This photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey looks up Tracy Arm fjord to the terminus of the South Sawyer Glacier about 80 miles southeast of Juneau, Alaska, on Aug. 13, 2025, days after a landslide in the area. (John Lyons/U.S. Geological Survey via AP)
This photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey looks up Tracy Arm fjord to the terminus of the South Sawyer Glacier about 80 miles southeast of Juneau, Alaska, on Aug. 13, 2025, days after a landslide in the area. (John Lyons/U.S. Geological Survey via AP)
AP- For years, a popular part of many cruises in southeast Alaska has been sailing up Tracy Arm, a long, narrow fjord marked by steep mountains, glittering waterfalls and calving glaciers.
But this season, major cruise lines are skipping it. A massive landslide last summer sent parts of a glacier crashing into the water, generated a tsunami and pushed a wave high up the opposite mountain wall. Several companies opting out cited safety concerns with the still-hazardous slopes.
“Tracy Arm is the majestic princess, you know, she is the queen of fjords,” said travel agent Nate Vallier.
The destination cruise and tour companies have chosen as an alternative — nearby Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier — is “still beautiful by any means, but it’s just not the same,” he said.
Tracy Arm, southeast of Juneau, is a roughly 30-mile (50-kilometer) fjord that features two tidewater glaciers — the North and South Sawyer — and wildlife, including seals and bears.
Early on Aug. 10, 2025, a landslide originating high on a slope above the toe of the South Sawyer, near the head of the fjord, sent water surging more than a quarter mile (more than half a kilometer) up the mountain wall opposite the slide and out Tracy Arm.
No ships were in the fjord, officials said, and no deaths or injuries were reported. But kayakers camped on an island near where Tracy and Endicott arms meet had much of their gear swept away by the rushing water.
Southeast Alaska, largely encompassed by a temperate rainforest, is no stranger to landslides. And while it’s long been known the fjord network in the Tracy Arm region has been susceptible, the slope that failed had not been identified as an active hazard before last summer’s collapse, said Gabriel Wolken, manager of the state’s climate and ice hazards program.
Scientists are working to understand not only what caused the slope to collapse but to understand what other hazards might exist in the fjord, he said.
The area remains unstable, said Steven Sobieszczyk, a U.S. Geological Survey spokesperson. Steep landslide areas continue to change for years after an initial slide, he said by email.
“Continued rockfall and small-scale sliding from the exposed landslide scar are expected and could impact the water, potentially causing a future localized tsunami,” he said.
Major cruise companies, including Holland America, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean said in response to inquiries from The Associated Press that they are replacing a Tracy Arm visit with Endicott Arm. MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages and regional tour company Allen Marine also are doing Endicott and Dawes Glacier instead. Norwegian Cruise Line said it does not have voyages sailing by Tracy Arm.
Endicott already has been a stop for some ships previously and an alternative when conditions in Tracy Arm, such as excess ice, have been unsafe.
Vallier, who owns the Alaska Travel Desk, said he would have liked cruise companies to give travelers more advance notice about itinerary changes.
After leaving Seattle, the first ships of the season are due April 21 in Ketchikan and in Juneau the following week.
Seeing a glacier — particularly a dynamic, calving glacier — is a bucket-list item for many tourists, and that’s what has made Tracy Arm so popular, he said. While the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau is a major attraction for the capital city and cruise port, many visitors view it from across a large lake, and it has diminished or entirely retreated from view from some hiking overlooks.
Kimberly Lebeda of Wichita, Kansas, was excited when she booked tickets for a Tracy Arm excursion for her family last year. Lebeda, who researches areas she visits, said she was sold on the scenery.
But the night before the stop, they were told that due to ice in Tracy Arm, they would go up Endicott instead. Her family and others who’d booked the excursion got off the ship and onto a smaller boat with glass windows, abundant seating and snacks. They saw seals on ice floes, waterfalls and “a wall of ice” calve from Dawes Glacier, she said.
She called it “an amazing thing to witness.”
“Was it worth it? Yes, because I don’t know if I’ll ever get to do that trip again,” she said. “Again, I haven’t ever been to Tracy Arm so I can’t really compare. But to me, was it worth it and was it exciting? Absolutely.”
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters on Thursday, April 17, 2025, with Deena Bishop, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, looking on in the background. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
By: Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed off on a supplemental budget bill that authorizes nearly $450 million in additional state spending this year.
The budget bill covers additional costs incurred by the state this fiscal year ending in June, including funds for disaster relief, education, corrections and transportation.
The bill was approved by the Alaska State Legislature two weeks ago. Dunleavy signed the budget on Apr. 2, and transmitted it back to the Legislature on Thursday.
