NOTN- The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly will hold a public hearing tomorrow on its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, including property taxes, school funding, a multi-year capital improvement plan, Eaglecrest and the Gondola Project.
The special Assembly meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and it will be followed by the Assembly Finance Committee. Residents may testify in person or via Zoom.
At the hearing, Assembly members will take testimony on several key ordinances, including a measure setting the 2026 property tax rate to fund the FY27 budget.
According to the agenda, officials will also consider a $551.2 million operating budget for city and borough services, along with a separate $97.2 million budget for the Juneau School District.
In addition, the Assembly will review a resolution adopting the city’s capital improvement program for fiscal years 2027 through 2032, which outlines infrastructure priorities and planned project spending.
Another resolution would set aside up to $2.3 million from the city’s restricted budget reserve to cover an anticipated operating deficit at Eaglecrest Ski Area.
Separately, the Assembly is expected to introduce an ordinance to begin terminating a revenue-sharing agreement with Goldbelt Inc. tied to the proposed gondola project at Eaglecrest. City officials say the project is no longer financially feasible after cost estimates rose to more than $37 million, up from initial projections of about $10 million.
This is still up in the air, but under this agreement Juneau would be required to repay Goldbelt’s $10 million investment plus interest if the deal is terminated. Repayment would include general funds and previously allocated project money.
The Juneau School District office in downtown Juneau.
(Photo courtesy City & Borough of Juneau)
The Juneau School District office in downtown Juneau. (Photo courtesy City & Borough of Juneau)
NOTN- The Juneau School District is seeking public input as it begins its search for a new superintendent, asking parents, staff, students and community members to weigh in on priorities and desired leadership qualities.
First reported by the Juneau Independent, the district released an online feedback survey Wednesday, designed to guide the Board of Education as it recruits candidates to lead the district.
Participants are asked to describe strengths of the Juneau community and school district that prospective superintendents should know, as well as the most significant challenges facing the district.
The survey also asks respondents to identify the qualities, skills and characteristics they believe are necessary for the next superintendent to be successful.
In addition, respondents are asked to rate the importance of various areas of experience, including prior superintendent experience, work as a classroom teacher, familiarity with Alaska’s public education system, knowledge of school finance and facilities, and understanding of the district’s culture and community.
District officials say the feedback will help inform the board’s decision-making as it evaluates candidates and determines what leadership qualities best align with the district’s needs.
Current Superintendent Frank Hauser will be stepping down June 30, he said this when asked what he was most proud of in his tenure as Superintendent, “I think that we’ve done a lot of great work here, the Juneau school district staff, are some of the best staff in the world. Consolidation was hard, those are really tough decisions. But I think looking at the future, we’re on much better financial footing.” He said, “There are still challenges with the budget, but I think putting together a fiscal plan that is more focused, and having opportunities for kids, and even through the consolidation, being able to maintain those opportunities for our students and still see growth, those are the things I’m really proud of. We made it through, and we’re in a better position than we were going in.”
What will Superintendent Hauser do next? He says he’s not sure yet, but he hopes it will continue to include advocacy for education in the state.
“I have spent the last 28 years in public education, advocating for public education, I’m Alaska educated, and I will continue to advocate for public education. I don’t know in what capacity that will be right now, but it is something that I believe in.”
Students begin their first day of school at the Tlingit Culture, Language and Literacy program at Harborview Elementary School in Juneau on Aug. 15, 2025 (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
It was a difficult and consequential year for Alaska schools, educators and students.
While Alaska lawmakers passed the first significant education funding increase since 2011, the state rode a federal funding rollercoaster as funds were frozen, released, disputed and appealed.
Western Alaska students and families also endured the devastating storm disaster of Typhoon Halong. Hundreds of students, as well as teachers, were displaced from their homes and forced to move and adapt to new schools across the state.
Here are some of the top stories of the year:
A state education funding fight culminated when the Alaska State Legislature passed a historic override of a veto by Gov. Dunleavy to enact a boost to per student funding for K-12 schools in a one-day special session in August.
