After heated public comment, Anchorage School Board reallocates two buildings: Stream to Nunaka, ANCCS to Lake Hood; more rightsizing work ordered

The Anchorage School Board voted on March 1 to repurpose two district buildings after extensive public testimony from students, parents and staff. After several board amendments and roll-call votes, the board approved a plan to place Anchorage Stream Academy at the former Nunaka Valley Elementary and to locate the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School (ANCCS) at the Lake Hood Elementary building. The board also directed administration to prioritize Highland Academy and Rilke Schule (the German immersion program) for future building assignments arising from the district’s rightsizing process.

The vote followed a lengthy public-comment period in which more than 70 speakers — many students and parents from East Anchorage charter programs — described building deficiencies at their current locations and urged the board to reassign permanent school buildings. Students from Anchorage Stream Academy described lacking a gym, cafeteria and safe outdoor space at their current rented site and urged a move to Nunaka Valley for access to Russian Jack and Cheney Lake trails. Rilke Schule families argued that moving to Lake Hood would stop a recurring large rent payment and provide enough classroom, music and library space for their 480 students.

Board action was not a simple yes-or-no. The administration presented a repurposing recommendation (ASD memorandum 106) that initially proposed Highland Academy for Nunaka Valley and Rilke Schule for Lake Hood. The board adopted three substantive amendments during debate:

- An amendment to place Anchorage Stream Academy at Nunaka Valley (replacing the administration’s Highland recommendation) passed unanimously, 7–0. - An amendment to replace Rilke Schule at Lake Hood with the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School passed 4–3; proponents argued ANCCS faces a multi-year facility displacement history and is a Title I program with deep community ties, while opponents urged continued support for the German-immersion program. - The board also approved an amendment directing administration to prioritize Highland Academy and Rilke Schule for occupying buildings that become available through future, approved consolidation proposals (vote 4–3).

The main motion as amended passed 5–2. The board directed the superintendent to implement the repurposing plan with a target occupancy date of August 2025 and to make any conforming changes to board memoranda and leases.

What proponents said

Stream Academy students and staff described regular use of trails, cross-country practice, and a lack of on-site PE and cafeteria space at their current rented facility. “We don't have a gym, we don't have a cafeteria, we have a small library with no librarian,” several Stream students said during testimony. Stream and East Anchorage advocates told the board the Nunaka Valley building—adjacent to Russian Jack Springs Park and Cheney Lake—would better match the school’s outdoor, project-based curriculum and allow the charter to expand its enrollment beyond its current limit.

Rilke Schule parents and staff repeatedly emphasized that rent consumes about 20% of their annual budget and that the current leased facility is 39,500 square feet compared with Lake Hood’s roughly 61,000 square feet. The German immersion community stressed the program’s history of high academic performance and the financial risk of remaining in commercial space when the lease expires.

ANCCS advocates said the charter has relocated multiple times and lacks a permanent facility after years of moves; they argued Lake Hood would provide a stable, Title I–appropriate home that served East Anchorage families.

What opponents said

Supporters of other placements raised concerns that the board’s choices would force another program to remain in an inadequate building. Several board members and public speakers urged the district to return with additional options in short order and to prioritize other affected charters when future buildings become available.

Budget and timing

Administrators noted three operational constraints that shaped the recommendation: the Rilke lease expiration this summer, the size and capacity of Lake Hood to accommodate a large immersion program, and a multi-year extension in place for ANCCS at its current site but without a long-term permanent facility. The board also discussed earlier commitments and prior rightsizing votes, and several members said the decision was difficult because of competing community claims and limited district resources.

Ending

The board adoption requires multiple administrative steps: change-of-location planning, facilities work, neighborhood outreach, and contract/lease adjustments. The superintendent said administration will implement the plan with a planned occupancy timeline for August 2025 and will return to the board with implementation details and any required contract changes. The board also asked administration to accelerate the next round of rightsizing analysis this fall so additional programs without appropriate facilities can be considered for placement.