“I appreciate the Legislature’s support of these proposals,” Dunleavy said in a letter announcing his signature on the bill. “The supplemental budget I have signed into law today enables the State to meet current fiscal year responsibilities and represents prudent and fiscally responsible investments in emergency and fire response, public safety and statewide transportation needs.”
The budget includes $75 million for disaster relief to address the response to the Western Alaska storms last fall, and nearly $100 million for fire suppression, particularly in Interior Alaska. It includes $20 million for the Alaska Department of Corrections overtime expenses, as well as $70 million in time-sensitive funding for transportation — sought by the construction industry to unlock a federal match of $630 million for state construction projects.
It also includes $130 million for the Alaska Higher Education Fund which provides grants and scholarships for students, as well as $34.4 million for Medicaid and $12.8 million for other public assistance programs through the Alaska Department of Health.
The governor’s office submitted an additional $11.6 million request, but it was submitted too late to include in the budget bill, and will be rolled into the proposal for next year’s budget.
Additionally, the state is waiting on an appeal decision after failing a federal disparity test for education funding, and could potentially be liable for $72 million in K-12 funding for next year, according to officials with the Legislative Finance Division.
Oil revenues still uncertain
In the Legislature, the bill was delayed this year amid ongoing debate in the House of Representatives on whether to pay for the larger than usual budget bill out of state savings — an act that requires the approval of three-quarters of legislators.
Members of the House Republican minority caucus objected to spending from a state savings account, the Constitutional Budget Reserve. After the Alaska Department of Revenue projected the state would see an additional $500 million in oil revenue due to a surge in oil prices driven by the Iran war, they argued the state would not need to pull from savings to pay its bills.
Members of the multipartisan House majority caucus objected to the uncertainty of revenue forecasts and future oil prices, and argued for a draw from state savings to fund the budget bill immediately.
If oil-driven state revenues from now until the end of the fiscal year are not sufficient to cover the $450 million supplemental budget, then lawmakers agreed to draw from state savings. That means oil prices must average approximately $82 per barrel of oil through June for state revenue to cover spending, according to officials with the Legislative Finance Division.
House Speaker Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, was among legislators who supported the draw from savings several weeks ago, instead of banking on uncertain future oil revenues. On Friday, he said it seems revenues will cover the budget bill.
“As appears now, oil prices are continuing to move in an upward trajectory, which means that the bill at the very end could be fully funded,” Edgmon said. “But there’s still a fair amount of time in front of us for oil prices to, you know, continue to be volatile.”
Edgmon said barring a dive in oil prices, he doesn’t expect another vote on drawing from the state savings this session.
“That’s pending a dramatic drop in oil prices, of course, which doesn’t seem to be on the horizon.”
Snow falls on the Alaska State Capitol on Monday, March 16, 2026, in Juneau, Alaska. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)
By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
Snow falls on the Alaska State Capitol on Monday, March 16, 2026, in Juneau, Alaska. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)
The chief of staff for a member of the Alaska House of Representatives was arrested early Sunday morning in Juneau and accused of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Kathryn “Katy” Giorgio, 45, is an aide to Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage, and pleaded not guilty to a class A misdemeanor in an initial hearing on Monday.
Her arrest came less than a week after Forrest Wolfe, a Republican and aide to Gov. Mike Dunleavy, was also arrested for driving under the influence. It was Wolfe’s second DUI arrest and Giorgio’s first.
Giorgio was released without bail. Ordinarily, DUI release conditions require that accused Alaskans stay out of bars and other places where alcohol is served.
In Giorgio’s case, Judge Kirsten Swanson and the municipal prosecutor agreed to one exception: Giorgio will be allowed to play trombone this week in the Red Dog Saloon as part of an Alaska Folk Fest concert.
Mina declined comment when reached by phone Thursday evening but confirmed that Giorgio remains a member of her staff and that the matter is an internal personnel issue.
Giorgio declined on Thursday to speak at length about the incident but said “it was a bad decision.”
“I was not driving erratically. I was a block away from my house, and it was just an unfortunate situation, and I’m working through the system to do what I have to do,” she said.
In an affidavit submitted to prosecutors, Juneau Police Department Officer Joshua Shrader said he pulled over Giorgio about 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning after observing her car speeding and “driving down the center of the road” in Juneau’s Mendenhall Valley neighborhood.
“While Giorgio was searching for her registration,” he wrote, “I noted an open can of alcohol in the center console cup holder. Inside the center console glove box, Giorgio picked up another can of alcohol and attempted to conceal it in a napkin.”
