Education

Unalaska City Council members approved several major spending items at their Tuesday meeting, but warned that the city is facing long-term budget challenges. The City Council unanimously approved school funding, community support grants and a capital plan with more than $20 million worth of projects.

The Dillingham representative points to collapsing seafood markets and vanishing air service as key struggles for his district.

KUCB’s Sofia Stuart-Rasi spoke with Event Coordinator Russel Laforteza about Multicultural Day’s origins and highlights from this year’s event.

At least a dozen teachers, staff and school board members showed up for a town hall hosted by the Unalaska City School District on March 6 to discuss an impending $1.2 million budget shortfall for the next fiscal year.

It’s not unheard of for Alaska schools to build their budgets without knowing for sure how much the state will provide. In recent years, that contribution hasn’t been much, especially when compared to the growing rates of inflation. But many school districts across the state are facing deficits this year, forcing them to make hard decisions. The Unalaska City School District is no exception.

Rep. Bryce Edgmon has represented Unalaska in the State Legislature for almost twenty years. Last month, he picked up the gavel again to take his seat as speaker of Alaska’s House of Representatives for the first time since 2021.

In this episode of "Island Interviews," Russel Laforteza, a clerk and aide at the high school, discusses how UCSD's Multicultural Celebration Day is a time to celebrate and raise cultural awareness within the community. He says it also gives students a sense of purpose.

The Unalaska City School District will send fifth graders down to the elementary building starting next school year. Administrators recently announced they will put the fifth grade class in the Eagle’s View Elementary Achigaalux̂ building for the first time since it was constructed.

Dillingham Independent, Bryce Edgmon, represents Unalaska as part of the 37th District in the Alaska House of Representatives. He’s co-chair of the House Finance Committee. He spoke with KUCB’s Andy Lusk on Feb. 9 about a range of local issues.

Two candidates are going into a runoff after no one won outright on Oct. 3.