While Anchorage School District Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt has spent considerable time publicly complaining about an “ongoing financial crisis” and a $100 million deficit, his proposed budget for the upcoming school year seeks a 20% increase to boost the district office that pushes diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and enforcement of LGBTQ initiatives and controversial race theory.
At the same time, Bryantt’s proposed budget for 2025-26 would eliminate high school hockey, swimming and gymnastics, do away with all middle school sports, cut elementary summer school, and reduce educational supplies by 10%. He also aims to cut myriad teaching positions and Battle of the Books funding.
“[W]e must make difficult decisions that will impact every part of our district,” Bryantt claimed in the introduction to his proposed budget. “Despite our efforts to minimize disruption, deep cuts are unavoidable, and their effects will be felt throughout our community.”
In spite of his assertions about minimizing disruptions, Bryantt’s preliminary budget will increase the Office of DEI & Community Engagement from $603,681 to $724,122. This is the district’s bureaucratic branch that publishes “equity” dashboards and reports, mandates LGBTQ staff trainings, investigates DEI violations, advances policies in support of transgender ideology and pushes for Critical Race Theory in the curriculum.
Rather than eliminate or reduce the DEI budget, Bryantt has gone after programs that will most likely create massive outcry from parents and students. This is a tactic used in many districts across the state in attempting to motivate the public to pressure elected officials into pumping more money into the state education budget. Bryantt appears to employ this strategy in his explanation of the proposed budget.
“Although there is a possibility that the legislature and governor could approve a one-time or permanent funding increase, the magnitude of inflationary pressures makes it highly unlikely that the District will be able to maintain current programs and services,” he wrote. “ASD’s initial budget proposal reflects the gravity of these challenges … and while we are making every effort to reduce costs in non-classroom areas – such as administrative reductions, specialized programs, and departmental supports – staffing reductions across schools and the District office will be unavoidable.”
He then urged parents, staff and community members to be informed and engaged in the budget process.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
“Your voice is critical in highlighting the real-world impact of these financial challenges and advocating for the resources our students deserve,” he Bryantt implores. “Please consider sharing your perspective directly with your legislators as well.”
In all, Bryantt’s proposal would increase the district’s operating budget from $638 million to $651 million.
Over the next few weeks, the district and school board will be hammering out the final details of the budget.
TAKING ACTION
— To contact Anchorage School District Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt, call (907) 742-4312 or email officeofthesuperintendent@asdk12.org
— To contact members of the Anchorage School Board, click here.
28 Comments
“Despite our efforts to minimize disruption, deep cuts are unavoidable, and their effects will be felt throughout our community. … Bryantt’s proposal would increase the district’s operating budget from $638 million to $651 million.”
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
Yep, is it bad enough yet? Doesn’t appear, Anchorage.
People are such morons, they do no research, just have a political agenda to push to keep you distracted while they gut programs and give the money to themselves. This change in the budget is for REQUIRED sign language interpreters for people that cannot hear. A call to ASD to verify facts would have provided this information. There is no such thing as journalism, fact checking or ethics any more, just idiots looking for clicks. Sheep.
Brandon,
Actually, the sign language interpreters are funded under Special Education, a completely separate budget item. Here’s a link to a screen capture of that item in the proposed budget: https://alaskawatchman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Special-Education-funding.jpg
I did call and Sven says, “interpreters” and “it saves money to have them all under one department.” This was outlined in a work session meeting that can be viewed on their youtube channel. I’ll go there next. When asked, he believes DEI could be cut by the school board, but I haven’t found the policy that requires a board vote to change it. In short, I’m not totally sold on DEI needing $723K for any kind of interpreter.
Thank you, Joel. The illiterates are the ones who do the most rediculous response to your articles. Keep up the good work and nevermind these morons.
Why are you censoring my replies? I replied well before Gabby and mine did not post. Always so interesting that folks that are for free speech keep censoring replies. As I said before, interpreters are in several locations in the budget, based on their function. This department does all of the town halls, community engagement etc. and these folks were moved here so that they are coded properly for the state chart of accounts. It is not 723K for interpreters, but the +20% you are referencing is just the move of the interpreters to match the state function this year. Again, no fact checking or investigation at all, just click bait for people that cannot think for themselves.
Good for Anchorage! I’m cheering them along the way! You deserve this more than any city in Alaska, you too Fairbanks. Your football – basketball – baseball teams, and kids will become weak and lazy. The city will lose all resemblance of a once great city. Anchorage will become like California, more U-Hauls leaving than coming. Your city will decay in time, and the people will tire and sicken from the waste and fraud. You will lose your liberal control and the MAGA mindset will begin to flourish and flush out all the sewage that Anchorage’s liberals have manufactured. Like I said I’m cheering them along the way!
