Language immersion program safe from major changes

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Anchorage School District School Board announced Tuesday night that they will no longer be looking into suspending the immersion program for students in high school.

Anchorage School District Chief Financial Officer James Anderson said the program could still be up for consideration to be cut next year. Anderson said the entire program costs $2 million to provide to students. Suspending the program after eighth grade, Anderson said, would have only saved the district less than $500,000.

In lieu of that program cut, ASD is considering merging sixth grade into middle schools, closing and re-purposing six schools and also cutting down on staff in addition to several other options, Anderson said in a statement.

“Other options include the use of Fund Balance, state one-time funds, increasing the Pupil to Teacher Ratio (PTR), as well as additional reductions the staff is currently analyzing,” Anderson said.

If all these cuts were applied, the district would only be saving $32,377,103, and would not yet be halfway to closing the $68 million budget deficit.

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