The Anchorage School District names seven elementary schools scheduled to close within three years

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

The proposal, which will need to be approved by the school board before it can be implemented, calls for school closures to be phased over three years. Schools that were closed or converted in the first year were Bear Valley Elementary, Lake Hood Elementary and Tudor Elementary.

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

In the third year, the plan is to close Baxter Elementary and repurpose it.

“This is a truly challenging time for our community, and my focus right now is 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 of students at the identified schools, as well as another letter to staff, informing them of the plans.

“Our community is changing. We have observed a decline in enrollment that reflects broader trends in Anchorage’s population. Additionally, more and more families are choosing alternative learning methods, and enrollment in correspondence schools has doubled over the last decade,” Bryantt wrote to families.

Between 2010 and 2024, enrollment in the district decreased by almost 12%. The number of students learning from home has almost doubled. And according to data as part of the district’s Rightsize ASD initiative, the number of students with high-intensity needs in the district increased by 61%.

According to Bryantt, the district intends to retain almost all employees at the closed schools and reassign them to positions at other facilities.

“When we consolidate buildings, our intention 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 rapidly grown from less than $170 million to more than $1 billion, placing further strain on our resources,” Bryantt wrote to families.

Closing schools as a budget reduction measure does not save much money. In 2022, when the district proposed closing six elementary schools, officials predicted that each closure would save about $500,000 a year.

“I think everyone on the board understands that this has to happen,” said Andy Holleman, president 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 around, Holleman said, the community at large and elected officials will likely be more willing to agree to a broader closure plan.

“It’s not pleasant for anyone,” he said. “I think it’s a good idea for us to take it slowly.”

Proposed school closures for 2025-2026:

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

• Lake Hood Elementary School would be transformed into a community school. Its pupils will be sent to two different primary schools: 113 pupils at Turnagain Primary School and 62 pupils at Northwood Primary School.

• Tudor Primary School will be earmarked for a “special program,” the district said in its announcement. Its students will be sent to two different schools: 179 students will be sent to Lake Otis Elementary School and 124 students in the Montessori program will be sent to Denali Montessori.

Proposed schools for 2026–27:

• Fire Lake Elementary School would be transformed into a community school. Her students attended three different elementary schools: 40 at Birchwood Elementary School, 108 at Eagle River Elementary School, and two at Chugiak Elementary School.

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

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

Proposed school for 2027-28:

• Baxter Elementary School would be transformed into a community school. Her students attended three different elementary schools: 17 at Chester Valley Elementary School, 99 at College Gate Elementary School, and 53 at Scenic Park Elementary School.

This is a developing story. Check for updates.

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