The Anchorage School Board approved a $45 million funding package in a 5-1 vote Tuesday night, including $26 million toward the rebuild of Inlet View Elementary. The package also included $19 million for other school building improvements across the district.
The long-discussed proposal to rebuild Inlet View, one of ASD’s oldest school buildings, has been controversial, causing strife among neighbors within the South Addition neighborhood that surrounds the school.
After a small group of neighbors raised concerns about the process and design, a $111 million mega bond, including $31 million for construction of a new school building, failed to pass by just 1,118 votes in the 2022 Municipality of Anchorage election.
On Tuesday night, testifiers supported the funding by a nearly 2-to-1 ratio. Those in favor included a mix of current and former Inlet View parents, along with nearby neighbors. Those against primarily included the small group of nearby neighbors that organized to oppose a new build.
Dave Donley, the board’s most conservative voice, was the lone vote against funding. Board member Kelly Lessens was absent.
The $26 million isn’t enough to fully cover the cost of the Inlet View rebuild, which is estimated at over $34 million, ASD board president Margo Bellamy told the Anchorage Daily News last week. The remaining funds will be included in the 2024 school bond package.
The $45 million will come from two sources:
- A school bond debt reimbursement package the Alaska Legislature passed in 2022
- A FEMA reimbursement for repairs needed after the 2018 Anchorage earthquake
Along with the Inlet View rebuild, the board approved funding for:
- Library structure and roof repairs at other schools
- A new playground at Creekside Park Elementary School
- A rebuild of Ursa Major Elementary School on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