Shrader said both Giorgio and the car smelled of alcohol, and her breath alcohol level measured at 0.126, more than the legal limit of 0.08.
A status hearing on Giorgio’s case has been preliminarily scheduled for April 24. A hearing in Wolfe’s case is scheduled for May 18. According to online court records, both have hired defense attorney August Petropulos.
NOTN- An Alaska Senate committee on Wednesday advanced a resolution backing federal visa programs that lawmakers say are critical to the state’s seasonal workforce and public schools.
Senate Joint Resolution 28, heard in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, puts the Alaska Legislature on record in support of the J-1 and H-1B visa programs and urges the state’s congressional delegation to work with federal policymakers to preserve and strengthen them.
A similar resolution was heard in the Senate Education committee Wednesday as well, in support of H-1B international educators.
“Senate Joint Resolution 28 very simply, recognizes the important role that visa programs such as the J1 visa program, and the H-1B program, play to the economy and the education of children and young adults across Alaska.” Said legislative aide Mike Mason, “These international visa workers are vital to filling Alaska’s diverse workforce needs. If you travel around Alaska, especially this summer, you are going to see these visa workers filling very important jobs across the state. This resolution simply puts the Alaska legislature on record as supporting these visa programs.”
The measure also objects to a steep federal fee increase on certain H-1B petitions, from $5,000 to $100,000, which supporters say has effectively shut Alaska’s public schools out of the program.
“That fee effectively ended most employers ability to fill these open jobs through this program.” Mason said.
Lawmakers adopted an amendment, to explicitly include H-2B visas, which cover temporary nonagricultural workers.
Public testimony on the resolution was brief but supportive.
Jonathan Schaffer said his experience working with J-1 participants in seasonal jobs across the country showed clear benefits for both employers and workers.
“Having worked in seasonal employment across the United States with a number of J-1 enrollees, I can say that the program, in my opinion, benefits both employers and those enrolled in it. It is remarkable the opportunities that are provided for people in small communities to learn about the world around them from the people who travel there to serve visitors, who travel from all over the place. It is remarkable the benefit that those who enroll in the J-1 program have in gaining a more positive view of the United States, which they take back to their communities around the world.”
The committee voted without objection to move the resolution.
It now heads to further consideration in the Legislature.
The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) seized approximately 5.4 metric tons of unreported pollock roe from the catcher-processor vessel Northern Eagle approximately 17 miles north of Dutch Harbor March 28, 2026. At the request of NOAA Fisheries OLE, Waesche 's boarding team remained with the Northern Eagle as it transited to Dutch Harbor. They observed the offload and documented 11,524 boxes of pollock roe, which was 241 boxes more than the 11,283 declared in the vessel's production report. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)
By: Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon
The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) seized approximately 5.4 metric tons of unreported pollock roe from the catcher-processor vessel Northern Eagle approximately 17 miles north of Dutch Harbor March 28, 2026. At the request of NOAA Fisheries OLE, Waesche ‘s boarding team remained with the Northern Eagle as it transited to Dutch Harbor. They observed the offload and documented 11,524 boxes of pollock roe, which was 241 boxes more than the 11,283 declared in the vessel’s production report. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)
The U.S. Coast Guard said it has seized 5.4 metric tons of allegedly unreported pollock roe and discovered several significant fishing violations aboard one of the biggest factory trawlers operating in the Bering Sea off Alaska.
The enforcement action, announced by the Coast Guard on Monday, is against the Northern Eagle, a catcher-processor owned and operated by Seattle-based American Seafoods. The company disputes the allegation.
A team from the cutter Waesche boarded the Northern Eagle on March 26 when the trawler was about 15 nautical miles north of Dutch Harbor, the Coast Guard said in a statement. The action followed an alert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement about discrepancies between the vessel’s production reports and electronic logbook.
“The integrity of fisheries data is paramount for the sustainability of our nation’s living marine resources,” Captain Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of the Waesche, said in the Coast Guard statement. “This seizure highlights the Coast Guard’s commitment to enforcing federal law with our partner agencies to ensure a level playing field for all fishermen who follow the rules.”
Pollock roe is considered a delicacy in some Asian nations; Japan and Korea are the main markets for it.
The unreported roe aboard the Northern Eagle was worth $65,000, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard team remained with the Northern Eagle as it sailed to Dutch Harbor, and the team observed and documented the crew offloading 11,524 boxes of pollock roe, the statement said. That was 241 more boxes than what had been declared in the Northern Eagle’s log.
