Alaska
Opinion: We’ve done what the governor says Alaska school districts refuse to do. Now we’re at the breaking point.
As the superintendent of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, I feel compelled to respond to the recent opinion article by Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Education Commissioner Deena Bishop (“We’re not going to stop pushing for better Alaska student outcomes”) advocating for increased educational “options” and implying that districts like ours resist innovation to preserve the status quo. This narrative misrepresents both our district’s efforts and the real fiscal challenges we face.
In Fairbanks, we’ve made the hard decisions year after year in our school district. We’ve closed schools, consolidated programs, reduced administrative positions, outsourced evening custodial positions, and sought out efficiencies at every level. We’ve done this while navigating declining enrollment and a state education funding formula that has failed to keep pace with inflation for more than a decade.
When state leaders claim that districts like ours resist innovation or cling to the status quo, they aren’t just being unfair — they’re misrepresenting the truth. These assertions perpetuate a false narrative that undermines public confidence and damages enrollment in our schools.
Over the past four years, the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District has closed seven schools. These were difficult and emotional decisions to ensure that we could continue serving our students responsibly and sustainably. We have streamlined our operations, reorganized academic programs and redirected limited resources to classrooms where they matter most. These are exactly the kinds of changes critics call for — and we have already made them. We’ve shown innovation by streamlining, reorganizing, redirecting and focusing on what matters most, even when funding stops showing up.
We’ve done what the governor and others say school districts refuse to do. Yet despite all of these difficult and proactive steps, we still face significant funding shortfalls that directly affect our classrooms. The reality is this: doing more with less can only go so far. Continued underfunding is now eroding the quality of education we can provide, and we have already reached that breaking point.
Fairbanks has not stood still. We’ve embraced innovation and modernization in ways that reflect the diverse and evolving needs of our families. We’ve expanded career and technical education opportunities, strengthened blended and online learning options, and partnered with community organizations to support student mental health and early literacy. These efforts aren’t relics of the past; they are forward-looking, equity-driven strategies rooted in data and community feedback.
[Earlier commentary: Alaska education reform doesn’t start with budget cuts]
At the same time, we cannot ignore the reality of chronic underfunding. While some disingenuously claim that education funding has grown significantly in recent years, they fail to account for the full picture. Inflation, rising operational costs, and limitations in Alaska’s funding model have steadily eroded our real purchasing power. If the Base Student Allocation had simply kept pace with inflation, Fairbanks schools would be receiving approximately $30 million more each year. That funding would reduce class sizes, restore student support positions, and prevent program cuts that harm students.
Today, some classrooms in Fairbanks have more than 35 students — a clear reflection of the strain on our resources. We’ve had to make difficult decisions, including reducing teaching and counseling positions and limiting vital services that families rely on each day. When we talk about “saving jobs,” we are referring to the teachers, aides, librarians, and specialists who provide essential instruction, care, and support to our children. These positions are not bureaucratic; they are fundamental to student success.
The governor often points to Mississippi as a model for improving literacy outcomes. We agree that Alaska should aim for similar progress. But what he fails to acknowledge is that Mississippi made major investments to achieve that success — including more than $9 million in the first year and $15 million annually to fund literacy coaches and early intervention. In contrast, Alaska’s Reads Act, though promising in its design, has not been supported with the level of funding needed to deliver meaningful results. Good policy is only effective when matched with sustained investment. We cannot replicate outcomes without replicating inputs.
We also support the idea that families deserve options, and in Fairbanks, we offer a range of public school choices, including charter and homeschool programs. But we cannot expand “choice” by weakening the neighborhood schools that serve the vast majority of students — especially those with disabilities, English language learners and students who require additional support. When we shift resources away from these core schools, we undermine equity, stability, and access for all.
