Rural schools need real funding, not small fixes

By: Corey Shepherd

Outlets: Alaska Beacon

Published: March 18, 2026

Words: 542

Last Updated: 2 days, 18 hours ago

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In Alaska’s rural communities, the school budget conversation no longer starts with new ideas but with what we must give up next. I see this firsthand as a school principal in Kotzebue.

For years, districts across rural Alaska have trimmed budgets, delayed expenses, and stretched every dollar they could find. Programs have been reduced. Positions have gone unfilled. Class sizes have crept upward. Staff members wear more hats each year. What remains is a system …

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