[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5973246,"mediaKeyId","5853035-f2a4856d962220961bf42852256f095d","parentId",5853035,"title","District communications to highlight stories behind board goals; website upgrade and tagging planned","audioSeconds",152,"startMs",222000,"endMs",374000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5853035-f2a4856d962220961bf42852256f095d&start=222&end=374","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5853035-f2a4856d962220961bf42852256f095d/thumbnail_222000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5973246/Alaska/District-communications-to-highlight-stories-behind-board-goals-website-upgrade-and-tagging-planned","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973246-ef472f7c27a1a652f88056db0cab2b3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771047688&Signature=Cr0W0yPwJuN81q-anosuulymaZGvtpJfvLq6cTg0yf6U02yH78RVJISP5697qrAIGQ~U3xcFhxyizb42Jb2zDzvVrQLJ42eGaMsilw1CxKd4Sdg8n3X5eadXriGuxFUNejrCswYT1C3xfC5qxiCwTP9VaoIgwUiJH1gehlT42wr-HqTYByLUY~Q3Jqjea9b-FxZ7zvdU4PI5H1cNNGcsICyh6pnbIixMDWCe911PDlihFkqs10Qq3JLaufqtOwE81BpQKyO8bftoL8Lbl9kWw-2cQ~lI5l7Zd8Jw5UaLuDRG88RwPlryRfl1J8g2KvoHzsYbEm6NIbLs0IttAla1Vw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Anchorage School District","date","2025-09-26T10:08:31Z","article","Anchorage School District communications staff told the Communications Committee on Thursday they will pivot from lengthy monthly checklists to a more intentional storytelling approach tied to the board’s goals, and that the district’s website is being upgraded to improve tagging and distribution of school-level stories.

Why it matters: Board members said many community funders never step foot in a school; communications staff said better, shorter stories will make board goals and progress easier for taxpayers and families to understand.

MJ Collins, a board member who opened the communications update, said the district is \"upgrading our web page\" and thanked the board for feedback on areas to fix. Lisa Miller, communications assistant director, described work with assessment and evaluation to reduce each board goal’s monthly action checklist from as many as 30 items to a focused set of \"about 3 to 5 priority action steps\" and said communications will \"support that, the story behind that data.\" Miller said the new board report format will display those priority steps and the status of each.

Miller outlined how communications will amplify those priorities: internal episodes of the Inside ASD podcast for staff, short 60-second external videos with an expert giving tips for families, and longer filmed stories of students and teachers. She described a plan to tag finished pieces so the board goal is visible at the end of each story and noted the communications team will work with assessment and evaluation to surface \"resiliency factors\"—district strengths identified during recruitment and retention focus groups—to provide consistent framing across messages.

Tony Riley, senior director of community engagement, summarized outreach activity, saying district employees fielded a new team for a recent charity run and that the team \"raised over $4,000.\" He also reviewed upcoming engagement opportunities: an elders-and-youth event and the statewide AFN (Alaska Federation of Natives) conference in Anchorage, where the indigenous education department typically sponsors students.

A question from the committee asked whether legislators could be automatically enrolled to receive school-specific stories. Miller and web staff said the new website backend and SharePoint tagging will make it possible to tag content by school and explore routing stories to legislators who represent those schools; staff said they will work with senior directors and principals to refine that process.

What’s next: Communications staff said the website upgrade is progressing, the new reporting format will appear in upcoming board reports, and the team will pilot short videos and podcast segments tied to specific board goals. Staff asked for patience as the team rolls out the new approach and said they will coordinate with senior directors to enable school-level tagging and targeted outreach to legislators.