Education was the top priority of the Legislature and Gov. Dunleavy this year, and an embattled topic throughout the legislative session, with an ongoing dispute around funding for schools and education policy changes sought by the governor to address lagging school performance and test scores.
Gov. Dunleavy vetoed two education funding bills during the session, citing a lack of policy changes he favored to boost homeschool and charter school options, and address test scores. In April, he vetoed a bill increasing the BSA by $1,000, calling it a “joke” and insisting that policy changes be included. Legislators introduced and passed another bill increasing funding by $700 per student in late April. In an effort to compromise, they included many of the governor’s priority items, including charter school changes, incentives for reading programs, and establishing an education task force to recommend further education policy changes.
Sen. Loki Tobin, D-Anchorage, holds her hand to her chest on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, after the close vote on overriding Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of education funding. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)
Dunleavy vetoed the education funding increase out of the final budget in June. The legislature came back in August to override the veto. It was the first time since 1987 that Alaska lawmakers have overridden an appropriations veto by a sitting governor.
School officials said the additional $50.3 million in per student funding, known as the base student allocation, is essential to help maintain class sizes, hire and retain teachers, and create stability for students.
“We’re extremely excited. A lot of our administrators were texting and very excited about getting it overturned today, so that made Valdez very happy,” said that city’s school superintendent, Jason Weber, in August after the veto override vote.
The Trump administration froze millions in funding for Alaska schools, later releasing some funds. But Alaska is also embroiled in an ongoing dispute with the U.S. Department of Education around impact aid, which could cost the state $80 million
Over the summer, as school districts grappled with uncertainty around a state funding increase, the Trump administration announced a freeze of over $46 million in funds for Alaska schools, including for instruction and migrant education programs, which support students who miss class due to seasonal work like fishing. The Anchorage, Fairbanks North Star Borough, and the Kuspuk school districts joined a nationwide lawsuit challenging the withholding of congressionally approved funds as unlawful.
“These are not extras. These are the programs that give our students a chance,” said Kuspuk School Superintendent Madeline Aguillard. “When the federal government walks away from its obligation, it is not a delay. It is denial. Denial of access. Denial of progress. Denial of the futures our students have a right to pursue.”
The empty playground at Pearl Creek Elementary School is seen on June 3, 2025. The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District decided to close the school at the end of the academic year. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
In late July, the federal government released $5 billion of the $6.8 billion in K-12 funding.
The state is involved in an ongoing dispute with the U.S. Department of Education, which claims the state has failed a disparity test – allowing no more than a 25% gap between the highest and lowest funded schools. The state has appealed the finding, with over $80 million in federal impact aid at stake. A decision is expected in 2026.
The Trump administration also froze more than $6 billion in congressionally-approved funding for adult education and workforce development funding in July. In Alaska, it prompted immediate cuts to programs and staff layoffs. The state had been awarded over $1.1 million in grants last year, and the frozen funds in July were a shock to programs and students that included GED classes, literacy and civic education, English language classes and workforce development.
Hundreds of students, as well as teachers, were displaced by the devastation of Typhoon Halong from Western Alaska and relocated to schools around the state.
The devastation of Typhoon Halong forced an estimated 2,000 residents to evacuate Western Alaska communities in the largest mass evacuation in state history, and education officials across districts worked quickly to re-enroll students and provide support services at schools across the state.
More than one hundred students relocated to Bethel, remaining in the regional hub of Western Alaska and the Lower Kuskokwim School District. An estimated 140 students enrolled in the Anchorage School District, which worked to keep storm displaced students together, including enrolling a number of students at the Yup’ik immersion program at College Gate Elementary School. ASD also provided transportation from emergency shelters, health services, meals and translation services for Yup’ik speaking families.
“They’re going through trauma and it’s going to take a lot of work. But we’re going to put that in, because these kids are worth it,” said Anchorage Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt at an Oct. 21 school board meeting. “And they deserve a wonderful education that we want to offer them, in ASD, for as long as they’d like to be here.”
Other students re-enrolled in schools where they relocated across the state, including in Nenana and Fairbanks areas, the Kenai Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna Valley Borough, as well as boarding schools like Mt Edgecumbe High School. Teachers and staff displaced by the storm also were re-assigned, with the majority staying in the Lower Kuskokwim School District, according to the superintendent.
