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Anchorage School District, Alaska

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Anchorage School District
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Anchorage, Alaska
District details
Superintendent: Jharrett Bryantt
# of school board members: 7
Website: Link

Anchorage School District is a school district in Alaska.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district’s…

Superintendent

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 		This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Jharrett Bryantt is the superintendent of the Anchorage School District. Bryantt was appointed to the position on April 14, 2022, and started serving in this role on July 1, 2022. His previous experience includes working as the executive officer of the Office of Talent and assistant superintendent for the Houston Independent School District, the largest school district in Texas.[1]

Past superintendents

  • Deena Bishop was the superintendent of the Anchorage School District from 2016 to 2022.[1][2] Bishop's previous career experience includes working as an assistant superintendent, principal, and teacher.[3]
  • Ed Graff was the superintendent of the Anchorage School District from 2013 to 2016. Graff's previous career experience included working as a teacher, elementary school principal, and the district's chief academic officer.[4][5]

School board

The Anchorage School District Board of Education consists of seven members elected to three-year terms. Board members are elected at large but run for specific seats.[6]


Elections

See also: Anchorage School District, Alaska, elections

Members of the Anchorage School District Board of Education are elected to three-year terms on a staggered basis. Each election is held on the first Tuesday in April.

Two seats on the board were up for general election on April 1, 2025. The filing deadline was on January 24, 2025.

Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.


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Public participation in board meetings

The Anchorage School District Board of Education maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[7]

“

Public Participation

Because the School Board has a responsibility to conduct District business in an orderly and efficient way, the following procedures shall regulate public presentations to the School Board.

  1. The School Board shall give members of the public an opportunity to address the School Board either before or during the School Board's consideration of each agenda item.
  2. Student testimony will be prioritized during the first hour of public testimony to include student testimony on non-agenda and action items.
  3. The School Board shall provide special reserved seating for students in the Board room with an unobstructed view of the dais.
  4. At a time so designated on the agenda, members of the public also may bring before the School Board matters that are not listed on the agenda of a regular meeting. The School Board may refer such a matter to the Superintendent or designee or take it under advisement. The matter may be placed on the agenda of a subsequent meeting for action or discussion by the School Board.
  5. A person wishing to be heard by the School Board shall first be recognized by the president. He/she shall then identify himself/herself and proceed to comment as briefly as the subject permits.
  6. Individual speakers will be allowed three minutes to address the School Board. The School Board president may limit the total time for each agenda item, modify the length of testimony, and/or the ordering of the speakers.
  7. With School Board consent, the president may modify the time allowed for public presentation or may rule on the appropriateness of a topic. If the topic would be more suitably addressed at a later time, the president may indicate the time and place when it should be presented.
  8. No oral presentation shall include charges or complaints against any employee of the School Board, including the Superintendent, regardless of whether or not the employee is identified by name or by another reference which tends to identify. Charges or complaints against employees must be submitted to the School Board under the provisions of School Board policy and administrative regulations related to such complaints.
  9. No disturbance or willful interruption of any School Board meeting shall be permitted. Persistence, by an individual or group, shall be grounds for the chair to terminate the privilege of addressing the meeting. The School Board may remove disruptive individuals and order the room cleared if necessary.

[8]

”

District map

School district map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[9]

Revenue, 2020-2021
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $86,834,000 $2,075 12%
Local: $216,644,000 $5,176 29%
State: $439,730,000 $10,506 59%
Total: $743,208,000 $17,756
Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $802,695,000 $19,177
Total Current Expenditures: $710,390,000 $16,972
Instructional Expenditures: $414,873,000 $9,911 52%
Student and Staff Support: $102,949,000 $2,459 13%
Administration: $80,041,000 $1,912 10%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $112,527,000 $2,688 14%
Total Capital Outlay: $84,062,000 $2,008
Construction: $79,847,000 $1,907
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $1,211,000 $28
Interest on Debt: $7,032,000 $168


Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year Minimum Maximum
2024-2025[10] $56,823 $100,155
2023-2024[11] $55,168 $97,238
2022-2023 $54,086 $95,331
2021-2022 $53,287 $93,922
2020-2021[12] $54,069 $99,523
2019-2020 $52,367 $96,390
2018-2019 $50,719 $93,356

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[13]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 37 25 17 28 17 33 52
2018-2019 39 27 21 31 22 35 54
2017-2018 40 29 22 32 27 37 55
2016-2017 35 24 16 26 22 33 49
2014-2015 36 28 19 26 21 33 47
2013-2014 71 65 52 63 55 69 82
2012-2013 72 65 54 64 57 70 83
2011-2012 71 64 51 64 56 69 82
2010-2011 70 63 50 63 56 68 81

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 43 28 27 36 22 41 59
2018-2019 42 29 25 36 23 39 57
2017-2018 45 31 29 38 26 42 61
2016-2017 40 26 24 32 21 37 55
2014-2015 39 25 23 29 21 37 53
2013-2014 83 75 73 79 67 82 91
2012-2013 80 70 69 77 65 79 90
2011-2012 81 72 71 77 66 80 91
2010-2011 79 68 68 75 65 79 89

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 82 87 75-79 77 55-59 77 88
2018-2019 84 88 80-84 80 60-64 80 89
2017-2018 81 84 70-74 80 64 77 85
2016-2017 81 85 75-79 81 63 76 86
2015-2016 80 82 70-74 76 55 80 85
2014-2015 80 84 75-79 75 50-54 75 86
2013-2014 74 71 65-69 72 45-49 68 82
2012-2013 76 77 60-64 73 50-54 68 84
2011-2012 73 76 60-64 71 40-44 69 79
2010-2011 72 73 65-69 61 50-54 65 79


Students

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023 43,727 1.5
2021-2022 43,054 2.8
2020-2021 41,856 -10.2
2019-2020 46,143 0.1
2018-2019 46,115 -3.2
2017-2018 47,588 -1.4
2016-2017 48,238 -0.2
2015-2016 48,324 0.5
2014-2015 48,089 -0.1
2013-2014 48,159 -1.3
2012-2013 48,790 0.1
2011-2012 48,765 -0.9
2010-2011 49,206 -0.8
2009-2010 49,592 1.5
2008-2009 48,837 0.0
2007-2008 48,857 -0.8
2006-2007 49,230 -1.0
2005-2006 49,714 0.3
2004-2005 49,545 -0.4
2003-2004 49,722 -0.7
2002-2003 50,055 0.6
2001-2002 49,767 0.5
2000-2001 49,526 0.3
1999-2000 49,382 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE Anchorage School District (%) Alaska K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 9.8 21.6
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 9.8 5.0
Black 4.5 2.3
Hispanic 11.9 7.5
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 7.1 3.1
Two or More Races 16.1 13.4
White 41.0 47.2

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Staff

As of the 2022-2023 school year, Anchorage School District had 2,424.26 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 18.04.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 28.80
Kindergarten: 137.56
Elementary: 1,122.93
Secondary: 1,134.97
Total: 2,424.26

Anchorage School District employed 281.99 district administrators and 171.80 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 281.99
District Administrative Support: 230.97
School Administrators: 171.80
School Administrative Support: 436.80
Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 673.29
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 0.00
Total Guidance Counselors: 104.89
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 23.40
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 79.49
Librarians/Media Specialists: 73.50
Library/Media Support: 9.86
Student Support Services: 266.25
Other Support Services: 685.89


