School District Releases Report to Community

Outlines next decade's goals

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By Kate McPherson
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Story Created: Dec 8, 2012 at 6:53 AM AKDT

Story Updated: Dec 8, 2012 at 6:53 AM AKDT

ANCHORAGE - The Anchorage School District released its annual report to the community Friday, laying out goals for the next decade and an overview of how to achieve them.

Even though, overall, district figures show Anchorage students performing above state and national levels, Superintendent Dr. Jim Browder says there’s still more work to do.

“We are going to increase our performance and proficiency levels to 90 percent by 2020,” said Browder.

Part of the report lays out how the district is spending the $59 million bond voters approved back in April.

The report also details some of the financial challenges facing the district.

Browder says employee health care costs are rising and are now being analyzed with the goal of reducing costs.

“Can we provide our employees a quality health program and still contain costs?

“The benefits portion of what we pay is what's really jumping, from an out of control standpoint, and that isn’t only inside ASD, that's everywhere in the state of Alaska,” said Browder.

Browder says part of the solution to the ASD’s $25 million dollar shortfall next year, and more shortfalls into the future, is reducing the number of administrative staff within the ASD.

“We’re going to reduce some personnel as we go forward but we are going to do our part to protect the size of the classrooms that's out number one priority so the teacher and the number of students is going to stay very stable we hope,” said Browder.

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ASD spends too much... said on Sunday, Dec 9 at 12:21 AM

Anonymous must be a teacher

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Anonymous said on Saturday, Dec 8 at 4:11 PM

The student/ teacher ratio is already too high. Especially in the lower grades, 23-25 students to 1 teacher is unacceptable! Money not spent on education will one day be spent on health care and law enforcement, take your pick!

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