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Students, parents press Anchorage board to give Alaska Native Cultural Charter School a permanent home at Lake Hood Elementary
Summary
More than a dozen students, parents and charter staff urged the Anchorage School Board to relocate the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School (ANCCS) to Lake Hood Elementary as part of the district's rightsizing plan, citing stability, academic outcomes and cultural programming.
Students, parents and staff from the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School pressed the Anchorage School Board during public testimony to make Lake Hood Elementary the permanent location for ANCCS as part of the district’s rightsizing work.
Seventh‑grader Aiden Sauer testified: "I love ANCCS so much" and described steady attendance, academic gains and culturally grounded instruction. Matthew Hancock, a fifth‑grader, told the board that repeated moves have been disruptive and urged the district to give ANCCS a permanent site so students can have continuity.
Why it matters: ANCCS is the district’s title I charter school focused on Alaska Native cultural programming. Multiple speakers — including founding parents and current staff — said the school has a waitlist, steady academic results for many Alaska Native students and a strong community connection. Parents and staff described multiple prior relocations (Muldoon, Wonder Park, East High School, Abbott Loop) and said another move would undermine student stability.
Board process and context: Administration told the board it is considering rightsizing recommendations and that Lake Hood has been discussed as a potential opportunity; the superintendent and staff said they had intentionally delayed final rightsizing action so the board could hear public testimony. Several board members noted the district has limited building options large enough to accommodate overlapping requests and asked administration to continue working through logistics.
Voices from the school: parent and APC (Academic Policy Committee) president Manny Acuna and other ANCCS advocates described a multigenerational linkage between the school and families; teacher and community members recounted academic awards and high engagement. ANCCS staff and families emphasized that a permanent site would enable program growth and stability.
Ending: The board did not take an immediate vote on rightsizing tonight; it scheduled additional public input on Feb. 18 and administrative follow-up before any final rightsizing decisions are made.
