Rural school districts depend on the state to fund construction and maintenance projects. But over the past 25 years, Alaska lawmakers have ignored hundreds of requests for public schools that primarily serve Indigenous children.

Reporting Highlights

  • Unwilling to Invest: Over the past 25 years, Alaska lawmakers have ignored hundreds of requests from rural school districts to fund repairs at their crumbling schools.
  • Absent Landlord: Just under half of Alaska’s rural schools are owned by the state, which is required by law to pay for construction and maintenance projects.
  • Continued Inequality: The students in Alaska’s rural schools are predominantly Alaska Native, a group that has historically been discriminated against in education.