Federal grant cut strips $8.9 million from career-training programs

What happened

On September 16, 2025 the superintendent announced the U.S. Department of Education cut a grant ASD uses to fund career and technical education, effective September 30, 2025. The cut removes $3.3 million this year and $8.9 million total through 2027-28, money that pays for six CTE teachers and eight Academy of Anchorage career coaches at the district's eight comprehensive high schools.

Why it matters to families

The Academies of Anchorage program connects high schoolers to career pathways and college credit; losing its coaches without a replacement plan would have reduced that support. The district used existing budget flexibility to keep the eight coach positions funded only through the end of the 2025-26 school year, so the loss becomes a recurring budget problem going forward.

The evidence

The board's recap of the September 16, 2025 meeting quotes the superintendent describing the grant termination notice and dollar figures, and a November 4, 2025 memo documents the board's 6-1 vote to temporarily backfill the eight coach positions.

The source