Dear ASD Community,

As we move through the final quarter of the school year, I want to recognize the incredible dedication of our staff—and share how the Anchorage School District is working to support them during this time of financial uncertainty.

Due to continued flat funding from the state and the constraints of our FY26 budget, ASD has had to make some difficult staffing decisions, including displacing some employees from their current positions for next year. These decisions are made in close collaboration with school principals, taking into account program needs, student interest, and seniority, and are guided by our negotiated agreements.

We understand that behind every staffing decision are real people—teachers, support staff, and mentors—who play an essential role in the lives of our students. These changes affect entire school communities, and we are committed to navigating this process with compassion and care for our employees.

We remain hopeful that additional state funding may still come through. If it does, we are ready to restore as many positions as possible.

We are deeply grateful for your continued support of our staff, students, and schools. Together, we remain focused on creating a learning environment where everyone has the opportunity to grow and succeed.

Sincerely,

Martin Lang

Chief Human Resources Officer

Anchorage School District

For more information on education funding and how it relates to the 2025 Legislative Session, please watch Superintendent Bryantt’s comments below.

Clearing Up the Fund Balance Confusion

There’s been some conversations and some confusion about how much money the Anchorage School District actually has on hand to address budget shortfalls.

This year (FY25), ASD planned to use about $37 million from its fund balance to help close the budget gap and ASD expects to use the full amount.

Looking ahead to next year (FY26), $49 million more is already committed to help balance that budget.

Once those two amounts are set aside, there will only be about $6 to $8 million left in truly spendable funds. That’s about 1% of the total budget, and it’s what ASD can use for emergencies or unexpected costs.

To make FY26 work, ASD is counting on:

• Using most of the remaining spendable savings, about $49 million, and

• About $65 million in budget reductions.

You might’ve seen a story or heard someone say ASD has a $121 million unreserved fund balance. But here’s why that number doesn’t tell the whole story:

• The $121 million is the ending unreserved balance from last year (FY24).

• $37 million of that will be spent this year.

• $27 million is locked away in a Bond Debt Rating Reserve — it can’t be touched.

• $49 million is already planned for next year’s budget.

Take those out, and you’re left with about $6–8 million to address emergencies such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and fires.

To learn more about ASD’s FY26 Budget Solutions, click here.

Students Walk Out and Speak Out about Education Funding

The Anchorage School District (ASD) supports students’ rights to free speech, including the right to take part in peaceful protests like today’s walkouts. 

Students who participated in today’s walkout are responsible for any class work they miss. Classes proceeded as scheduled for the students that did not participate.

Staff weren’t allowed to take part in the walkout, but they still helped students stay safe.

On April 14, the Spirit of Tomorrow Awards will recognize two partners who have been integral in the success of the Academies of Anchorage over the past year.

One partner will be recognized as an outstanding contributor, and another will receive a student choice award for its booth at the 2024 Career Expo.

The Academies of Anchorage and Anchorage School Business Partnership are proud to recognize the collaboration of our schools and partners.

Stay tuned for a video series celebrating these important partnerships!

Welcome to our new ASD families!

REMINDER THAT ONLINE REGISTRATION OPENS APRIL 24TH

If your student's pre-enrollment application has recently been processed, be sure to also complete yearly online registration. 

Confirm your registration status in Parent Connect today: Login, select your student, and click ASD Quick Links to see if Online Registration is Complete or Incomplete. 

Log in and register your student via ParentConnect 

If you need your PIN and a new password, please visit the Login Reminder Page 

Instructions for logging in and registering are available in the Online Registration Guide 

For questions about your students’ pre-enrollment or registration, please contact your school. 

ONLINE REGISTRATION OPENS APRIL 24TH

Over the last five years, attendance challenges have grown nationwide. 

Together, we can make a difference by encouraging regular attendance—because every day matters! #ASDAttendanceMatters

Airport Heights Elementary - George Cromer

In this segment of Teaching Today, we talk with Airport Heights Elementary Fourth Grade Teacher George Cromer, whose mission is to help students be the best they can be for now and in the future.

Check out our podcast, ASD Shine Bright, which highlights the awesome things students and staff are doing in the Anchorage School District.

Listen to amazing stories, journeys, challenges, and successes.

Check out the latest episodes below:

#ASDShineBright: Willow Crest Elementary Renames Gymnasium To Honor Educator & Coach Leroy Jones

Willow Crest Elementary has officially renamed its gymnasium to honor educator and coach Leroy Jones! 

A dedicated educator for 32 years, Mr. Jones made lasting contributions to athletics and mentoring. 

A well-deserved tribute to his legacy! 

April is Month Of The Military Child! 

Let's celebrate the strength, resilience, and unwavering support of military children who play a vital role in the armed forces community. 

Thank you for your sacrifices and courage. 💜 

April is National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month! 

Let's recognize and support the diverse language learners in our district. 

Thanks to our English Language Learners (ELL) Department for the work they do to help all students succeed. 

ASD is grateful for our paraeducators—skilled technicians who work alongside teachers to support student success, just like paralegals & paramedics.

#ASDShineBright: Lake Otis Elementary Students Celebrate Traditions

Lake Otis Elementary School 5th graders had a blast making kuspuks.

Thanks to Mrs. Bourdon and parents, students learned, created, and celebrated tradition together. 

#ASDShineBright: Romig Middle School MathCounts Team Takes 1st In State Championship

Congrats to the Romig Middle School MathCounts Team for taking 1st place at the State competition! 

Special shout-out to Grace Yang (1st), Jerry Bi (2nd), George Bi (3rd), & Sam Erickson (5th). 

Best of luck to Grace, Jerry, & George at Nationals in DC! 

The Anchorage School District (ASD) is introducing SchooLinks district-wide in the 2025/2026 school year. SchooLinks is a modern college and career readiness (CCR) platform designed to help students discover their interests and plan for life after graduation.

The SchooLinks platform uses career exploration tools to engage students and streamlines the application process for those who are interested in college. 

We want to help you and your family stay safe and prepare for when Mount Spurr erupts again.

The Anchorage School District (ASD) is dedicated to providing a safe and civil learning environment. In collaboration with the Anchorage School Board, we’ve been working on ways to make it easier for students, parents, guardians, and staff members to be informed of all available options for reporting concerns of harassment, intimidation, and bullying, including an option to report concerns anonymously. These behaviors disrupt a student's ability to learn and a school's ability to educate. 

Did you know?

If a student experiences, or another person observes, a student being harassed, intimidated, or bullied, they should report it to their school administrator or through STOPit anonymous reporting.

More information may be found on the Reporting Concerns website.

For additional information, please also see BP 5131.43 Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying.