Anchorage School Board Approves Rightsizing Plan Closing Three Elementary Schools

The Anchorage School Board approved an updated rightsizing plan on Feb. 24, 2026, that calls for closing three elementary schools and shifting several programs to consolidate operations. The changes take effect at the end of the current school year.

Enrollment across Anchorage schools has fallen steadily for years while maintenance needs have grown, leaving some buildings underused and others stretched. The district has tracked a 15 percent drop in overall enrollment between 2010 and 2025, according to the district’s rightsizing page, and now faces a maintenance backlog exceeding $1 billion across its 91 schools and support buildings. The average Anchorage school building is nearly 40 years old.

Closures and program moves set for Anchorage

Fire Lake Elementary will close, and the building will be offered to Eagle Academy Charter School. Lake Otis Elementary will also close, with its space offered to Rilke Schule German Immersion School. Campbell STEM Elementary will shut down, after which both the former Abbott Loop Elementary building and the Campbell site will be returned to the Municipality of Anchorage as excess property. Elsewhere in the city, the Montessori program at Tudor Elementary will move to Denali Montessori. Non-immersion students at O’Malley Elementary will shift to Huffman Elementary, turning O’Malley into an alternative French immersion site. Government Hill Elementary will become an alternative Spanish immersion school after its non-immersion students relocate to Inlet View Elementary. The Outreach program now housed at Whaley will move to Benny Benson and SAVE Alternative schools.

The board first directed district staff in December 2024 to identify at least one school for closure or consolidation. Officials evaluated each site on educational services, special program needs, special education requirements, combined-grade classes, current and projected enrollment, and local population trends for young children. The source material notes that students who transferred after earlier closures have performed well in their new buildings, with access to full-time counselors and nurses that smaller enrollments had made harder to sustain.

Next steps for families and staff

Boundary adjustments for the 2026-27 year are posted on the district site, and families can review which schools will receive students from the closing buildings. The district has stated it will provide transition support for students and staff moving between sites, though specific schedules for charter school relocations have not yet been released. The full plan and related board documents remain available at asdk12.org/hot-topics/fy26-rightsize-asd for Anchorage residents to consult directly.