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Anchorage Board of Ethics Enters Closed Session on Complaint; Parent Alleges School-closure Process Violated Open-Meetings Rules
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Summary
The Anchorage Board of Ethics voted to take a confidential complaint (2026-01) into closed session and extended its meeting. During public comment, resident Haim Weyper alleged the Anchorage School District’s closure of Campbell STEM School lacked transparency, violated notice rules, and possibly breached the Open Meetings Act.
ANCHORAGE — The Anchorage Board of Ethics voted April 21 to take a confidential complaint (2026-01) into closed session and later heard public comment alleging irregularities in the Anchorage School District’s decision to close Campbell STEM School.
The board, convened by its chair at 3:47 p.m., first approved minutes from its previous meeting and then moved into an executive session to consider the ethics complaint. The motion to enter closed session was seconded and carried on a voice vote. After returning to open session, the board announced it had extended the meeting to 5:30 p.m.
In public comment, resident Haim Weyper of the Taku Campbell neighborhood — who identified himself as a commercial pilot and a first responder — urged the board to investigate the school district’s actions. "The Anchorage School District voted to close the school, and the process that they used to do this feels greatly unethical," Weyper said. He said parents and community members have sought the district’s decision methodology through public testimony and FOIA requests without getting clear answers.
Weyper told the board he believes the district failed to give adequate notice and suggested the process may have violated the Open Meetings Act. He said parents were given "under one business day" to offer testimony and that, according to his understanding, local rules call for "21 days written notice." He added that the district had begun transferring teachers and staff, creating an urgent timeline for families.
The chair responded by advising Weyper to document his concerns through the board’s formal complaint process: "You can fill out the form on the website," the chair said, adding that the board’s scope of review is narrow and that written documentation would help staff and the board determine whether the matter meets the municipal code of ethics threshold for further action.
The board did not announce any substantive findings or votes related to the content of the complaint during the open session. The meeting record reflects procedural votes to approve minutes and to move into closed session for confidential consideration of complaint 2026-01. The board also confirmed no further public commenters were present before proceeding.
Next steps: the public commenter was told to file the board’s complaint form online; the board will consider anything submitted through that formal process consistent with its rules and the municipal code of ethics.