Schools

The Anchorage School District operates 97 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Abbott Loop Elementary248PK-6
Airport Heights Elementary261PK-6
Alaska Middle College School25511-12
Alaska Native Cultural Charter School232PK-8
Alaska State School For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing30PK-12
Alpenglow Elementary368PK-6
Anchorage Stream Academy1696-8
Aquarian Charter School390KG-6
Aurora Elementary497PK-6
Bartlett High School1,3739-12
Baxter Elementary269PK-6
Bayshore Elementary428PK-6
Bear Valley Elementary397PK-6
Benson Secondary/S.E.A.R.C.H.2957-12
Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School1,7459-12
Birchwood Abc Elementary205PK-6
Bowman Elementary542PK-6
Campbell Stem Elementary415PK-6
Central Middle School Of Science3717-8
Chester Valley Elementary220PK-6
Chinook Elementary481PK-6
Chugach Optional Elementary234PK-6
Chugiak Elementary448PK-6
Chugiak High School9059-12
Clark Middle School8356-8
College Gate Elementary399PK-6
Creekside Park Elementary361PK-6
Denali Montessori Elementary362PK-6
Dimond High School1,4439-12
Dr. Etheldra Davis - Fairview Elementary School384PK-6
Eagle Academy Charter School189KG-8
Eagle River Elementary308PK-6
Eagle River High School7919-12
Family Partnership Charter School1,740KG-12
Fire Lake Elementary229PK-6
Frontier Charter School447KG-12
Girdwood School182PK-8
Gladys Wood Elementary295PK-6
Goldenview Middle School6267-8
Government Hill Elementary450PK-6
Gruening Middle School5896-8
Hanshew Middle School6917-8
Highland Academy Charter1696-12
Homestead Elementary306PK-6
Huffman Elementary357PK-6
Inlet View Elementary235PK-6
Kasuun Elementary289PK-6
Kincaid Elementary466PK-6
Klatt Elementary342PK-6
Lake Hood Elementary248PK-6
Lake Otis Elementary302PK-6
Martin Luther King Jr. Technical High School10610-12
Mclaughlin Secondary School656-12
Mears Middle School7337-8
Mirror Lake Middle School5636-8
Mountain View Elementary290PK-6
Muldoon Elementary466PK-6
Nicholas J. Begich Middle School8826-8
Northern Lights Abc K-8 School569PK-8
North Star Elementary391PK-6
Northwood Abc281PK-6
Nunaka Valley Elementary205PK-6
Ocean View Elementary355PK-6
O'Malley Elementary356PK-6
Orion Elementary School456PK-6
Paideia Cooperative School172KG-12
Polaris K-12 School495KG-12
Ptarmigan Elementary341PK-6
Rabbit Creek Elementary443PK-6
Ravenwood Elementary479PK-6
Rilke Schule Charter School436KG-8
Rogers Park Elementary404PK-6
Romig Middle School7207-8
Russian Jack Elementary252PK-6
Sand Lake Elementary508PK-6
S.A.V.E. High School1479-12
Scenic Park Elementary382PK-6
Service High School1,5449-12
South Anchorage High School1,3189-12
Spring Hill Elementary335PK-6
Steller Secondary School2407-12
Susitna Elementary368PK-6
Taku Elementary286PK-6
The New Path High School07-12
Trailside Elementary379PK-6
Tudor Elementary352PK-6
Turnagain Elementary308PK-6
Ursa Major Elementary0
Ursa Minor Elementary314PK-6
Wendler Middle School4227-8
West High School1,7639-12
Whaley School340PK-12
William Tyson Elementary342PK-6
Williwaw Elementary305PK-6
Willow Crest Elementary284PK-6
Winterberry School253KG-8
Wonder Park Elementary264PK-5

Noteworthy events

2015: Superintendent search

Ed Graff, superintendent of Anchorage School District

In October 2015, the Anchorage School District Board of Education announced its decision to let superintendent Ed Graff's contract expire on March 18, 2016. They offered a short-term extension through June 30, 2016, in order to ease the transition between Graff and the new superintendent. Graff was hired as superintendent in 2013 when Jim Browder left the position. Graff had worked in the district for 22 years before becoming superintendent and stayed in another administrative position in the district after he left his position as superintendent.[5]

Board president Kameron Perez-Verdia explained the board's decision to the public during a press conference. "The board’s reason for seeking new leadership is primarily centered around moving forward. And in order to achieve those goals we need to identify a new leader."[14]

Graff responded to the press conference by saying,

“ For me, it’s been more important to see the success of students than it is to have the title of superintendent. I remain committed to students. I remain committed to our staff, and public education. And if I can do that in any capacity in our district then I will do that.[8] ”
—Ed Graff (2015)[14]