The catcher-processor vessel Northern Eagle, owned by Seattle-based American Seafoods, is seen by the Coast Guard approximately 17 miles north of Dutch Harbor. The Coast Guard said a crew from the cutter Waesche boarded the ship on March 26, 2026, and seized approximately 5.4 metric tons of allegedly unreported pollock roe. (Photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard)
The investigation also uncovered evidence indicating that the Northern Eagle crew, in a previous voyage, had underreported about 12.4 metric tons of pollock roe worth an estimated $150,000, the Coast Guard said.
American Seafoods on Tuesday disputed the Coast Guard’s characterization of events and issued a statement “to correct the public record, address inaccurate narratives, and clarify the nature of this regulatory inquiry.”
The company said the issue is a simple paperwork discrepancy arising from different methodologies rather than deliberate misreporting. The discrepancy was the result of minor and routine differences between estimated daily numbers and final reconciled numbers, the company said in the statement.
“We strongly reject any narrative that portrays a discrepancy in daily estimated production as an intentional breach of conservation measures that protect our fishery,” Inge Andreassen, American Seafoods’ president, said in the statement. “There is no economic motive to report anything other than exactly what we produce.”
American Seafoods is one of the major harvesters of Bering Sea pollock. The company has a fleet of seven vessels, five of which are engaged in the pollock fishery. The Northern Eagle, at 341 feet and with space for 143 crew members, is American Seafoods’ longest vessel, according to the company’s website.
Roe is collected from Bering Sea pollock in the early part of the year. The annual Bering Sea pollock harvest is divided into two parts. A winter-spring “A Season” is conducted in the first half the year, usually from January to April, and targets fish when they are spawning and the females are carrying eggs. A subsequent “B Season” starts in June and runs through the fall, usually resulting in a total harvest of higher quantity but focused more on fish fillets and products that are made from them.
An Alaska State Trooper conducts a traffic stop outside Wasilla in early 2024. (Photo courtesy of Alaska State Troopers)
The House State Affairs committee advanced a governor’s appointee for a public seat on the Alaska Police Standards Council with some skepticism on Tuesday.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy appointed Veronica Lambertsen to serve in one of four public seats on the 13-member Alaska Police Standards Council, which oversees law enforcement standards across the state.
The council is charged with setting and enforcing standards for law enforcement certification, as well as training and retention for all police, probation, parole and correctional officers. Members are also tasked with adopting state regulations and investigating police misconduct, like officer discipline and use-of-force.
Lambertsen is a small business owner, and since 2001 has operated the Bird Creek Motel in Bird Creek, a small unincorporated area south of Anchorage, according to her resume. She has volunteered on the Turnagain Arm Community Council since 2023, which serves the communities of Bird Creek, Indian and Rainbow.
Lambertsen’s resume lists no formal educational or professional training experience, and describes her education as “homeschooled.”
Lawmakers seemed skeptical of her qualifications, and asked Lambertsen about her connection with law enforcement or public safety issues at a confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
Members of the House State Affairs Committee consider the governor’s appointees for the Alaska Police Standards Council and the Board of Parole on Apr. 7, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
Rep. Steve St. Clair, R-Wasilla asked if she had law enforcement experience.
“Not active duty or anything,” said Lambertsen by phone. “But being a small business owner, and in reflection of owning a cafe and a motel, I’ve had a lot of experience with law enforcement, and yes, there’s a lot of incidents that have happened regularly, and there’s been a relationship.”
The council has 11 seats reserved for members in leadership positions with law enforcement or corrections, and four seats for members of the public, including two from communities of 2,500 population or less.
Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka asked Lambertson what perspective she would bring to the statewide council. “How will you help make this a better council?” she asked.
Lambertsen told lawmakers she would bring a “public perspective” and said she’s interested in working on standards for training.
Committee members were unsure on Tuesday if police training is required for appointees to the Council. Lambert said it was not, but added that members have the opportunity to take police standards classes.
Officials with the Alaska Department of Public Safety confirmed Wednesday public members of the council do not need to have any law enforcement connection.
Lambertsen serves as the volunteer secretary for the Anchorage chapter of Moms for Liberty, according to her resume, a far-right national group that advocates for parental rights, and is known for its advocacy against school curricula that includes LGBTQ rights. Some chapters advocate for book bans.
The group has been deemed an “antigovernment” group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization, and has known ties to other extremist or hate groups.
Lawmakers did not ask about Lambertsen’s affiliation with the group, or how it would affect her role on the Alaska Police Standards Council.
Lambertsen responded to questions about her affiliation with the group by email on Wednesday, saying that her position with Moms for Liberty “had nothing to do with anti-student inclusion.”
“My understanding of Moms for Liberty was asking for curriculum being provided by teachers to educate children to be age appropriate, especially for Early Childhood Learning to 6th Grade Learning, for parents to ask questions about curriculum of the School Districts and not allow “soft porn books” in schools and libraries for children of all ages to have access to,” she said. “Certain books should be available in older age sections with accessibility to that age group.”
