• Credit recovery opportunities for students
• Educational support for students of families who participate in subsistence activities, or move around the state for logging, agricultural, and fishing employment. Bridge academic gaps through internet credit recovery, tutoring, technology support, and other means as necessary
• Professional learning opportunities for staff
• English Language Learner support, including summer school and graduation support
• Instructional support for Reading, Math, Career Technology Education (CTE), and Positive Behavioral and Intervention Supports
• Mentorship and coaching for teachers and principals to improve their craft
• Instructional Support for World Language Teachers
• Literacy resources, access to books, and before and after-school book clubs
• Reduced Family Engagement opportunities

Yes, in some ways. Some staffing and programs are immediately impacted. An absence of allocated funds will result in greater impacts over time. We will continue to update this document as more information and specifics become available.

DEED advised districts to assume the money will not arrive. We cannot spend money we don’t have.

No. The ÅÝܽÊÓƵapp receives funds from a variety of sources. The BSA is a funding formula at the state level. Federal funding is another significant source of funding for ASD. The grant funds being withheld are a separate budget that the district relies on to provide supplemental student services that are separate from BSA and state funding. 

Through strategic use of vacant positions and limited alternative funds, we were able to reduce the number of layoffs. These were difficult choices, but they reflect our determination to keep instability away from our students. Still, the loss of 34.5 positions will have a real and lasting impact. Essential services, including after-school programming, summer learning, literacy and math support, and ELL assistance, will be reduced across our schools. These are not extras. They are foundational supports that our students rely on.

This number will likely increase as we continue to exhaust our federal reserves.

No. Most positions that are affected are not classroom teachers. Instead, they are student support positions that assist the classroom teachers in their daily work. It will also reduce training opportunities at the beginning of the year for new teachers and throughout the school year.

Staff who hold a teacher certification will be reassigned to classroom positions to fill existing vacancies at schools across the district. 

No. This federal funding is being withheld from all school districts across Alaska.  It was congressionally approved and not expected to be withheld. 

ÅÝܽÊÓƵapp (ASD) leadership met with staff from each of Alaska’s congressional offices to advocate for the immediate release of frozen federal education grants. District leaders emphasized the urgent need for these funds to prevent further disruption to staffing, student support services, and essential academic programs. 

ASD extends its appreciation to Alaska’s congressional delegation for stepping up and engaging on this critical issue.

Reach out to Alaska’s congressional delegation to let them know how you feel about the federal funding freeze. 

ASD remains committed to working closely with its federal partners to ensure these funds are released and stability is restored for Alaska’s public schools.  

 

 

 

 

There is indeed a lot of misinformation and disinformation circulating about this issue. Here are the facts:

ASD approved one of the leanest budgets in district history earlier this year. We cut 42 central office positions, reduced more than $30 million in salaries, benefits, and services, and drew down reserves below our policy minimum. After exhausting those options, we made agonizing choices to increase class sizes and pause enrichment programs—moves made to protect classrooms and preserve core services.

Despite these deep, early cuts, ASD was hit with unexpected financial shocks: a federal funding freeze and last-minute reductions in state support. No school district budget—no matter how carefully planned—can absorb that kind of disruption without consequences.

That’s why layoff notices and staff reassignments were issued. These are not abstract decisions. They affect real people, and our students will feel the impact when they return to school in August.

The U.S. Department of Education has frozen funding allocations under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), including Title I-C grants that support Migrant Education. ASD was expecting approximately $5.5 million in funding, which is now delayed.

Without the expected funding, the ASD Migrant Education Program will only be able to continue limited services using remaining unspent funds through September 30, 2025. After that date, services may be interrupted.

 If the funding freeze continues, programs that could be impacted include:

• School-based migrant staff support
• After-school academic programs
• Tutoring services
• Summer school opportunities
• Community partnership sponsorships
• Access to supplemental resources for students

 Our ability to provide services beyond September will depend on whether federal funding is restored.

ASD is working closely with state and federal partners to seek clarity and solutions. Internally, we are reviewing staffing and resource allocations to maintain critical services for migratory students for as long as possible.

Families can reach out directly to the ASD Migrant Education office with questions. We are committed to keeping families informed and supported through this period of uncertainty.