Education

Families, students and teachers mingle during a Thunder Mountain Middle School open house on Tuesday evening. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

Thunder Mountain Middle School creates new learning environment while honoring legacies before its time

Merging the cultures of Floyd Dryden and Dzantik’i Heeni to create a new school.

Families, students and teachers mingle during a Thunder Mountain Middle School open house on Tuesday evening. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé cross-country team runs toward the Under Thunder Trail from Floyd Dryden Middle School on Monday evening for a team practice. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

Juneau cross-country team runs into the new school year

Season takes off with alumni race against team from consolidated high school.

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé cross-country team runs toward the Under Thunder Trail from Floyd Dryden Middle School on Monday evening for a team practice. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Kristen Wells, science teacher at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, moves boxes into her Project Lead the Way: Intro to Engineering Design classroom on Monday. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

Back to one high school: Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé combines TMHS and JDHS students

The first day of school for students in grades 1-12 is Thursday; some excited, some stressed.

Kristen Wells, science teacher at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, moves boxes into her Project Lead the Way: Intro to Engineering Design classroom on Monday. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Charina and Taviana Cooper pick out a backpack on Saturday at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

Butterflies and backpacks: Tlingit and Haida holds annual backpack distribution

“The fun part of going back to school”

Charina and Taviana Cooper pick out a backpack on Saturday at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Students with the Della Keats precollege program attend a lecture at the University of Alaska Anchorage campus in 2024. (Photo by Chanmi Joo)

Precollege program for rural, Alaska Native health students gets reboot and grant after funding gap

Della Keats program introduces students from far-flung parts of Alaska to college courses.

Students with the Della Keats precollege program attend a lecture at the University of Alaska Anchorage campus in 2024. (Photo by Chanmi Joo)
Juneau School District leaders discuss items to add back to this year’s budget during an online meeting Saturday. (Screenshot from Juneau Board of Education meeting)

School board spends $3.6M in staff add-backs, nixes $1M CBJ loan after getting $5.2M extra from state

Members also consider new food service contract and first increase in school meal prices since 2020.

Juneau School District leaders discuss items to add back to this year’s budget during an online meeting Saturday. (Screenshot from Juneau Board of Education meeting)
University of Alaska Anchorage students walking outside UAA Student Union on Feb. 7, 2023. The Alaska Performance Scholarship funds high-achieving students to attend secondary education in Alaska. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska lawmakers aim to expand eligibility for scholarships

Merit-based Alaska Performance Scholarships intended to keep high-achieving students in the state.

University of Alaska Anchorage students walking outside UAA Student Union on Feb. 7, 2023. The Alaska Performance Scholarship funds high-achieving students to attend secondary education in Alaska. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
A sculpture of a bear reading a book is seen in front of Auke Bay Elementary School on July 12, 2023. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

School district leaders rank ‘add-back’ priorities for $5.2M in extra funds OK’d in state budget

List to be considered by school board Saturday includes HomeBRIDGE, special eduction, tech staff.

A sculpture of a bear reading a book is seen in front of Auke Bay Elementary School on July 12, 2023. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)
Deputy Attorney General Cori Mills explains the administration’s understanding of a ruling that struck down key components of the state’s correspondence school program, in the Alaska State Capitol on May 1. (Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)

What you need to know about Alaska’s contested homeschool allotments

Alaska’s Supreme Court hears state’s appeal of ruling that allotments are unconstitutional Thursday.

Deputy Attorney General Cori Mills explains the administration’s understanding of a ruling that struck down key components of the state’s correspondence school program, in the Alaska State Capitol on May 1. (Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)
Juneau School District maintenance and custodial crew work on transitioning Thunder Mountain High School to Thunder Mountain Middle School on Monday. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

Juneau schools empty out as classrooms and memories transition under consolidation plan

Transitions “ahead of schedule” for school district; use for vacant buildings by CBJ still in question

Juneau School District maintenance and custodial crew work on transitioning Thunder Mountain High School to Thunder Mountain Middle School on Monday. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Juneau School District administrators and board members listen to a presentation about the district’s multi-million deficit during a Jan. 9 meeting. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

My Turn: School board recall not a cure for ‘failure to thrive’

Decline happens over time. Kinda like the way we gain weight and let our credit cards get out of control. If we don’t pay attention,… Continue reading

