Schools

Juneau Board of Education President Deedie Sorensen (left) and Vice President Emil Mackey (right), with his son Emil Mackey IV between them, listen to a presentation during a school board retreat at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé on Saturday, Sept 28. Recall votes for both board members are failing in the initial vote tally in this year’s municipal election. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

School board that made lots of changes appears it will remain the same after election

Three incumbents leading by large margins; recall petitions against two members failing

 

Students arrive at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Aug. 21. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Threat of school shooting posted widely, including in Juneau, does not appear credible, district says

Extra police at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Monday morning a precaution, according to notice.

 

Students arrive at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Aug. 15, 2024, the first day of class for the current school year. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)

Consolidated schools during first month of classes are great, awful or illegal, depending on who’s asked

Superintendent offers praise; teachers fret about class sizes; TMMS students forced to repeat classes.

 

Boxed kits with naloxone, an overdose-reversal drug, and associated equipment are stacked on tables at the Alaska Department of Health’s Anchorage office on Aug. 9. The kits were assembled that day in preparation for distribution to school districts around the state, in accordance with House Bill 202. The bill requires schools to stock the kits and to have personnel trained to use them. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska schools to be stocked with anti-overdose kits, under new law

Emergency kits to save victims of opioid overdoses are on their way to Alaska schools, in accordance with a new law. The law is the… Continue reading

Boxed kits with naloxone, an overdose-reversal drug, and associated equipment are stacked on tables at the Alaska Department of Health’s Anchorage office on Aug. 9. The kits were assembled that day in preparation for distribution to school districts around the state, in accordance with House Bill 202. The bill requires schools to stock the kits and to have personnel trained to use them. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Results of the Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) assessments and the Alaska Science Assessment from the past year are shown for Juneau’s schools. (Juneau Empire graph using data from the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development)

Standardized test scores at some Juneau schools far higher than others

Math, science proficiency at Auke Bay elementary roughly twice Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen’s, for example.

Results of the Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) assessments and the Alaska Science Assessment from the past year are shown for Juneau’s schools. (Juneau Empire graph using data from the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development)
Five of the six candidates seeking three open seats on the Juneau Board of Education participate in a forum hosted by the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce at the Juneau Moose Family Center. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

School board candidate forum focuses on lessons learned from consolidation process

Five of six candidates running for three seats answer questions about “what ifs” and “what’s next.”

Five of the six candidates seeking three open seats on the Juneau Board of Education participate in a forum hosted by the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce at the Juneau Moose Family Center. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Students heading to Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé board a bus at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Wednesday morning. While the stop is designated as a park-and-ride option for students, those boarding the bus either walked to the stop or were dropped off by parents. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Changes in student transportation are all over the map after consolidation of schools

Many students say things are fine, but illegal parking and bus woes are prompting course corrections.

Students heading to Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé board a bus at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Wednesday morning. While the stop is designated as a park-and-ride option for students, those boarding the bus either walked to the stop or were dropped off by parents. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Students crowd into the commons area of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé to pick up their schedules, and meet familiar and new peers, before classes start on the first day of school Thursday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

More than 1,100 students show up on first day at newly consolidated JDHS

Students say they’re expecting more friends, more competition and less parking.

Students crowd into the commons area of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé to pick up their schedules, and meet familiar and new peers, before classes start on the first day of school Thursday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Shelley McNurney (right) and Tami Hesseltine examine a muticolor storage shelf in the gym of the former Floyd Dryden Middle School on Saturday, where surplus items from the school were being sold to residents and given away to nonprofit entities. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

No more pencils, no more bookshelves: Floyd Dryden works to clear out surplus items large and small

Furniture, microscopes, pianos among gymful of items being given away or sold by shut-down school.

Shelley McNurney (right) and Tami Hesseltine examine a muticolor storage shelf in the gym of the former Floyd Dryden Middle School on Saturday, where surplus items from the school were being sold to residents and given away to nonprofit entities. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Juneau Board of Education President Deedie Sorensen (left) and Vice President Emil Mackey, holding his son Emil Mackey IV, listen to discussion about next year’s budget for the school district during a meeting March 14 at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. Recall votes for both board members were certified this week for the Oct. 1 municipal election ballot. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Petitions to recall two Juneau school board leaders get enough signatures for Oct. 1 election ballot

President Deedie Sorensen, Vice President Emil Mackey targeted due to school district’s budget crisis.

