Emily Goodykoontz

The university’s vice chancellor of student affairs said the change “aims to promote fiscal health and address staff capacity.” Students say the changes will ultimately dismantle a program that’s critical for Alaska Native students.

Candidates for Anchorage School Board in the upcoming April 1 election highlighted their different visions for the district during a forum last week.

Anchorage voters will decide on eight bonds totaling up to $124 million and two new municipal tax levy proposals.

This month, Anchorage started requiring ID checks for alcohol sales at all bars, restaurants and breweries — no matter a patron’s age or how gray-haired they may be.

In the April 1 municipal election, two school board incumbents have raised tens of thousands for their campaigns, while two challengers have seen little financial support. One of the challengers has drawn public scrutiny for inflammatory social media posts.

During the April 1 municipal election, six of 12 Anchorage Assembly seats are up, along with two school board seats and numerous bonds and propositions.

Around 1,000 Anchorage households are at an immediate risk of eviction, according to the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness.

The Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday unanimously confirmed three executive appointments from Mayor Suzanne LaFrance.

The board directed administrators to reverse most cuts if the Alaska Legislature increases per-student funding for public schools by at least $1,000.

School board members and district administrators say that they intend to revisit the budget after Tuesday and restore cuts, depending on what funding increase comes through.

Some positions and programs could be restored if the state adds funding. But the Anchorage School Board president warned that the longer it takes to sort out a funding package, the more difficult it becomes to reverse some of the cuts.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Southcentral Alaska, which has been operating the center, had stopped giving kids transportation, ended its before-school program and announced it would begin charging membership fees.

Ideas include additional lighting and opening up lines of sight into the downtown park by removing some of the vegetation and reducing heights of the mounds that contour the area.

Aiming to spur more housing, the Assembly approved a three-year pause on many design rules.

Local developers say a portion of city code frequently adds onerous costs, and that requirements for elements like building facades and landscaping don’t necessarily make sense for the living spaces they’re trying to build.

Despite the legal challenge, Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance’s office said the city plans to push forward with dismantling the homeless camp near Arctic Boulevard and Fireweed Lane early next week.

A former city administrative building has been sheltering homeless residents since 2023. Mayor Suzanne LaFrance’s administration says it will close in October.

Anchorage Chief Equity Officer Kim Waller said her office would continue to do its work “fearlessly” and that the city’s hiring practices are not discriminatory.

Registration for candidacy in the April 1 election closed at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Significant pressure points remain, according to an economic forecast released by the Anchorage Economic Development Corp., including spiking housing costs and declining numbers of working-age residents.