Many of the district’s 22 village schools also served emergency shelter to residents as Typhoon Halong hit, and as relief centers in the days and weeks after the storm as the recovery effort got underway.
An Alaska Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III, assigned to the 176th Wing, arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, with approximately 300 evacuated residents from western Alaska, Oct. 15, 2025. (Alaska National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña)
A school bus drives in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
A school bus drives in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
NOTN- The Juneau School District has begun work on a new five-year strategic plan aimed at guiding the district through academic, organizational and financial challenges ahead.
“Strategic planning is a really important process for school districts being able to plan for the future.” Said Board of Education member David Noon, “Everyone is focused on the direction and the vision, where a district wants to go.”
Superintendent Frank Hauser said the planning process comes as the district concludes its previous strategic plan, adopted in 2020. School district strategic plans are typically updated every five years.
The current planning process began last spring and has included focus groups, surveys and meetings with community members, staff and district stakeholders. The goal, Hauser said, is to define clear priorities and outcomes for the next phase of the district’s work.
Noon said the plan centers on several key areas, “There’s a couple of major areas that we are aiming to focus our attention on over the course of the next five years, obviously starting first with the students, the second couple of which deal with the organization itself, the district staff. How do we recruit talented teachers? How do we as an organization act in a responsible way that’s driven by integrity? And then there’s also the financial, fiscal and operational sort of security that we’re trying to guarantee.” Noon said, “So we definitely are using the experience of the consolidation and thinking about the atmosphere of education funding in Alaska and, of course, nationwide as we develop this plan for the next five years. We can’t predict the future, but we can create a structure that allows us to adapt to whatever happens over the next couple of years while not just reacting to it.”.
Hauser said the strategic plan will also play a critical role in guiding budget decisions based on community priorities.
“From a budget perspective, when the community comes together and develops that strategic plan and everyone gets behind that, the board, through the budgeting process, can identify what the primary goals are.” Hauser said.
The draft strategic plan is now in its final phase and is expected to be presented to the Board of Education for a first reading in January, followed by a second reading shortly after.
Public input remains part of the process. The draft plan is available on the Juneau School District website, and community members may provide feedback during regular board meetings, held on the second Tuesday of each month, or by contacting board members directly.
Hauser, who announced earlier this year that he will be leaving the superintendent position, said the strategic plan is intended to provide continuity as leadership transitions occur.
“We’ve done a lot of great work here, the Juneau school district staff are some of the best staff in the world.” Hauser said, “Consolidation was hard. Those were really tough decisions. But I think, in looking at the future, we’re on much better financial footing. There are still challenges with the budget, but I think coming together and putting together a fiscal plan that is more focused, and having opportunities for kids, and even through the consolidation, being able to maintain those opportunities for our students and still see growth, those are the things I’m really proud of.”
CBJ- Tlingit & Haida and the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) are pleased to announce a new partnership to expand early childhood education and youth development opportunities in Juneau. Through a recently finalized lease agreement, Tlingit & Haida will utilize classroom space at Floyd Dryden to bring three Head Start classrooms, LEARN and youth programs under one roof.
Construction and remodeling of the new space are currently underway and are scheduled for completion by January 2026. Once finished, the updated facility will provide a welcoming, child-centered environment designed to support high-quality education and holistic youth programming for Juneau’s families.
“This partnership represents a shared commitment to Tribal citizen children and their futures,” said Tlingit & Haida President Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson. “We are grateful to the City and Borough of Juneau for working collaboratively with us to create a unified space for learning and growth. When we invest in our youth, we invest in the strength and resilience of our community. This project brings together education, culture, and care in one place—helping our youngest learners and future leaders thrive.”
Mayor Beth Weldon emphasized the importance of community partnerships in expanding access to education and youth resources. “The City and Borough of Juneau is proud to partner with Tlingit & Haida on this project,” said Weldon. “Providing quality early education and youth programming is a shared goal that benefits the entire community. By working together, we’re ensuring that families have access to the resources and support their children need to succeed.”
