The school board has tasked the administration with proposing schools to close or consolidate by Feb. 14.
Anchorage school board member Kelly Lessens asks a question during a work session on the ASD FY2026-27 budget on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. As it looks for ways to close the district’s $90 million deficit, the Anchorage School Board has decided to return to the idea of closing schools this year.
, which directs district administrators to search for closure or consolidation opportunities to supplement the two school closure proposals rejected by the board in November. Earlier this school year, the board“I’m willing to try to ask the administration to try really hard over the next week to come up with some solutions,” Lessens said during the meeting. “Some of them may be familiar, but I hope there’s some new ones, so this is aspirational.” If ASD administrators are going to recommend additional school closures, it will have to happen fast. The resolution tasks the administration with proposingFeb. 14 in order to publish the closure recommendations before the school board’s next budget meeting on Feb. 17. Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt said the deadline will be difficult to meet if they are going to add schools other than Fire Lake and Lake Otis elementary to the proposal. “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,” Bryantt said. “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 very condensed timeline that we’re operating in.”proposals to close Lake Otis and Fire Lake elementary schools, in part due to concerns over the need to relocate several special programs to receiving schools. On Monday night, the board voted to include Fire Lake and Lake Otis among schools in the district that may be recommended for closure by administrators at the end of the week. Lessens said she’s been looking at two dozen schools that are underutilized or have low enrollment where programs could be consolidated or closed. “There’s language here that recognizes and really, I think, directs the administration to identify new opportunities to promote efficiencies,” Lessens said. “If we can save more money and serve students better, by golly let’s do it.” Board member Dave Donley opposed the measure. He questioned whether Robert’s Rules of Order allowed for the board to reconsider schools it had voted not to close just three months ago.“The Lake Otis and Fire Lake closure proposals were not the best way to go forward at that time, and I don’t believe they would be now,” Donley said. “I would like to see new proposals come forward.” Over the last 10 years, the school board has voted to close five schools. Bryantt framed the discussions in recent years as “right-sizing” the district to more efficiently serve a dwindling number of students. A budget simulation in Octoberthe district would save $900,000 by closing one school. And while school closures themselves do not save the district much money, they’re seen as a means to streamline services for students and eliminate redundant positions.state lawmakers will not pass any additional funding for schools this year. Anchorage voters this spring will also consider aBut board member Pat Higgins said that may not be the case. Higgins attended Monday’s meeting virtually from Juneau where he’s meeting with state lawmakers. “I’m not convinced we won’t get something, but I am also convinced that we’re going to have a big deficit any way you look at it,” Higgins said.Tim Rockey is a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News focusing on education and general assignments. He has worked in journalism in Alaska for more than a decade, including at Alaska Public Media, Alaska’s News Source and the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. Contact him at trockey@adn.com.Photos: Best of February
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Maryland high school shooting leaves 1 person injured, school locked downToday's Video Headlines: 02/09/2026
Read more »
Dallas ISD's $6.2 billion bond issue goes before school boardDallas ISD trustees are expected to vote Thursday on a proposed $6.2 billion bond issue.
Read more »
Anchorage School Board holds special meeting to address $90 million deficitDistrict to discuss school consolidation resolution as budget crisis deepens
Read more »
Lacrosse coach to resign from Lancaster County school board after allegedly hitting teenA volunteer lacrosse coach and school board member is expected to resign from his position on the board after he was cited for allegedly hitting a student.
Read more »
California school board member in hot seat after students violated orders leaving campus to protest ICEFox News Channel offers its audiences in-depth news reporting, along with opinion and analysis encompassing the principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought, as an alternative to the left-of-center offerings of the news marketplace.
Read more »
California School Board Member Faces Scrutiny After Confrontation Over Anti-ICE WalkoutA California school board member is facing potential repercussions after a dispute with a school principal concerning students participating in anti-ICE protests. The board is considering issuing a 'Stay Away Letter' in response to the incident, highlighting tensions between student activism, school policies, and board member conduct.
Read more »