That superintendent should not be employed anywhere near a school or school administration. He obviously cares little about the students or parents or city he is reportedly serving. He should be blacklisted.
This Bryantt is insane.
I’m a senior citizen & had my 4 kids go through the ASD system (including the special needs program) in the good old days of the oil boom benefits era in the 80’s & early 90’s. I still think that was a great time in education & made for an excellent measuring standard for the quality of education into the future. But, as happens, I guess you could say; ‘life’ got in the way, right? Well, I don’t entirely agree with the ‘life’ thing because since educating our kids is vitally important for them to be successful & for Anchorage & Alaska to continue to be vital for future generations, then the priority of education must be upheld! Obviously, that hasn’t happened. Oh yeah, you can throw up the changes in the economy as a reason for the degradation of the quality of our education system BUT (now remember, I’m a retired senior citizen & I haven’t been as focused on education as I was when my kids were in the system) we’re blessed with a great investment instrument, the highly, highly successful Permanent Fund that’s designed to pay or help pay for our high priority budget items. This is why I was stunned by the, so called, education budget shortage of $100 Million ! I mean, did this white elephant just sneak up on us !?! I get the impression that the red flags indicating the weak or broken budget areas that needed to be brought back in line were not realized or were noticed but, somehow, weren’t addressed! I can’t help but wonder how, even with, apparently, some attention focused on the budget (It’s still an agenda item when the school board meets, right?) that a $100 Million shortage just crawled into the room & sat right down on the school board’s head!!
We need a school board who cares about our children. Vote these current school board members out. All except for Dave Donnelly. He’s the only one with common sense! Common sense is not present in the current school board system. Bryantt is a puppet. Sound familiar? Look at the last four years and all the fraud that has happened in America.
Meanwhile Department of Education is worried about what homeschoolers are doing. What a clown world.
Homeschoolers do not always get an education.
Neither do kids in public schools.
I would put up a homeschooled child against a public education serf anyday. Dollar for dollar, minute for minute homeschoolers are by far more eductaed, mentally balanced, and stronger criticial thinkers. The proof is in front of us everyday and in the test scores. Too bad Anchorage parents/peasants don’t actually care enough about their children or community to actually run the pedophiles and crooks out of ASD and Anchorage.
He’s doing exactly what he got hired to do…
cause he’s gay and was bullied by jocks in highschool
So Bryantt wants to focus on his personal agenda that caters to a small percentage of the student population which will do nothing to make them better students. Elimination of academic programs stifles growth which could lead to lower testing scores that can affect college admissions. Sports is critical to a child’s overall development, succeeding in sports provides the recognition needed for college scholarships to make the cost of higher education more affordable to families.
Print all this out on the creep that was hired by the board and send it to the US Attorney General’s Office, Pam Bondi. Let her take a look at what is going on in Alaska and with the butt lazy Governor we have.
I think you could cut DEI out and save sports programs instead.
Exactly.
Which is why Joel made this point:
“This is a tactic used in many districts across the state in attempting to motivate the public to pressure elected officials into pumping more money into the state education budget. Bryantt appears to employ this strategy in his explanation of the proposed budget.“
Let’s not fall for it, folks!
Bryantt’s rationale: “If we can’t have boys competing in girls’ sports, we’ll scrap sports.”.
They always threaten sports programs because that’s what parents will fight for. There is room for dei and sports
Room?
Who cares what there’s room for?
Let’s talk about what our kids need out of public education.
That list is actually pretty short and simple.
Quit socializing our kids according to the latest (minority?) fad. Sports teaches respect, benefits and burdens of competition, and provides great socialization (assuming girls don’t have to look at penis’s in the locker room). Teach the basics, focus on STEM and literature that educates about social constructs.
School trips outside the USA are always instructional so kids can see how good it is in the USA and why everyone wants to come here to thrive. Basics, respect for everyone without making any color, creed, or philosophy better or worse than the other. One human race: merit, hard work, smart work is the way.
All in the name of student “safety”. Explain to me how encouraging the experimentation of sexual lifestyles is safer, in light of numerous S.T.D.s, a 7 times higher suicide rate among transexuals and A.I.D.s itself?
All non-teaching staff should take a 20% cut in salaries. Most of the ASD is administrative staff with redundant positions evident. Delete all DEI programs and restore all sports at all previous levels. Give teachers a 8% wage increase with bonuses for longevity. Is there really a need for so many assistant principals? I think bi-annual audits of the ASD budget and contracts should be mandatory by a third party. in other words, trim the administrative fat and get back to real life education for our kids.