The lease agreement ensures that Floyd Dryden Middle School continues to be an active and valuable part of the community. The building is far from sitting empty—it will soon be home to Tlingit & Haida’s early education and youth services while maintaining community access to shared spaces. The gymnasium is not part of the lease and will remain available for scheduled programming and public use through CBJ Parks and Recreation’s regular scheduling process.
A Central Hub for Tlingit & Haida Youth and Family Services The Floyd Dryden site will be the home to a growing number of Tlingit & Haida’s youth services and will serve as a central hub for:
Three Head Start classroomspromoting school readiness at no cost to families for any eligible child age 3 to 5 years (Head Start Pre-School) and 18 months to 3 years (Early Head Start)
Little Eagles and Raven’s Nest, a licensedchildcare center that provides year-round, full day care and early learning for any child age 0 to 6 years.
Haa Yoo X̲’atángi Kúdi, a pre-kindergarten Lingít language immersion nest program that serves tribal citizen children age 3 to 5 years.
The future Native Boys & Girls Club, which will expand after-school, cultural, and family engagement opportunities for youth age 6-18 and the broader Juneau community.
“Wayfinders, Wellness, and the Native Boys & Girls Club all work toward the same goal—helping our youth discover their strengths and lead with confidence,” said Tlingit & Haida Youth Engagement Manager Jasmine James. “We’re investing in the next generation of leaders who will carry forward our values, culture, and community pride.”
Bringing early education and youth programs together under one roof strengthens Tlingit & Haida’s ability to support children and families from early learning through adolescence. The project reflects both partners’ long-term vision of fostering education, wellness, and community connection.
A guided tour of the facilities is scheduled for today, November 18 at 1 PM.
A community open house is planned for early 2026 to celebrate the completion of the space and to recognize the collaboration that made the project possible.
About the City and Borough of Juneau The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) is the capital city of Alaska and serves as the hub of government, education, and culture for the region. CBJ is committed to partnerships that support thriving families and strong educational foundations for all residents.
About Tlingit & Haida The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska is a sovereign tribal government representing over 38,000 citizens worldwide. The Tribe provides a wide range of services and programs to support the well-being of its citizens and strengthen communities across Southeast Alaska.
NOTN- University of Alaska President Pat Pitney formally announced her retirement.
She was appointed the University system’s 17th president in 2022 and served as interim president in 2020.
Previously Pitney served as the state’s Director of the Division of Legislative Finance. She was the former Vice Chancellor of Administration, University of Alaska Fairbanks and worked at UA Statewide for 17 years. In all, Pitney spent 23 years with the University of Alaska before leaving to serve as the State Budget Director in the administration of former Governor Bill Walker.
Pitney moved to Fairbanks in 1987 from Billings, Montana. She earned her MBA from UAF and an engineering physics degree from Murray State University (Kentucky). She has three adult children and four grandchildren. All three of her children are UA graduates, with degrees from UAF, UAA and UAS.
Before moving to Alaska, she was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team and won a gold medal in women’s air rifle.
Below is the email announcing Pitney’s retirement;
Dear UA Community – It has been my honor and privilege to serve as University of Alaska president for the past five years. When the Board hired me in 2020, I wasn’t seeking either the interim or permanent president position, but I felt my skill set would be an asset to UA and our mission. I committed initially to two years of service, and more than five years later, I’m proud of how far we’ve come and excited about the opportunities ahead. There’s much to celebrate, but it is time for me and the UA system to be looking toward the next chapter. Several months ago, I informed the Board of Regents that I plan to retire after their May 2026 board meeting. I’m confident that the University of Alaska will continue to thrive long after I step away. As an alum, and the parent of alums from each of our three universities, it’s been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve all of you and the people of Alaska. Since 2020, we’ve made some incredible progress.
We’ve reversed enrollment declines and grown student headcount for three straight years.
We’ve stabilized our budget after a period of uncertainty compounded by a once-in-a-century pandemic.
We’ve substantially increased our competitive research position.
And we’ve reminded Alaskans of UA’s vital role in empowering our workforce, economy, and communities.