Juneau Board of Education President Deedie Sorensen (left) and Vice President Emil Mackey, holding his son Emil Mackey IV, listen to discussion about next year’s budget for the school district during a meeting March 14 at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. Recall votes for both board members were certified this week for the Oct. 1 municipal election ballot. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Juneau School District leaders discuss items to add back to this year’s budget during an online meeting Saturday. (Screenshot from Juneau Board of Education meeting)

School board spends $3.6M in staff add-backs, nixes $1M CBJ loan after getting $5.2M extra from state

Members also consider new food service contract and first increase in school meal prices since 2020.

Juneau School District leaders discuss items to add back to this year’s budget during an online meeting Saturday. (Screenshot from Juneau Board of Education meeting)
A sculpture of a bear reading a book is seen in front of Auke Bay Elementary School on July 12, 2023. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

School district leaders rank ‘add-back’ priorities for $5.2M in extra funds OK’d in state budget

List to be considered by school board Saturday includes HomeBRIDGE, special eduction, tech staff.

A sculpture of a bear reading a book is seen in front of Auke Bay Elementary School on July 12, 2023. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)
Juneau School District maintenance and custodial crew work on transitioning Thunder Mountain High School to Thunder Mountain Middle School on Monday. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

Juneau schools empty out as classrooms and memories transition under consolidation plan

Transitions “ahead of schedule” for school district; use for vacant buildings by CBJ still in question

Juneau School District maintenance and custodial crew work on transitioning Thunder Mountain High School to Thunder Mountain Middle School on Monday. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The Boney Courthouse building in Anchorage holds the Alaska Supreme Court chambers. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska Supreme Court schedules June 25 hearing for homeschool lawsuit appeal

Arguments to occur five days before the end of a hold on the lower court’s ruling.

The Boney Courthouse building in Anchorage holds the Alaska Supreme Court chambers. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Lisa Pearce (center), newly hired as the chief financial officer for the Juneau School District, discusses the district’s financial crisis in her role as an analyst during a work session Feb. 17 at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. Seated next to Pearce are Superintendent Frank Hauser (left) and school board member Britteny Cioni-Haywood. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Lisa Pearce, analyst who unveiled Juneau School District’s crisis, hired as new chief financial officer

Consultant for numerous districts in recent years begins new job when consolidation starts July 1.

Lisa Pearce (center), newly hired as the chief financial officer for the Juneau School District, discusses the district’s financial crisis in her role as an analyst during a work session Feb. 17 at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. Seated next to Pearce are Superintendent Frank Hauser (left) and school board member Britteny Cioni-Haywood. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Lon Garrison (center), executive director of the Alaska Association of School Boards, presides over a Juneau Board of Education self-assessment retreat Saturday at Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

School board president says she won’t run again at meeting where members assess their response to crisis

Deedie Sorensen says it’s time to retire as board members give themselves tough grades, lofty goals.

Lon Garrison (center), executive director of the Alaska Association of School Boards, presides over a Juneau Board of Education self-assessment retreat Saturday at Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
High school students in Juneau attend a chemistry class in 2016. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

JDHS ranks fourth, TMHS fifth among 64 Alaska high schools in U.S. News and World Report survey

HomeBRIDGE ranks 41st, YDHS not ranked in nationwide assessment of more than 24,000 schools.

High school students in Juneau attend a chemistry class in 2016. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Juneau School District administrators and board members review the updated budget for the current fiscal year during a Board of Education meeting Tuesday night at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

The Juneau School District had a $9.5M projected deficit this year. It’s now a $633,185 surplus. How is that possible?

Resignation of 34 employees since January, health insurance savings among reasons, officials say.

Juneau School District administrators and board members review the updated budget for the current fiscal year during a Board of Education meeting Tuesday night at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Cheer teams for Thunder Mountain High School and Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé perform a joint routine between quarters of a Feb. 24 game between the girls’ basketball teams of both schools. It was possibly the final such local matchup, with all high school students scheduled to be consolidated into JDHS starting during the next school year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

State OKs school district’s consolidation plan; closed schools cannot reopen for at least seven years

Plans from color-coded moving boxes to adjusting bus routes well underway, district officials say.

Cheer teams for Thunder Mountain High School and Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé perform a joint routine between quarters of a Feb. 24 game between the girls’ basketball teams of both schools. It was possibly the final such local matchup, with all high school students scheduled to be consolidated into JDHS starting during the next school year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Many Juneau School District employees will be in new places during the coming school year due to a consolidation plan that will result on one high school and one middle school instead of two of each. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

Juneau’s principals, vice principals get new assignments under school district’s consolidation plan

The principal of the one middle school won’t be the just-named Southeast principal of the year.

Many Juneau School District employees will be in new places during the coming school year due to a consolidation plan that will result on one high school and one middle school instead of two of each. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)