Despite what you may hear, Alaska’s public school leaders are not obstructionists. In fact, over the past two legislative cycles, our lawmakers have worked across party lines to support both increased education funding and thoughtful policy reforms. Unfortunately, each time meaningful progress has been made — including the most recent bipartisan effort to raise the Base Student Allocation — the governor has chosen to veto those advances rather than build on them. That is not collaboration. It is a refusal to meet in the middle. It’s a refusal to honor the hard work elected legislators from across our state have done to support all students in Alaska.
We welcome a different path. I invite the governor and commissioner to visit our schools, speak with our educators, and hear directly from our community. Come see how Fairbanks is working tirelessly to adapt, innovate and serve every student — even with fewer resources than we had a decade ago. The time has come to stop drawing battle lines and start building solutions together like we have seen the Legislature do.
If we are serious about improving education in Alaska, then we must fully fund our schools, protect vital teaching positions and ensure that policy reforms are supported with the resources required to succeed. Our students deserve more than rhetoric and political gridlock. They deserve a public education system that values both opportunity and excellence.
Fairbanks has done the hard work. Now we need a true partner in the state. All of Alaska’s children are counting on us.
Luke Meinert serves as superintendent of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. He has held leadership and teaching roles with the Aleutians East, Yukon-Koyukuk and Fairbanks school districts.
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The first day of digital integration for Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines services brought few major problems for travelers.
A new app was launched, and now travelers can find all the support on one platform.
“We successfully transitioned over to our new single passenger service system, which for guests, it means that you can book on the same system, you can manage and check in on the same system,” Hawaiian Airlines Hawaii Marketing Managing Director Alisa Onishi said.
Customers are being told to get their boarding passes on the app before arriving at the airport. And when you do get there, checked bag tags can be printed at the kiosks.
“Ninety percent of our guests already were checking in, before they got to the airport, but just a few that it’s new to them, arriving to the airport with your boarding pass is the best way,” Onishi added.
The company says the separate brands are being maintained. Aside from a few travelers who struggled with checking in online, overall, it was a smooth transition.
“It works. I usually fly Alaska and Hawaiian, so it works the same way as the Alaska did,” New York-bound passenger Kelsey Dean said. “We checked our bags. It only took a minute or two.”
Visiting sisters Gonna and Lara Severin from Holland required additional assistance, but didn’t mind the extra step.
“Not very big troubles. We weren’t able to check in online. Maybe it was because we have some extra bags, so maybe that was the problem and because we did some shopping, so maybe it’s our own fault,” they said. “We’re OK with it. It’s not a long line. People are here to help, so yeah, we really enjoyed our holiday.”
For customers who require additional help, agents are available in the terminals.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
JUNEAU, Alaska (ALASKA BEACON) – With only four weeks left of the legislative session, the Senate Judiciary Committee has merged several bills into a wide-ranging omnibus crime bill. Even with the tight timeline, some lawmakers are optimistic about its chances for passage before the end of the session, Corinne Smith with the Alaska Beacon reports.
The new draft omnibus crime package combines ten bills ranging from raising the age of consent to increasing criminal penalties for AI-generated child sexual abuse material into one large bill supporters hope will have the momentum to pass both the House and the Senate in the next 28 days.
The Senate Judiciary Committee chair Sen. Matt Claman, D-Anchorage, introduced the 55-page omnibus bill on Friday, saying the bills have a stronger prospect as a package.
“I think that increases the likelihood we’ll be able to pass it,” he said in an interview on Monday.
With one month to go in the second year of the two-year legislative cycle, this is the last opportunity for bills to be passed by the 34th Legislature.
The draft omnibus crime bill was added to House Bill 239, sponsored by House Majority Leader Rep. Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage, who spoke in support at the hearing on Friday.
“This bill has grown, it’s gone from the sports car to the school bus” he said. “Policies I all support as a bill sponsor.”
Gov. Mike Dunleavy sponsored two bills included in the omnibus package, but did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
The bills included are in various stages. Some have passed the House, while others are being considered by various committees in the House and Senate. Several lawmakers who sponsored bills now included in the omnibus package agreed that politically it could increase chances of passage by May 20.
Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, sponsored a bill that would create state felony penalties for AI-generated child sexual abuse material. It unanimously passed the House last month.
“I’m excited that it’s included in the omnibus bill, because that shows intent by the Senate to pass the bill,” Vance said on Monday. “So I have great confidence that it will cross the finish line.”
But Claman, who is running for governor, has drawn public criticism for the process of how the omnibus crime bill was put together this session.
Advocates for raising the age of consent — along with the Anchorage Daily News editorial board — criticized Claman for holding a bill to raise the age of consent to 18 in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which passed unanimously by the House last year, in order to be included in the omnibus bill. Critics urged Claman and the committee to pass the bill and allow it to move forward as a stand alone bill toward a full Senate vote and final passage.
Claman has argued that despite limited time left in the session, the bills included have been vetted and the combination package will garner more support among legislators and the governor to pass in the last few weeks of the session.
“I’ve been in the Legislature now since 2015, and so in the last 11 years, we’ve passed 11 different bills relating to public safety,” he said. “So I think there are ten different measures that we put into the bill, and if we tried to do them all individually, probably wouldn’t get them all passed.”
Claman pointed to an omnibus crime bill, House Bill 66, enacted in 2024, with support from Gov. Mike Dunleavy and across political affiliations. “That’s certainly, I think, the best example,” he said. “So I do have confidence we’ll get it passed.”
Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, sponsored House Bill 101, the bill that would raise the age of consent from 16 to 18 years old. Backed by advocates for sexual violence prevention, he said the change in law is essential for protecting teens from sexual exploitation and abuse. Under current law, it’s legal for an adult to have sex with a 16 or 17 year old. But when they are assaulted, teens must prove that they did not consent.
Despite previous disagreement and pushing for a stand alone bill, Gray said Monday he will back the omnibus crime bill in order to see the law changed.
“If that happens, inside an omnibus crime package that has other bills that are also worthy of passage, I’m fine with that,” he said. “I just want the policy to change.”
The draft omnibus crime bill now contains ten bills that previously stood alone:
- House Bill 239 — would increase criminal penalties for hit and run incidents so that drivers that cause a death and knowingly failing to stop and render assistance, and establishes mandatory sentencing of four to seven years for a first hit and run felony conviction
- House Bill 101 — would raise the age of consent from 16 to 18 years old, with provisions to allow consent to sex with someone up to six years older than them. The draft bill also allows 16 and 17 year olds to consensually exchange sexual or explicit messages within the six year close-in-age gap without penalties.
- Senate Bill 247 — would create state criminal penalties for creating AI-generated images or video that depicts sexually explicit or obscene content involving anyone under 18 years old
- House Bill 62 — Sponsored by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, the bill would establish a statewide tracking system for sexual assault examination kits, expedite processing times, and ensure that survivors can privately monitor the status of their own kit.
- Senate Bill 100 — Also sponsored by the governor, and would establish the crime of organized theft, including mail theft and medical record theft
- House Bill 242 — would redefine criminal law to prohibit any sexual contact or assault by a health care worker during professional treatment, changing the current law which only applies to patients being unaware of sexual contact or assault for criminal charges to apply.
- Senate Bill 17 — would establish the crime of airbag fraud for knowingly selling, installing or manufacturing a counterfeit airbag in a vehicle
- House Bill 81 — would establish minor marijuana related convictions to remain confidential on individuals personal records, under certain criteria
- House Bill 384 — would expand confidentiality agreements between victims and service providers by updating the definition of “victim counseling center” to include tribal organizations
- Senate Bill 233 — would reassign the Controlled Substances Advisory Committee from being administered by the Department of Law to the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.
The new version of Vance’s bill focused on AI-generated child sexual abuse material included in the bill is closer to her initial proposal. Social media controls for minors added by the House were stripped out of the Senate version. Vance said she supports the amended version given First Amendment protections around social media.
