DEVELOPING: Alaska Transfers Troubled Schools to Underfunded Districts Amid Growing Concerns

Breaking News: Alaska Transfers Troubled Schools to Underfunded Districts Amid Growing Concerns Alaska's education department has transferred ownership of 54 buildings, including 54 schools, to rural public school districts since 2003, with the latest transfer happening this week. The move comes as the state struggles to maintain its crumbling school infrastructure. The immediate impact is being felt in Aniak, a small and predominantly Indigenous community in western Alaska, where the Kuspuk School District has taken over the 88-year-old elementary school. The school was in dire need of repairs, with moldy walls, sewage leaks, and a history of flooding from the nearby Kuskokwim River. The Kuspuk School District had requested $18.6 million to build a new elementary school wing, but the state's education department only approved the funding if the district agreed to take over the ownership of the school. The district has now inherited the school's maintenance costs and responsibilities. The transfer of ownership raises concerns about the financial burden on underfunded school districts, which may struggle to maintain the state's crumbling school infrastructure. The Kuspuk School District has already expressed concerns about the district's ability to afford the maintenance costs of the school. This is a developing story, and we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. The state's education department has not yet commented on the transfer of ownership or the implications for rural school districts.