In the midst of school closures, rapidly declining student enrollment, and thousands of children abandoning traditional brick-and-mortar schools in favor of homeschooling and private education options, the Anchorage Assembly is asking residents to take on an additional $80 million in bond debt for school construction, upgrades and renovations, as well as planning and designing of future capital projects.
Voters will decide the fate of the Proposition 1 during the April 7 municipal election.
According to the school district’s website, it has seen a 15% decrease in student enrollment from 2010 to 2025 (7,487 fewer students) and a 137% increase in correspondence school students over that same time span.
Down to just 41,671 students this year, Anchorage has now shuttered five schools over the past decade with more on the chopping block for next year.
Despite the downsizing efforts, the district still has nearly 90 buildings under its control, most of which are experiencing shrinking enrollment and numerous empty classrooms. These schools represent nearly 8 million square feet of building space.
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Efforts to close more schools have been rejected by the school board, thus far, but additional ones will likely be shuttered in the coming years if enrollment in brick-and-mortar schools continues its decades-long decline.
Despite these stark realities, the city is asking voters to approve $79.4 million in new bond debt for school capital projects. If the cash-strapped state can’t afford to reimburse the bond debt, property taxes on a $500,000 Anchorage home would go up by about $77 annually.
To read the full bond proposal, click here.
13 Comments
There will still be enough voters voting yes for the schools. Anchorage neighbors are still clueless, ignorant, and not smarter since the last time we voted.
The town’s Right have not yet done the work controlling their individual neighborhoods councils, so neighbors can hear the Right’s opinion outside of the media one sided publications.
Anyone who votes for this should have a “lobotomy” performed on them ASAP.
Enough is enough! NO to more bonds being wasted in the Anchorage borough! NO!!!
People need to educate themselves on these education bonds, tied to your personal property. There is evidence sitting at the DOJ for investigation of bond fraud. Mitch Vexler has hand-delivered a complaint to the DoJ re: real estate assessments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-tY7Qv9yjg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY5EpJl5fUo. He’s based in Texas but knows it’s going on all across the US.
https://irp.cdn-website.com/39439f83/files/uploaded/Amicus_Brief_Supporting_Property_Owners_-_President_Trump_and_Elon_Musk.pdf.
https://irp.cdn-website.com/39439f83/files/uploaded/School_Districts_and_Accounting_Fraud_-_Presentation_to_President_Trump_and_Elon_Musk.pdf
https://irp.cdn-website.com/39439f83/files/uploaded/Amicus+Brief-Case+25-0615+Supreme+Court+of+Texas-UN-SIGNED.pdf
So what construction companies are in bed with the Anchorage Assembly?
Here’s a lifeline Anchorage School District, rent out the empty classrooms as offices, warehouses, daycare centers, yoga classrooms, etc. Quit being lazy and just sticking your hand in the populations pockets.
That link does not break sown how much spending is for each school but the paper version sent in the mail says that $19,585,000 of that Bond is for upgrades to Lake Otis Elementary. Why would we pay almost $20 million dollars to upgrade a school that they’re planning on closing anyway?
If you go to page 11 of that document you seen that in 2026 we will be paying down our current debt by $66.485 billion dollars, so everyone who votes for more than that much in new bonds is just getting us farther in debt at a time when interest rates are rising and city population is shrinking. I’m going to vote for the Road Bonds ($38.45 million), the Fire Bond ($2.5 million) and (maybe) a few of the others but we can’t afford an almost $80 million dollar bond, even if you want to vote all the rest down. Thank You
when has ASD made any cuts to administration?
Also, when has ASD made any gains in test scores?
Insanity, mentally ill, anchorage is a mental institution that best be defunded!
Close a few schools then sell the land for much needed housing development and tax generation.
Considering the number of students has spiraled, I wonder who’s really benefitting. We need a citizen journalist to check this out; or maybe the Watchman.
I don’t think ASD should get anymore money. I hope more private schools open up to give opportunities for families and more competition for ASD. I wish I could buy Rilke Schule’s old building to open a private school. I hope someone does!!!!!