4/27/2026 School Board Recap

 

 

 

Key takeaways:

• Board receives briefing from Sen. Jesse Bjorkman on SB 278 (local contributions by school districts)
• The Board declined to take a position in support of the bill
• Board approves reinstating seven-period middle school schedule for 2026–27

 

On Monday, April 27, 2026, the Anchorage School Board held a work session at 4 p.m., followed by a Board meeting at 6 p.m. 

Work sessions, committee meetings, and Board meetings are open to the public. Meetings take place at the Education Center and can be watched live or on demand on the District’s YouTube Channel.

Anchorage School Board Resources:

Calendar of upcoming meetings

School Board meeting agendas

 

Work Session Review

The Board Work Session agenda is available to review. A recording of the meeting is available for playback. 

 Briefing: SB 278 Local Contributions By School Districts

The Board heard an informational briefing on Senate Bill 278 (SB 278) from Senator Jesse Bjorkman.

Sen. Bjorkman outlined how Alaska’s current education funding formula allocates financial responsibility between the State and local municipalities. Required Local Contribution (RLC) is driven by assessed property values. As property values increase, local contribution requirements increase. For every dollar the RLC increases, state aid decreases by the same amount.

For example, In the 2025-26 School Year:

• ASD received approximately $7.2 million less in State aid compared to the previous year, despite increases to the Base Student Allocation (BSA)

SB 278 proposes capping the annual growth of the RLC at 2%, requiring the State to cover any increase above that cap.

Key clarifications:

• The bill does not reduce local control or limit what municipalities can contribute
• It does not cap property values or assessed value growth
• Does not generate new funding for schools but rather shifts responsibility back to the state

Next Steps

This informational briefing prepared the Board before voting on whether and how to take a public position on SB 278 during the School Board Meeting later that day.

---

Board Meeting Review

Resources from this meeting:

The Agenda as presented was approved by the Board. 

 

Public Comment

 

ASD Memorandum #163- To Approve The Reinstatement of a Seven-Period Academic Schedule At The Middle School Level For The 2026/27 School Year.  

 

Superintendent Dr. Jharrett Bryantt introduced the memo, emphasizing that the proposal does not include any new revenue, but instead represents a reallocation of existing resources. District leaders consulted with legal counsel and program experts to ensure compliance with federal requirements, particularly related to the use of Special Education grant funds.

 

Presenting administrators included:

Deputy Superintendent Sven Gustafson

Director of Special Education Jason Hlasny

Senior Director of Special Education Pamela Momany

Senior Director of Middle School Education Joe Zawodny

 

Administrators explained that moving to a previously approved six-period schedule revealed several challenges, including:

• Reduced access to electives such as fine arts, world languages, and Career Technical Education (CTE)
• Scheduling conflicts for students receiving Special Education and English Language Learner (ELL) services
• Limitations for immersion program students
• Fewer opportunities for student support and teacher collaboration

 

Approval of the memorandum would provide time for planning, stakeholder engagement, and system improvements. Additionally, it would preserve student access to electives and programs

and maintain supports for students with additional needs.

 

Administration reiterated that this is a one-year solution using existing funds, including:

• 14 FTE funded through Special Education Title VI-B grant carryover
• 9 FTE from secondary “holdback” positions (typically used for class size relief)
• 3.6 FTE previously allocated for zero-hour courses

 

This approach would restore approximately 26.6 FTE positions, including teaching positions in fine arts, world languages, immersion, CTE, and core subjects. Administrators also noted the trade-offs involved, including fewer holdback positions available to address class size concerns.

 

The Board approved ASD Memorandum #163, as amended, by a vote of 6–1.

 

Stance on SB 278

 

The Board discussed the motion to direct the Board President and the Superintendent to draft a letter in support of Senate Bill 278 to the Senate Education Committee.

 

The Board voted 2-5 against the action item, saying they appreciated the presentation for helping clarify a complex funding issue and for providing the opportunity to hear multiple perspectives. Ultimately, a majority of the Board cited that SB 278 does not address the core issue of overall education funding and instead focuses on how costs are divided between the state and local governments.

 

This report is from the ASD Administration and summarizes what was presented to the Board during each meeting. We hope that you find these updates valuable. As always, we welcome your feedback and thoughts at TeamASD@asdk12.org. Have a great day.