“I think that was a wise decision right now, because Alaskans are very mixed on how they feel that we should address social media,” Vance said.
Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, is the sponsor of House Bill 242, and said she supports her bill being included in the Senate omnibus, but she is still pushing to advance her standalone bill in the House.
“I need people who didn’t serve on the two committees that heard it in the House to understand it,” she said, as the Senate draft will come back to the House for a concurrence vote. “It still helps to educate on the issue.”
Hannan’s legislation follows a high profile case in Juneau last year where the court dropped several charges against a chiropractor because under current law part of the legal definition of sexual assault by a medical provider requires the alleged victim to be unaware the assault is happening.
“Right now, the victim needs to be unaware, and the perpetrator needs to know that they are unaware,” Hannan said Tuesday. “So to change that in statute, I think is an important policy statement for us to make.”
Hannan said significant policy bills typically take several years to get through the Legislature, with public input, debate and support gathering. But she expressed confidence in the support for the omnibus crime bill in the weeks ahead.
“We’re running the clock down,” she added. “The only downside, from my perspective, is the advocates and the victims that were directly involved in the case that inspired this bill. You know, they get more acknowledgement when it’s the standalone bill… But in the end, if the goal is to change the policy, there’s no downside to it.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee will continue to hold hearings on the crime bill this week and its members have until Friday to introduce amendments before it advances to the Senate floor for a vote. Claman said he expects that to be in the last week of April.
This story has been republished with permission from the Alaska Beacon.
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HONOLULU (KHON2) — It’s the biggest milestone yet in the Hawaiian Airlines merger with Alaska Airlines.
Starting Wednesday, April 22, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska will operate as one, powered by a single passenger reservation system, essentially the technology behind your entire travel experience.
“The system that connects all of the programs that our guests use, things like our websites, our app, our Atmos rewards program, our Huaka’i program, all of those systems, including employee tools, will be updated as of tomorrow to a more modern single passenger service system that will allow a more stream streamlined and seamless guest experience for all those that are traveling on either Alaska or Hawaiian that will allow a more stream streamlined and seamless guest experience for all those that are traveling on either Alaska or Hawaiian,” said Alisa Onishi, Hawaiian Airlines Marketing Manager.
By midnight tonight, the Hawaiian app goes dark, replaced by a new combined Alaska-Hawaiian platform, marking a major shift in how you book and manage your flights.
“If you download our new single Alaska-Hawaiian app, you’ll be able to manage your bookings all in one place, make changes, cancellations and a lot more self-service features that our guests have been asking us for for quite some time now that you couldn’t do on the old app,” said Onishi.
Behind the scenes, this moment has been three years in the making. Alaska announced its $1.9 billion acquisition back in 2023, with approvals and integration steps unfolding through 2024 and 2025.
At the airport, much will look the same, but the process is getting an upgrade. Travelers are encouraged to check in ahead of time, using the new app, then use updated bag tag stations to print tags and drop bags faster.
“You scan your boarding pass, prints out the bag tags. You can pay or prepay online or pay at the stations and then drop your bag, so you’ll get through the airport a lot quicker,” said Onishi.
Airline officials said the goal is a more seamless, self-service experience, something customers have been asking for.
Still, not everyone is convinced.
“Even today, when I was trying to get my boarding passes, there was a Hawaiian-Alaskan app that I went to, and then it referred me back to the Hawaiian app. So I didn’t know what application I was supposed to be using, but ultimately, it worked out to a point,” said Ethan Christensen, who was standing in line at customer service to confirm his flight for tomorrow. “But yeah, we’ll see. Hopefully, it gets better. I mean, I know these things take time, especially when you’re kind of merging two big things like this, but the outlook is positive for me because I know it’s a good airline. Hopefully it stays that way.”
The call centers are not going away, and customer service desks will remain at the airports for those who need one-on-one help.
Airline leaders acknowledge the transition so far hasn’t been perfect, but said this milestone is meant to fix many of those issues.
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