Education

Bethel's Yup'ik immersion elementary school is named after the now-retired teacher because she was instrumental in starting it.

There will soon be a switch-up of leaders at the Dillingham City School District. Starting Monday, middle-high school Principal Beth Dillman will begin work as the elementary school’s director of climate and culture. The current director, Megan McCambly, will become the middle-high school’s interim principal.

The United Tribes of Bristol Bay is encouraging local communities to turn out in the 2022 midterm elections with a nonpartisan contest that will give cash prizes to schools and cultural programs.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Mary Peltola spent Halloween in Dillingham meeting with local leaders in the run-up to next week’s midterm elections. They also spent some time giving advice to the next generation of leaders in Bristol Bay.

All's well in Dillingham Elementary School's fifth grade classroom. But the students and their teacher had a bit of a fright at the start of the year, when the class pet snake escaped — twice. The experience has taught the students about reptiles and overcoming fear of the unknown.

This week, the Anchorage School District announced that it is considering the closure of six elementary schools amid a projected $68 million budget shortfall.

Incumbent Heather Savo is running for re-election to the only open school board seat alongside challenger Dianna Schollmeier.

Candidate Dianna Schollmeier is up for the only open school board seat alongside incumbent Heather Savo.

There was a lot of turnover in the Dillingham City School District last spring. The district hired 22 new staff members for this year — a quarter of the entire staff. But some of those teachers don’t leave school after classes end for the day.

As school starts in classrooms across Bristol Bay, students are getting to work — each homework assignment, essay, and quiz a step toward earning their diplomas. Last year, a local principal made an unusual bet with a student to help motivate him to graduate.