Juneau School District administrators and board members listen to a presentation about the district’s multi-million deficit during a Jan. 9 meeting. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Dave Hoffman sells materials for Brigham Young University, a private religious college, at the IDEA Homeschool Curriculum Fair in Anchorage on April 18. (Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)

New correspondence school regulations will not come until July — if at all, Alaska officials say

Regulations intended to stabilize Alaska’s correspondence school program are not coming soon, state officials said at a Board of Education and Early Development meeting on… Continue reading

Dave Hoffman sells materials for Brigham Young University, a private religious college, at the IDEA Homeschool Curriculum Fair in Anchorage on April 18. (Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)
Former Thunder Mountain High School JV basketball coach Kylie Ibias, and former TMHS JV basketball and volleyball coach Arnold Ibias sit in the TMHS gymnasium during an interview for a soon-to-be released documentary. (Photo courtesy of Sonny Hunt-Mauricio)
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16 years of Thunder Mountain High School commemorated through two documentaries

Three Falcons alumni release their project before school’s final graduation; another coming in June.

Former Thunder Mountain High School JV basketball coach Kylie Ibias, and former TMHS JV basketball and volleyball coach Arnold Ibias sit in the TMHS gymnasium during an interview for a soon-to-be released documentary. (Photo courtesy of Sonny Hunt-Mauricio)
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The student band performs at Thunder Mountain High School. (Screenshot from student film “Digging a Hole in the School Budget”)

Thunder Mountain High School graduates win film festival award

Documentary by Jade Hicks, Hayden Loggy-Smith portrays human impacts of school consolidation plan.

The student band performs at Thunder Mountain High School. (Screenshot from student film “Digging a Hole in the School Budget”)
Thunder Mountain High School graduates celebrate after moving their tassels to the left, their newly received diplomas in hand, at the end of Sunday’s commencement ceremony. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

‘Forever a Falcon’: Thunder Mountain High School celebrates final graduating class

147 seniors get soaring sendoff during 16th annual commencement full of heightened emotions.

Thunder Mountain High School graduates celebrate after moving their tassels to the left, their newly received diplomas in hand, at the end of Sunday’s commencement ceremony. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Seniors at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé enter the gymnasium for their commencement ceremony on Sunday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

JDHS graduates celebrate journey from virtual ‘pajama class’ freshmen to virtuous camaraderie

Resolve in overcoming struggles a lifelong lesson for future, seniors told at commencement ceremony.

Seniors at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé enter the gymnasium for their commencement ceremony on Sunday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Sierra Guerro-Flores (right) listens to her advisor Electra Gardinier after being presented with her diploma at Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi High School’s graduation ceremony Sunday in the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé auditorium. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Alternatives are vast for Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi High School’s graduating class

31 students take center stage during ceremony revisiting their paths at the school and what’s next.

Sierra Guerro-Flores (right) listens to her advisor Electra Gardinier after being presented with her diploma at Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi High School’s graduation ceremony Sunday in the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé auditorium. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Juneau high school seniors Edward Hu of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé (left), Elizabeth Djajalie of Thunder Mountain High School (center) and Kenyon Jordan of Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi Alternative High School. (Photos of Hu and Jordan by Juneau Empire staff, photo of Djajalie by Victor Djajalie)

Senior Spotlight 2024: Three top students take very different paths to graduation stage

Ceremonies for Juneau’s three high schools take place Sunday.

Juneau high school seniors Edward Hu of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé (left), Elizabeth Djajalie of Thunder Mountain High School (center) and Kenyon Jordan of Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi Alternative High School. (Photos of Hu and Jordan by Juneau Empire staff, photo of Djajalie by Victor Djajalie)
Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, speaks to House Clerk Krys Jones on Wednesday, May 8. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska’s education department does not track homeschool allotment spending, but may have to start

Lawmakers have two days left to stabilizing the state’s correspondence program after court ruling.

Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, speaks to House Clerk Krys Jones on Wednesday, May 8. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Moving boxes in the Thunder Mountain High School library. (Photo provided by Jenny Thomas)

My Turn: School district should reevaluate hidden costs, rethink consolidation

Imagine that our school district was not being dismantled by a superintendent whose primary residence is listed in Anchorage, that community input was valued, and… Continue reading

Moving boxes in the Thunder Mountain High School library. (Photo provided by Jenny Thomas)