Lambertsen did not respond to questions about how her political views would influence her role on the council.
In an interview Wednesday, Rep. Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks, chair of the House State Affairs Committee, said the committee’s review process is “like a job interview” and a procedural step before a full vote before a joint session of the Legislature. But she said she has concerns about partisan conservative nominees appointed by Dunleavy, including Lambertsen, across state boards.
“It really leads to a lean of our state boards and commissions and those decision making services towards potentially a partisan flavor,” she said. “And I think after eight years of this administration, we are seeing some of the impacts of that.”
Carrick said each lawmaker does their own research on nominees for a final vote in a joint session of the Legislature. She said she prefers to contact nominees privately with concerns, rather in the committee process, and also relies on public input.
“I think at this point I would really need to hear from folks around the state if they’re also concerned,” she said. “And hopefully the hearing just brought just a little bit of attention to this appointee and what she’s being appointed for.”
Lisa Parady (left) director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators and Katie Parrot (right) president of the Alaska Association of School Business Officials testify to a joint session of the House and Senate Education Committees on Mar. 30, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska superintendents, principals and school officials delivered sobering testimony to lawmakers at the Alaska State Capitol last week. They painted a picture of schools struggling to continue to support teachers and students amid budget shortfalls, cuts to programs, teacher shortages, rising costs and increased facility maintenance needs.
Lisa Parady, director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators, the non-profit advocacy and leadership organization that organized the annual fly-in event, said the group is concerned for all the state’s children.
“There’s no room for division,” she said, noting that there are often divides between the needs of urban and rural districts, or districts that are on the road system versus off the road system. “All those need to fall to the wayside when we’re talking about the best interest for our children in Alaska.”
School officials from across the state addressed a joint session of the House and Senate Education Committees on Mar. 30, and presented lawmakers with a list of legislative priorities and challenges for Alaska’s 53 districts and roughly 130,000 students.
Despite a historic raise in per student funding, known as the base student allocation, last year, officials say state funding still does not meet districts’ needs to hire and retain teachers, provide services and programs to students and keep up with maintaining aging school facilities.
To match the pace of inflation since 2011, school administrators say it would require the state to increase funding by $1,283 to the BSA or $7,983 per student. (Screenshot of presentation by the Alaska Council of School Administrators)
To match the pace of inflation since 2011, school administrators said it would require the state to increase funding to the BSA by $1,283. Additionally, they highlighted student transportation costs have exceeded state funding by an estimated $65.5 million.
Several bills are currently being debated in the Legislature that would increase education funding, and a joint legislative task force on education funding is examining long term challenges with recommendations due in 2027.
High teacher turnover
School leaders’ presentation to lawmakers included research, data and testimony illustrating what the group described as converging crises faced by Alaska schools: teacher shortages, insufficient state funding and budget shortfalls and a growing number of students with disabilities needing special education services.
David Nogg, principal of Goldenview Middle School in Anchorage, highlighted how teacher shortages impact student achievement there.
“High teacher turnover is directly correlated with poor student achievement, and our children are suffering, unfortunately,” said Nogg, who is also president of the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals, housed within ACSA.
Alaska teacher and principal turnover rates were high across urban and rural and remote districts in 2024, according to data from the the University of Alaska Anchorage Institute of Social and Economic Research. (Screenshot from presentation from the Alaska Council of School Administrators)
While teacher turnover has been historically high in rural and remote districts, teacher turnover was 30% in urban districts as well, according to 2024 data from the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Institute of Social and Economic Research.
Nogg pointed to ISER research that found that in the five districts with the lowest teacher turnover, average student proficiency in reading was roughly 85%, while among the five districts with the highest teacher turnover, the average number of students with reading proficiency was roughly 47%.
“An urgent response is needed to address the dire vacancy rates and the need for in-person educators and support personnel across Alaskan schools,” Nogg said.
Lisa Parady (left) director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators and David Nogg (right) principal of Goldenview Middle School in Anchorage testify to the teacher shortage impacting student performance to a joint session of the House and Senate Education Committees on Mar. 30, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
Researchers estimated the average cost of teacher turnover was $27,000 per teacher, and approximately $75,000 per principal.
“Only one out of every four principals are in the same building after five years,” he said. “This high turnover rate of building principals is costly in dollars, time, relationships and most importantly, the impact on student learning.”
Nogg said his list of responsibilities has grown from managing students, staff and facilities to include additional duties like standing in as school nurse, an experience shared by principals across the state. He said many teachers and school leaders are stretched so thin they’re leaving the state.