There’s still work to do, but the future is strong. The Board’s recent focus on student recruitment, retention, and graduation, along with expanded scholarships and financial aid, is already paying off and positioning UA for success. Retirement will be bittersweet. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my kids, my grandkids, and my mom, and exploring the state I love so deeply. But until May, I’ll remain full-speed ahead: advocating for our budget priorities in Juneau, and working closely with the Board to ensure a seamless leadership transition in my role and at the Universities.
In the weeks ahead, the Board will share more about the presidential search and how you can take part in shaping UA’s next chapter. I hope you’ll stay engaged in that process. For over three decades, I’ve seen how the University of Alaska empowers this state. Our education, research, and partnerships make a difference in every community. Serving as your president has been the honor of my career. I look forward to finishing this chapter strong and cheering you on as you continue UA’s work to empower Alaska. Thanks for all you do for our students and our state.
NOTN- The Juneau School District has launched a “Buy a Brick” campaign to help fund playground equipment at the Dzantik’i Heeni campus, where several of the city’s programs were relocated after school consolidation.
“Through the consolidation the year before last at the Juneau School District, our optional programs were moved to the Dzantik’i Heeni campus, which had previously been a middle school.” Said Juneau school district Director of Operations Kristy Germain, so we now have Montessori Borealis, which has pre-K and kindergarten through eighth grade, and we also have the Juneau Community Charter School, which is kindergarten through eighth grade, and additionally our Yaakoosge Daakahidi alternative high school, but the playground is primarily for our elementary program.”
While the playground will primarily serve elementary students, it will also be open to children in the surrounding Lemon Creek and Switzer neighborhoods, Germain says the school district partnered with the city engineering department for public design and safety concerns.
“The cost is substantial,” Germain said “We have received funding from the City Assembly, they authorized an ordinance to put $735,000 specifically toward the site preparation and the concrete base and the safety surfacing for the playground, and that’s just the safety surfacing. So the equipment is an additional cost. So the Juneau school district is taking the lead on fundraising for the actual playground equipment.”
The Buy a Brick fundraiser allows residents and businesses to purchase engraved bricks that will be installed at the site.
“We are partnering with Brick Markers, and they’re a company that has worked with other organizations in Juneau, I think notably, Rotary Park and the 911 Memorial use the same company.” Germain said, “Those bricks are holding up, so that’s a good testament to them. But we have established various levels so that individuals and community members are able to purchase a brick, and we’re also looking to our business community to support this endeavor.”
Proceeds will go toward the cost of equipment, which Germain said could push the project’s total cost beyond $1 million once installation, shipping, and materials are factored in.
The district plans to launch an online portal for the fundraiser within the week, with brick sales running through December. Officials hope to purchase and receive equipment in time for installation next summer.
“We are running into some timelines for purchasing the equipment in time for it to arrive to be installed this summer. So that is why we have a tight timeline.” Said Germain.
Community support has already begun. Juneau’s Rotary clubs recently donated $30,000 toward musical play equipment and are organizing volunteer work parties to help install it.
For those unable to buy a brick, Germain said there will be other ways to contribute, including volunteering at fundraising booths or helping with community outreach.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy shakes hands with Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, following the annual State of the State address on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in the Alaska Capitol. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Senate Bill 113, passed by the Alaska House and Senate in May by a combined vote of 42-18, would have required internet companies to pay corporate income taxes based on the location of their sales, not the location of their server farms or offices.
That shift, already enacted by 36 other states, would have required companies like Netflix and Hulu, which do not have any in-state business presence, to pay corporate taxes based on sales to Alaskans. That shift was expected to generate between $25 million and $65 million per year for the state treasury once fully implemented.
In House Bill 57, which increased the state’s per-student public school funding formula, lawmakers included provisions that directed much of that money to vocational and technical instruction, as well as grants intended to help elementary school students improve their reading.
Without SB 113, those programs will not receive additional money.
In 2022, Dunleavy and the Legislature collaborated on the Alaska Reads Act, legislation intended to boost the reading skills of young Alaskans. Initial results have shown some benefits, and funding in SB 113 was intended to expand upon that effort.