Ending: The committee did not take a formal vote. Members encouraged the communications team to proceed and to coordinate with principals and senior directors on content tagging and distribution plans.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","9/25 ASD School Board Communications Committee","oneSentenceSummary","Anchorage School District communications staff said they will narrow public reports to 3–5 priority action steps per board goal and increase storytelling — including short videos and podcast segments — and they plan website tagging that could route school-level stories to legislators representing those schools.","taxTitle","Anchorage School District, School Districts, Alaska","taxId",12911,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5973251,"Academies of Anchorage appeal denied; district faces $75 million shortfall and staffing choices",271,1130000,1401000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5853035-f2a4856d962220961bf42852256f095d&start=1130&end=1401","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5853035-f2a4856d962220961bf42852256f095d/thumbnail_1130000.jpg","/articles/5973251/Alaska/Academies-of-Anchorage-appeal-denied-district-faces-75-million-shortfall-and-staffing-choices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5973251-e1a32844b89c0270b0716919eb0e9801/orig.mp4?Expires=1771047688&Signature=SB9rdgY5mh7wdJbU6TGmglruRbtdUBPrM6uTA0irEYL6~oCnNuSUmDHTZY5DS8VQrJd3scH6c-RWbyL-Za5KJs3XdqBA7E~UIsm~ORkYdIlRLausA2MHLNiRxwFPHjSMGY4cMecmeheQCyGTX4nyf0aq3~Pxsql5kcA7xVOfO9xeTgYjGxGSRHPxd-j258ts8xbkG0nBtemWfC4HtizKczjAd3uNjmlHhFit6alP-yWN1YdFsX1B69IbVI8lqXP-sSkcDMHHVcIzWioEhn1sk6eeTFq-s-lkRaj7MG-pDS0K4z-oXKoKqA2Xxz9FTcHdOJspN7w6W67d~sSuA-PqHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Academies of Anchorage (AOA) grant appeal was denied, and district leaders warned Thursday that the decision will force Anchorage School District officials to weigh which career-and-technical positions to protect as they develop a budget to close a projected $75,000,000 structural deficit.

Why it matters: AOA has been funded in part by a federal grant; the appeal denial means some positions funded by that grant are no longer guaranteed. District staff said the loss is concentrated but meaningful and will shape choices about class sizes and which specialty programs to preserve.

At the start of the Academies of Anchorage update, Sean Prince, speaking for the program, told the committee, \"we did receive information today that our FDS grant appeal was denied.\" District staff said they have informed principals, academy coaches and community partners, and are sending thank-you letters to the legislators and industry leaders who supported the appeal.

Dr. Bryant, speaking for district administration, described the personnel impact and the larger fiscal picture. District staff told the committee that roughly six current technical-education teachers were funded directly by the grant that was defunded; the district also employs about 56 other staff who teach technical-education courses. \"Just because this grant is being defunded does not mean our commitment to things like CTE is going away,\" Dr. Bryant said, but added that the district must make difficult budgeting decisions as it faces what staff described as the equivalent of more than 500 positions’ worth of salary and benefits in a $75,000,000 shortfall.

Board members and staff discussed immediate and near-term options. Dr. Bryant said he would like to \"use those pullbacks for those teachers for the remainder of the year so that no individual high school schedule is changed,\" a short-term step to avoid immediate schedule disruption while longer-term decisions are developed.

Board members pressed for clarity about how other staffing shortages and attrition could affect options. A staff presenter said the district budgets with an attrition account (anticipating some unfilled positions) and that last year’s fund balance was substantially larger than the reserve expected this year; staff estimated available fund balance could shrink from roughly $40 million last year to a single-digit number of millions this year, complicating any reallocation decisions.

Legislative possibilities drew questions from the committee. Staff said they are working with lobbyists to explore language in HB 57 and in a Senate measure referred to in the meeting as SB 113 (also discussed as SB 13 in the transcript). \"The language about CTE funding in HB 57 is tied to the governor signing off on SB 13, which is currently in front of him,\" staff said, and noted the governor’s decision timeline. The committee was told that, while a veto seemed likely, recent developments could change that calculation.

Committee members and staff also discussed community participation in any budget trade-off process. One board member urged bringing students and families into discussions about how to prioritize programs; Dr. Bryant and other staff described the large number of external supporters who had written letters on behalf of AOA, from the congressional delegation to business and nonprofit partners.

What’s next: There was no formal vote or directive at the committee meeting. Staff said they will continue to communicate directly with school principals and academy staff, will explore legislative and budget options with lobbyists and the administration, and will present budget choices to the board as they are developed.

Context: Committee members described the AOA program as one of several district secondary programs that have delivered measurable results for students and employers. Staff emphasized that program decisions will be weighed against broader needs — including protecting core classroom teachers and class-size targets at the secondary level — and that additional reductions could affect elective offerings and specialized programs.

Ending: District staff urged patience while administrators and the board develop a path forward and vowed to keep principals, academy coaches and community partners informed as budget options are evaluated.","The Academies of Anchorage (AOA) grant appeal was denied, district officials said, leaving the Anchorage School District to weigh which career and technical education positions to protect amid a projected $75 million structural deficit.","actionData","errors"]

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District communications to highlight stories behind board goals; website upgrade and tagging planned

Academies of Anchorage appeal denied; district faces $75 million shortfall and staffing choices