According to a survey by ACSA of teachers on their reasons for leaving in Alaska, the No. 1 reason cited was the lack of a defined benefit retirement plan, followed by better job opportunities in other states, high cost of living in Alaska, and uncertainty of education funding.
The group said legislative action to establish and fund a public pension system, with competitive salary and benefits for educators would help retain teachers.
In the meantime, ACSA has created several programs to help districts, teachers and staff with training, professional development and mentorship throughout the state, including the Alaska Staff Development Network and the Alaska School Leadership Academy.
The Alaska Educator Recruitment and Retention Center, also a division of the ACSA, is continuing efforts to support hiring and retention of teachers, said director Jennifer Schmitz, like hosting in-person and virtual job fairs, and marketing campaigns. But there are serious challenges.
Lisa Parady (left) director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators and Jennifer Schmitz (right) director of the Alaska Educator Recruitment and Retention Center testify to a joint session of the House and Senate Education Committees on Mar. 30, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
“Those are big turnover numbers that we’re looking at,” Schmitz said. “We had 345 positions that were not filled on the first day of school this year.”
There are nearly 600 international teachers working across Alaska districts this year. But with a steep visa fee for the H-1B visa program levied by the Trump administration this year, as well as new restrictions on J-1 visa placements, many districts can’t hire more international teachers, Schmitz said. “So that’s really out of reach for us right now, so we’re working through that with our immigration attorney and helping support districts and finding even finding international teachers who are already in the country, and trying to get them to Alaska.”
Schmitz noted that many international teachers are hired for their expertise in special education.
A ‘vacancy tax’ for special education
The number of students in need of special education services is growing, and school districts are struggling to meet the demand, lawmakers heard.
Melissa Matthews, director of student services for the Bering Strait School District and president of Alaska Council of Administrators of Special Education, said districts are hiring contract staff for special education services, at higher costs, which she called a “vacancy tax.”
“We are spending more on work arounds, travel, contracted itinerant staff and temporary staffing than we would on a stable, permanent workforce across Alaska. Districts are doing everything they can to uphold the civil rights of students with disabilities, but we are stretched thin,” she said.
“We need the tools to move forward from simply surviving to truly educating, because an Alaskan student’s civil rights should never depend on whether a district can find a teacher or budget constraints,” she said.
There are nearly 200 vacant special education positions across the state, according to ASCA data, Matthews said.
“These are not optional roles. They are federally required,” she said. “Within the state, we are starting to see schools without a resident special education teacher at all, relying on itinerant staff who fly or commute between sites to supervise and train paraprofessionals who will be providing the specialized services to the student. This increases costs and stretches staff to their limits.”
“It is not a model designed for student success. It is a survival strategy,” she added.
Matthews said since 2021, in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic, ASCA data shows Alaska has seen a 14% increase in the number of students with disabilities, requiring special education services.
She said that districts have to shoulder the legal obligation to meet those students’ needs, which can require increased staff because certain students’ needs require one-on-one settings.
Matthews said districts are also seeing an increase in students entering kindergarten with developmental delays, and urged the state to invest in infant learning programs and early education services to help address those delays and reduce the intensity of special education services required in later years.
Lawmakers passed increased funding for infant learning programs last year, but it was vetoed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
‘Budget slasher in chief’
Randy Trani is the superintendent of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, which is facing a projected $23 million budget deficit and planning to close three elementary schools this year. He emphasized the state’s obligation under the Alaska Constitution to fund public education and said districts need predictable funding so educators can focus on student achievement.
He urged lawmakers to increase funding for the BSA and for deferred maintenance of school facilities, where the current statewide backlog is estimated at $535 million.
He said managing turnover and dwindling budgets is taking a toll on superintendents — where they would be focused on academics and school improvements, he said they’re now focused on budget cuts.
“Instead of being the academic leader in chief, we’re now the budget slasher in chief,” he said.
Trani showed lawmakers a slide of Alaska superintendents’ responses to the question of what keeps them up at night. The top three responses were budgets, school facilities, staff capacity, and “wrapping up my current job and preparing for the next job.”
“What’s on our mind, collectively, is budget and money, and you don’t see anything here about academic achievement, and that crushes people. It crushes our leaders,” he said.
Juneau's Telephone Hill neighborhood is seen at center right, beneath the State Office Building, on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. The neighborhood, owned by the state of Alaska, is being transferred to the City and Borough of Juneau. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Juneau’s Telephone Hill neighborhood is seen at center right, beneath the State Office Building. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
NOTN- The future of Juneau’s Telephone Hill redevelopment will get another look after the Assembly voted late last night to add the topic to an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.