But in a message accompanying Monday’s veto, Dunleavy said he will not approve any tax measures unless they are part of a larger plan intended to bring state income and expenses into line over the long term.
Dunleavy said he wants to see a “truly durable fiscal plan” that includes “not only revenues but also clear guardrails: spending limits, statutory and regulatory reviews, and policies that make Alaska the most competitive state in the nation for investment and new business growth.”
Dunleavy called SB 113 “a simple tax bill that does not consider the comprehensive fiscal approach outlined above.”
The Legislature could override Dunleavy’s veto of SB 113, which would require 45 votes when lawmakers reconvene for the regular session in January, but that’s a level of support larger than the bill received when it originally passed.
Sen. Robert Yundt, R-Wasilla, sponsored the amendment that would have diverted SB 113 funding to education. He did not answer a phone call seeking comment on Monday afternoon.
Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, sponsored SB 113 in the Senate and lambasted the governor’s decision in a written statement.
“SB 113 was a common-sense, bipartisan solution to help close our revenue gap without costing Alaskans or Alaska businesses a penny,” Wielechowski said. “The Governor had the opportunity to stand with Alaska families, students, and communities – but instead, he chose to side with tech corporations that profit from Alaskans and utilize our infrastructure, while paying nothing back to our state.”
Wielechowski said that the bill would have modernized Alaska’s corporate tax structure using reforms already adopted by other states.
“Every Alaskan knows Alaska is facing a revenue crisis, and that our education system needs critical resources. This bill would have been a step towards closing those gaps without taxing Alaskans while asking these corporations to contribute to the state that they use for their business ventures,” Wielechowski said. “The Governor’s veto sends the message that outside corporations come before Alaska’s schools, Alaska’s workforce, and Alaska’s future.”
Asked whether the governor had a comment about the veto’s effects on education funding, his communications director responded by email.
“Governor Dunleavy continues to encourage lawmakers, as he has done for the past several years, to work with him on a durable and comprehensive fiscal plan,” said Jeff Turner, the communications director. “Passing more taxes without spending limits and policies that give existing businesses the confidence they need to expand and new businesses the confidence they need to invest in Alaska will make our state less competitive.”
SB 113 was the last bill awaiting gubernatorial action this year. Of 33 bills passed by the House and Senate this year, Dunleavy vetoed nine, or 27%, the highest proportion since statehood. Legislators overrode two of Dunleavy’s vetoes during a special session in August.
The campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks is seen from the air on Sept. 20, 2022. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Officials at the University of Alaska said this week that previously announced cuts to federally funded programs for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students will be worse than initially thought.
At the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the canceled funding will amount to an estimated $8.8 million, and University of Alaska Southeast programs will also be affected but to a lesser degree.
“It was quite a shock, because there was no forewarning to this,” said Bryan Uher, interim vice chancellor for rural, community and Native education at UAF in a phone interview Wednesday.
Uher said the elimination of the grant funding for the University of Alaska Fairbanks affects programs at the Bristol Bay campus in Dillingham and in Fairbanks at the Community and Technical College focused on career training and workforce development, as well as student services.
In total, for the five-year grant programs, Uher said the cancellation is estimated at $8.8 million of $12.9 million in grant funding previously awarded.
“This award funding is unique in that it funds faculty for new program development, and then it also funds staff for student support — so advisors, outreach, individual wellness coordinators, admissions, graduation – student services, essentially,” he said.
Uher said new programs in development that will be impacted — for students in person or through distance education — include American Sign Language, information technology technician training and private pilot ground school, helping students train for their pilot’s license.
Uher said those programs will continue through this academic year, and then the university will evaluate whether or how to continue them. University officials say they were given one year to close out grant-funded programs.
UAF includes campuses in Fairbanks, Dillingham, Bethel, Nome and Kotzebue. Uher said while these programs must have at least 20% Native students to be eligible for the funding, they serve a wider student population, especially student services at rural campuses that serve wider regions of rural Alaska.
