Decades-Old Infrastructure Crisis Threatens Alaska’s Rural Schools
Each morning, children in the small Alaskan village of Sleetmute enter a school building that is literally falling apart. For 19 years, requests for funding to repair the leaky roof have been denied by the state, leading to severe structural damage.
The building, primarily serving Alaska Native students, now stands unsafe for use. In 2021, an architect declared that the school “should be condemned as it is unsafe for occupancy.” The decay is so advanced that one resident, Taylor Hayden, found concrete footings beneath the building reduced to rubble, “just like someone took a jackhammer to it,” he reported.
Across Alaska, many rural schools face similar neglect. These areas, mostly unincorporated with no tax base, depend on state funding for school maintenance. However, an investigation by KYUK and ProPublica revealed hundreds of denied requests for repairs over the last 25 years.
State-owned schools make up nearly half of the rural districts, yet funding remains scarce. Since 1998, 135 rural school projects have lingered on a waiting list for over five years, with some on hold for more than a decade, according to Alaska’s Department of Education and Early Development.
Alaska’s Indigenous children bear the brunt of these conditions. Historically, they faced educational inequalities and were forced into separate schools. The state, despite taking over from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in the 1980s, has failed to provide adequate infrastructure.
State education Commissioner Deena Bishop admitted that the state’s capital improvement program is flawed, constrained by legislative funding decisions. Rep. Bryce Edgmon acknowledged the inadequacy, stating, “These bright young children show up every morning to go to school in a building that’s not fit for even anything but being ready to be demolished.”
Health and safety risks are rampant. From black mold to exposed electrical wiring, the conditions are dire. In Newtok, students used a “bathroom bus” because the school’s pipes froze. In Sleetmute, limited space forces students to share a single bathroom, with a makeshift sign flipping between “Boys” and “Girls.”
Funding delays exacerbate costs. The Kuspuk School District’s initial repair request for Sleetmute was $411,000 in 2007. By 2024, it had risen to $1.6 million due to inflation and worsening conditions. In nearby Aniak, a $9.5 million renovation became an $18.6 million replacement after an 11-year wait.
Despite a recent funding boost, it’s often too late. Sleetmute’s school now requires a full rebuild. Meanwhile, temporary fixes, like shoring up walls, are the norm as the community grapples with high costs and logistical challenges of construction in remote areas.
The neglect has severe consequences. Without a gym, Sleetmute students miss out on community events and fundraisers for trips beyond their rural confines. Lead teacher Angela Hayden noted the impact, saying the students “feel the pain of that, like just not having the extra opportunities.”
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