Last night’s meeting was full of passionate testimony from Social Service providers, businesses and residents, and among that testimony were more calls to halt demolition of the historic neighbourhood.
“Juneau’s Historic Resources Advisory Committee members who you appoint because of their expertise have told you multiple times that the homes on Telephone Hill are a direct tangible connection to our history and should be preserved.” Said Larry Talley, “Please consider taking the advice of those you have selected for their expertise, even if you believe a housing project is worth more than the historic district, don’t demolish this historic district until you know that you can afford to put housing where your market analysis says is a very expensive place to develop.”
Assembly member Nano Brooks moved to place on the next Committee of the Whole agenda a discussion of “actions that could affect Telephone Hill development or the timeline,” including options for pausing the current demolition request for proposals until responses to a separate qualifications process are in hand, and exploring partial or full land disposal strategies.
Assembly members say this is a way to reassess timing and structure rather than to kill the project outright.
“My concerns is, since we last touched on it, there’s even been more public outcry.” Said Assembly Member Maureen Hall, “Could we modify the bid for partial demolition? This is really hard, but I don’t know that we’re ready to go full steam ahead.”
“we know the strain on the Treasury, we know the costs after getting the gondola cost. My risk tolerance and concern for moving forward without having better senses on the price has gone down.” Said Deputy Mayor Greg Smith, “That being said, there’s five votes to have this discussion. It’s a challenge, and I think staff has done a good job trying to make it as smooth as possible. But you know, all changes will have impacts to possible development, but I’ll support at least having the discussion.”
Some members pushed back, saying the body has already debated the issue repeatedly and that no new information had emerged.
“I do feel that we have voted on this and very similar issues many times at this point.” Said Assembly member Ella Adkison, “At this point, no new information has come forward that would change my calculations and I know that the COW (Committee of the Whole) has quite a bit on its plate, and I don’t really want to rehash old ground when we have other things we need to deal with.”
Mayor Beth Weldon however, agreed to put the item on a future agenda.
“While it kills me to do this, I would support the motion, because I have an idea that I need to run by everybody, so I’ll be bringing an idea.” She said.
The motion passed 6–2, set for more discussion at a Committee of the Whole session currently scheduled for April 13.
Sen. Robert Myers, R-North Pole, speaks on House Bill 57 in the Alaska Senate on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
By: Sean Maguire, Alaska Beacon
Sen. Robert Myers, R-North Pole, speaks on House Bill 57 in the Alaska Senate on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
The Alaska Senate last week advanced a bill that would allow for the anonymous surrendering of infants in so-called infant safety devices.
The boxes are located on the exteriors of buildings. They are climate controlled and monitored by video. When the device is opened, a 911 request is automatically made.
Alaskans have been able to surrender infants since 2008. Newborns must be given directly to police officers, firefighters, doctors or other medical personnel. They are then turned over to the Alaska Office of Children Services for adoption.
In Alaska, an infant must be aged 21 days or younger to be surrendered legally.
North Pole Republican Sen. Robb Myers is the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 9. It would allow newborns to be surrendered in climate-controlled boxes, located outside police stations, fire departments, hospitals and other locations.
Myers said that around one baby a year has been surrendered in Alaska since 2008. Despite that, three infants have been found abandoned in Alaska since 2013: Two were found dead; one newborn was discovered alive in Fairbanks in a box in winter.
Myers said safe surrender devices would help save lives. Parents can feel shame or the fear of potential recognition when giving a child to another person, he said. The climate-controlled boxes are intended to remove that barrier.
The Alaska Senate advanced the bill on an 18-2 vote. Sens. Bert Stedman, a Sitka Republican, and Löki Tobin, an Anchorage Democrat, voted no.
Tobin said the anonymity of surrendering a child into a baby box could lead to abuse of women. She said the boxes introduce the potential that traffickers could surrender babies without a mother’s consent.
“The potential misuses for these devices far outweigh the benefits,” Tobin said.
All 50 states allow for the surrendering of infants. Almost half of states allow for newborns to be surrendered in baby boxes, which has accelerated since Roe vs. Wade was overturned, particularly in Republican-led states.
If the bill passes, the Alaska Department of Public Safety would be tasked with drafting regulations for the placement of infant safety devices. Each infant safety device is estimated to cost $16,000. That excludes surveillance and security costs, which state officials say could be “significant.”
SB 9 now advances to the House for its consideration. Similar legislation has been advancing through that legislative chamber.
The Warming Shelter on a foggy night, courtesy of the Warming Shelter
NOTN- The Juneau Assembly has approved an ordinance to extend funding for the Warming Shelter to stay open year round, as well as pledging tougher enforcement of public camping.