“They provide follow-ups, financial aid support like, how do you apply for financial aid? Are there scholarships out there?” Uher said. “They provide financial literacy to students. So it really is a comprehensive service that we provide to these students who are not living in or located in urban centers like Fairbanks or Anchorage.”
An estimated 17% of the University of Alaska student population identified as Alaska Native in 2024, or 3,254 students statewide, and roughly 1.3% or 266 students identified as Native Hawaiian.
UAA and UAS expect less impact
University of Alaska Anchorage has grant-funded programs for Native students, but officials say they are not expecting them to be affected.
University of Alaska Southeast Chancellor Aparna Palmer said in a university-wide email Monday that a grant-funded program on its Sitka campus to support student services is already set to end this month, and the university is authorized to continue to spend remaining funds for another year.
“I want to assure you that we will continue to support the many ways in which we are rooted in Alaska Native culture, history, language, and arts,” Palmer said, adding emphasis by underlining her statement.
Palmer said programs and courses in Indigenous studies, as well as support for Indigenous students, will continue. “Our programs and courses in Indigenous Studies at UAS are strong and will continue to thrive and grow. The UA President, Pat Pitney, and I are fully aligned on this,” she said. “Our Native and Rural Student Center will continue to be a space that provides support for Alaska Native students while welcoming all students.”
Faculty union president Jill Dumesnill, professor of mathematics at UAS, said by email on Monday that the announcement also disrupts future programs, faculty positions and student services.
“Writing these grant applications takes an enormous amount of faculty time and effort, and the Sitka proposal would have provided two additional faculty on the Sitka campus. That loss is significant because there are currently no Alaskan Native faculty members on the Sitka campus,” she said. “You don’t make campuses welcoming simply by calling them welcoming.”
Alaska’s U.S. Senators say they’re working to fund higher education
U.S. Sen Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said in a statement Wednesday that the funds are already legally authorized by Congress, and support students as well as address workforce shortages in the state.
Alaska Republican U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (Alaska Beacon file photos)
“I am working with my colleagues to reinforce to the administration that these are statutory grant programs authorized and appropriated by Congress that align with the President’s goal of providing career technical education to the next generation for high-impact workforce needs such as fisheries, healthcare, skilled trades, and energy,” Murksowski said.
“As Alaska partners with this administration on several large-scale and exciting projects that can help transform our state, we need a local workforce trained to meet this moment,” she said. “Cancelling these funds takes us further away from that objective.”
A spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, also repeated the impact on career training and workforce development education.
“Senator Sullivan and his team are in touch with the Department of Education regarding these grants. The University of Alaska serves thousands of students across the state, including Alaska Natives, and provides critical programs, such as job training and technical education, that build up Alaska’s trained workforce. President Trump’s Day 1 executive order to ‘Unleash Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential’ makes it clear we must be training the next generation to power projects like the Alaska LNG pipeline and keep these good-paying jobs in Alaska,” said spokesperson Amanda Coyne by email on Tuesday.
“Senator Sullivan will continue to work with the administration to fund secondary education and job training to continue building up Alaska’s economy and workforce,” she said.
Alaska’s U.S. House Representative Nick Begich did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The announcement follows the Trump administration’s move to cancel $350 million in congressionally approved grant funding for minority-serving institutions last week, saying the funds will be allocated elsewhere.
There are an estimated 5 million students enrolled in 800 minority-serving institutions nationwide. The grant funding is aimed at supporting students of color and from low-income backgrounds to pursue and complete higher education.
NBC Sports will spotlight Juneau as part of a documentary on what football means to communities, Juneau-Douglas High School football coach Rich Sjoroos announced on Facebook.
The network has chosen a handful of cities nationwide to feature.
Juneau, home to the Crimson Bears, was selected from among more than 15,000 high school football programs in the United States.
A production crew will travel to the capital city this weekend to film Saturday’s game against Anchorage’s Dimond High School, scheduled for 3 p.m.
According to Sjoroos’ post, NBC will also interview players, parents and fans.
The footage is set to air as part of NBC’s Super Bowl pregame programming on Feb. 8, 2026.
Sjoroos encouraged residents to attend and “show all of America how much football means to Juneau.”
