The Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development is holding its quarterly meeting at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka this week.
The meeting kicked off on Tuesday (10-13-26) with a tour of Sitka School District facilities and classrooms. Then the board went across the bridge to tour the state’s boarding school that serves students from around Alaska. For an hour and a half the state board members were guided throughout the campus on student-led tours. Then the group settled into meeting mode in a classroom, with committee meetings and a work session.
The board’s meeting at Mt. Edgecumbe High School comes nearly a year after a group of parents, alumni and staff voiced concerns at a state board meeting about mental health and quality of life at the school. In response, the board created an ad hoc committee of stakeholders to address student well-being at the school. The committee met regularly this summer to develop a list of policy recommendations for the board. On Wednesday (10-13-26) it will deliver its findings. The board will also hear an update from the school’s superintendent David Langford and Commissioner of Education Deena Bishop.
The board will take public comment Wednesday at 8:15 a.m. Find a link to attend virtually here.
