Anchorage School District names 7 elementary schools for proposed closures over three years

The Anchorage School District announced Friday that it plans to close seven elementary schools as part of its strategy to address its budget deficit and declining student enrollment.

The proposal, which must be approved by the school board before it can be implemented, calls for staggered closures over a three-year period. The schools identified as likely to be closed or repurposed in the first year are Bear Valley Elementary, Lake Hood Elementary and Tudor Elementary.

In the second year, the district is proposing to close or repurpose Fire Lake Elementary, Nunaka Valley Elementary and Wonder Park Elementary.

The plan calls for Baxter Elementary to close and be repurposed in its third year.

“This is a very difficult time for our community and right now my focus is on listening to our communities,” District Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt said in an interview Friday. “This is one of the most difficult conversations a community can have.”

On Friday afternoon, the district sent a letter to families with students at the identified schools, as well as another letter to staff members, informing them of the plans.

“Our community is changing. We have seen a decline in enrollment that reflects broader trends within Anchorage’s population. In addition, more and more families are choosing different learning modalities, with enrollment in correspondence schools doubling over the past decade,” Bryantt wrote to families.

Between 2010 and 2024, the district’s enrollment fell by nearly 12%. The number of homeschooled students has almost doubled. And according to facts published as part of the district’s “Rightsizing ASD” initiative, the number of students with intensive needs in the district has increased by 61%.

According to Bryantt, the district aims to retain nearly all staff from the closing schools and move them to positions at other facilities.

“As we consolidate the building, the idea is to add more adults and teachers to our buildings,” he said.

As education funding from state lawmakers has stagnated in recent years, the list of deferred maintenance projects at district facilities has “increased from less than $170 million to more than $1 billion, placing additional strain on our resources,” Bryantt wrote to families.

As an austerity measure, school closures do not save much money. In 2022, when the district proposed closing six elementary schools, officials said projected that each closure would save approximately $500,000 per year.

“I think everyone on the board understands that this needs to be done,” said Andy Holleman, chairman of the Anchorage School board.

In 2022, the board reduced the number of schools proposed for closure from six to just one, Abbott Loop Elementary. This time, Holleman said, the community at large and elected officials will likely be more willing to agree to a larger closure plan.

“It’s not pleasant for anyone,” he said. “I think it’s a good idea that we do this slowly.”

Proposed school closures for 2025-2026:

• Bear Valley Elementary School would be permanently closed. The students would be sent to three different elementary schools: 121 to Huffman Elementary, 104 to Rabbit Creek Elementary and 80 to O’Malley Elementary.

• Lake Hood Elementary School would be repurposed as a charter school. The students would be sent to two different elementary schools: 113 students to Turnagain Elementary and 62 students to Northwood Elementary.

• Tudor Elementary would be repurposed for a “special program,” the district said in its announcement. The students would be sent to two different schools: 179 of the students would be sent to Lake Otis Elementary, and 124 students in the Montessori program would be sent to Denali Montessori.

Proposed schools for 2026-2027:

• Fire Lake Elemental would be repurposed as a charter school. The students would attend three different elementary schools: 40 at Birchwood Elementary, 108 at Eagle River Elementary and two at Chugiak Elementary.

• Nunaka Valley Primary School would be repurposed for a “special program,” the district said in its announcement. The students would be sent to two different elementary schools: 39 to Chester Valley Elementary and 57 to Russian Jack Elementary.

• Wonder Park Elementary would be permanently closed. The students would be sent to two different elementary schools: 103 to Williwaw Elementary School and 78 to Ptarmigan Elementary School.

Proposed school for 2027-2028:

• Baxter Elementary would be repurposed as a charter school. The students would attend three different elementary schools: 17 at Chester Valley Elementary, 99 at College Gate Elementary and 53 at Scenic Park Elementary.

This is a development story. Check back for updates.

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