The board assembled an advisory committee made up of four members with ties to the school district to assist with the search process. In February 2016, they approved a payment of $39,800 to the executive search firm Ray and Associates, Inc. to conduct a nationwide search for candidates.[15] The board selected Deena Bishop, who was then named Deena Paramo, as the next superintendent.[3]

2015: Recall effort

See also: Anchorage School District recall, Alaska (2015)

An effort to recall four members of the Anchorage School District Board of Education was rejected in November 2015. Recall organizers alleged that Board President Kameron Perez-Verdia and board members Tam Agosti-Gisler‌‌, Pat Higgins, and Kathleen Plunkett misled voters on the 2015 bond reimbursement vote. Organizers also said that the board members violated state regulations by using signs on school grounds to promote bonds and by paying for a public survey on capital projects. The recall petition was rejected by the Municipality of Anchorage because two of the three allegations against the board members were not illegal, and the other could not be proven.[16][17]

The recall was led by Michael Chambers, the chair of the Alaska Libertarian Party, and David Nees, a former middle school math teacher in the district. Nees said Perez-Verdia, Agosti-Gisler, Higgins, and Plunkett were targeted for recall because they were the only four members who could be targeted. The other three members on the board—Eric Croft, Bettye Davis, and Elisa Snelling—were either too close to their terms being up for re-election or were too recently elected to the board.[17]

2014: Layoffs

In January 2014, the Anchorage School District announced plans to cut 219 positions for the next school year. The plan included laying off 159 teachers: 47 from elementary schools, 35 from middle schools, and 33 from high schools and alternative schools. Another 44 positions were terminated because of a projected decline in enrollment. Over the four preceding years, the district had cut about 419 positions. District administrators were working with a $566 million operating budget for the 2014–15 school year, reportedly $23 million short of the funds the district said it needed.[18]

Contact information

ASD logo.png

Anchorage School District
5530 E Northern Lights Blvd.
Anchorage, AK 99504
Phone: 907-742-4000


About school boards

Education legislation in Alaska

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

Alaska School Board Elections News and Analysis
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Alaska News Source, "Jharrett Bryantt, Texas school district executive, chosen as next Anchorage schools superintendent," accessed August 31, 2023
  2. ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "New Anchorage schools superintendent wins support with student data and an open door," July 6, 2017
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Anchorage Daily News, "Mat-Su's Deena Paramo named Anchorage School District superintendent," May 2, 2016
  4. ↑ Anchorage School District, "Superintendent," accessed February 17, 2014
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 KTUU, "Anchorage school superintendent's contract will not be renewed in 2016," October 30, 2015
  6. ↑ Anchorage School District, "Board Members," accessed May 13, 2021
  7. ↑ Board Policy Online, "Anchorage School District BB 9323 Meeting Conduct," accessed January 20, 2024
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  9. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
  10. ↑ Anchorage School District, "TENTATIVE AGREEMENT Between the Anchorage Education Association and the Anchorage School District," accessed April 15, 2025
  11. ↑ Anchorage School District, "Anchorage School District Anchorage Education Association 105 Salary Schedule," accessed January 31, 2024
  12. ↑ Anchorage School District, "Anchorage School District Anchorage Education Association 105 Salary Schedule," accessed May 4, 2021
  13. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Alaska Public Media, "Anchorage School Board won’t renew superintendent’s contract," October 30, 2015
  15. ↑ Chugiak-Eagle River Star, "Superintendent search firm funds, Yosemite Drive upgrade OK’d," February 3, 2016
  16. ↑ Recall Elections Blog, "Alaska: Petitions against Four Anchorage School Board members rejected by city," November 18, 2015
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Anchorage Daily News, "Municipality denies recall petition to oust 4 Anchorage School Board members," November 16, 2015
  18. ↑ The Nation, "Anchorage School District Plans to Cut 219 Positions, Including 159 Teachers," January 27, 2014
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