The measure, adopted Monday night without objection, The Warming Shelter operated by St. Vincent de Paul open through the year and directs staff to step up enforcement in high-impact areas such as Teal Street and near the Rock Dump.
City officials said they will move more quickly on camping in public rights-of-way and will prioritize sites that generate significant public health concerns and a high volume of complaints.
“This ordinance is only half of the piece, providing people a safe place to go, to really increase our enforcement actions in those highly visible areas where we have received a lot of complaints. So we are a complaint driven organization, so the number and the diversity of complaints for any dispersed camping would influence how quickly and aggressively we would respond to that dispersed camping. We also would look at the public impact, not just who’s complaining, but what that impact is to your to public health. And we would prioritize enforcement when those two things are high.” Said City Manager Katie Koester.
Service providers urged the Assembly to support keeping the Warming Shelter open, arguing that shelter beds give people a chance to stabilize instead of cycling between the hospital, sobering center and police contacts.
“Last winter, someone came into the Warming Shelter after days of sleeping outside, cold, exhausted and struggling. Before that, they cycled between Bartlett Regional Hospital, Juneau sobering center and calls to Juneau Police Department. Each system did its job, but no one could offer what they truly needed, a safe, consistent place to be. Without that option, people often create encampments in areas of concern without sanitation or basic services, impacting both their health and the surrounding community. At the shelter, something simple changed. They got warm, they slept, they stabilized, and they had a starting point. That’s what the warming shelter provides.” Said Deputy Director of St. Vincent de Paul Mollie Carr, “We know we can’t fix every situation, but offering a year round place for people to go is a practical, common sense step that reduces crisis and stabilizes our community. When the shelter closes, the need doesn’t disappear. It shifts to a higher cost, and systems like the ER, law enforcement and emergency services. It costs far less to provide a shelter than repeated response to crisis. Year round funding is not just compassionate, it’s responsible, efficient and necessary.”
Neighbors and business owners described escalating problems they linked to dispersed camping, including theft, vandalism, public defecation and employees who said they felt unsafe walking to and from work. Some, including business owners along Teal Street and across from the shelter, said they reluctantly backed the ordinance as long as it came with stronger police presence, clear no-camping zones near workplaces and consistent enforcement of existing code.
“‘I’m here to support the Warming Shelter, combined with not allowing the chaotic Teal street camping to go on again this summer. Last summer, I personally cleaned up thousands of pounds of trash. I tried to help people camping in terrible conditions. I tried to support my co-workers and partner agency employees who are afraid to be at work or to walk to their cars because of the chaos. Just because people are poor and homeless or work in social services does not mean that they do not deserve a safe place to live and work.” Said Logan, member of the Glory Hall team, “The warming shelter extension is not perfect, but it is the only doable thing we came up with. Not allowing dozens of tents on Teal Street is not a violation of people’s rights. It is bringing order and safety to people’s lives. It is doing what a city is supposed to do. I am now a productive and essential member of the Glory Hall team. I am a hard worker. I think on my feet, I am great in a crisis. I am a single parent of an amazing daughter. I also used to live outside on South Franklin Street, struggling. This was a long time ago. I got help along the way because of Tlingit and Haida regional housing authority. I’m about to become a homeowner. Because of the Glory Hall, I have a job and training, and I was able to get basic food, shelter and help with transportation and other needs while I figured out my life because of the Southeast Alaska Food Bank, I was able to eat at Glory Hall because of Nami Juneau, I got certified as a peer support specialist, If you’re willing to do the work for lives to stabilize. It is critical.”
Assembly members said the ordinance is not a permanent solution to homelessness in Juneau but called it a necessary step while longer-term housing, shelter capacity and camping policies continue to be debated.
“I would like to say this isn’t perfect by any means. The need is greater than what anyone can serve.” Said Assembly member Maureen Hall, “Everyone in this room should continue to look for solutions and work with partner agencies to help this happen.”
“I appreciate that everything is imperfect, and so I’m okay with this, as long as we are continuously checking, I think there were some real emergent problems that we heard from residents and neighborhoods on different kinds of camping, car camping on the street, camping in the woods, camping creates different kinds of problems, and I think those call for different kinds of enforcement.” Said assembly member Alicia Hughes-Skandijs, “I think this is a really good step, when you have a consistent, year round place, and you can really say, nope, this is our hard line. I want us to be really careful, that we’re both balancing the needs of the members of the community, that things don’t get out of hand, and that we’re fulfilling our obligation to those unhoused members of our community, who we are equally accountable to, and who are much less able at this point, in their lives, to come.”
