Lower Kuskokwim School District

Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD), or Bethel Public Schools, is a school district headquartered in Bethel, Alaska. As of 2017 it is the largest rural school district in the state, with 4,300 students.[1]

Employment and teacher demographics

In 2017 it had about 300 certified teachers, with about 20% being Alaska Natives, the highest percentage of any Alaskan school district.[1]

The district, as of 2017, pays for the education of prospective teachers, sending them to University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF);[1] the district pays all of a student's costs if he/she goes to UAF; the LKSD board also offers scholarships for students attending other universities. The stipulation is that students who get the scholarships are obligated to teach at LKSD, with one year of teaching per year of scholarship.[2] In 2013 LKSD began requiring teachers without university degrees to work towards getting them, and in 2017 it set a ten-year deadline for doing so. Most of its non-certified teachers taught in rural schools. According to Alaska state law a person without a university degree may still become a full-time teacher if he/she has fluency in a native language of Alaska. The district prioritizes hiring teachers with Yupik language skills and has a preference for local teachers.[1]

In the period 2007-2012 it had an annual teacher turnover rate of 15%,[1] or 60-70 teaching jobs,[2] lower than many rural school districts though higher than urban ones.[1]

Schools

Bethel schools

Regular:

• Bethel Regional High School
• Gladys Jung Elementary School
  • Jung, previously known as the Kilbuck School, serves grades 3–6. As of 2018 its enrollment is about 345.[3]
• Mekelnguut Elitnauriviat School
  • Nicknamed the "M.E. School," it serves grades Kindergarten through 2. As of 2018 it has 260 students and 18 teachers.[4]
• Ayaprun Elitnaurvik School
  • It is a K-6 Yup’ik-English bilingual program that originated from a total immersion language program established in 1995. As of 2002 the school had 197 students. The school occupies space in Mekelnguut Elitnauriviat and Gladys Jung schools; As of 2002 grades Kindergarten through 1 are in the former and the remainder are in the latter.[5]

Other:

• Kuskokwim Learning Academy (KLA) - Bethel

Rural PreK-12 schools

• Joann A. Alexie Memorial School - Atmautluak
  • As of 2018 it has about 118 students.[6]
• Chaputnguak School & Amaqigciq School - Chefornak
  • "Chaputnguak," an old name for Chefornak, is a Yup'ik word referring to an object or thing obstructing a pathway, while the latter is named after the first inhabitant of Chefornak, Alexie Amaqigciq.[7]
• Eek School
  • As of 2018 it has 120 students. It is a bilingual school.[8]
• Rocky Mountain School - Goodnews Bay
  • As of 2018 it has one of the lowest enrollments in LKSD as it has 54 students.[9]
• Kasigluk-Akula Elitnaurvik School - Kasigluk
  • It is a bilingual English-Yugtun school. As of 2018 it has about 120 students.[10]
• Kasigluk Akiuk Memorial School - Kasigluk
  • As of 2018 it has about 100 students.[11]
• Chief Paul Memorial School - Kipnuk
  • As of 2018 it has 190 students.[12]
• Ayagina’ar Elitnaurvik School - Kongiganak
  • As of 2018 it serves 174 students.[13]
• Ket’acik & Apaalluk Memorial School - Kwethluk
  • As of 2018 it has about 250 students and 15 teachers.[14]
• Kwigillingok School - Kwigillingok
  • As of 2018 it has about 119 students, 12 teachers, and 10 other employees.[15]
• Nuniwarmiut School - Mekoryuk
  • In 1984 the building was constructed.[16]
• William N. Miller Memorial School - Napakiak
  • As of 2018 it has 96 students.[17]
• Zacharias John Williams Memorial School - Napaskiak
  • As of 2018 it has 155 students, with 90% classified as learners of English as a second language, 85% are on free or reduced lunch programs, and the majority are of Central Yupik Eskimo origins; that year only two students were not Yupik. That year the school had 34 employees, with four of them being native Alaskans; the employees included 16 teachers. The current building opened in October 2016, and the original building opened in 1982.[18]
• Ayaprun School - Newtok (moving to Mertarvik)
  • As of 2018 the school has 128 students, 12 teachers, and 27 other employees.[19] Mertarvik Pioneer School is the continuation,[20] as people from Newtok are moving to Mertarvik due to erosion of the former.[21] As of 2020 it uses temporary facilities in the Mertarvik Education Center (MEC) before a permanent school is to be constructed. The school has teachers using English and Yugtun as mediums of instruction.[22] The Mertarvik school's initial enrollment was 10 and it began operations on October 14, 2019.[23] It initially had four teachers with half using each language as a medium.[22]
• Negtemiut Elitnaurviat School - Nightmute
• Anna Tobeluk Memorial School - Nunapitchuk
  • As of 2018 the school had 203 students, 15 certified teachers, and 16 classified employees. English is the sole language of instruction at Tobeluk.[24]
• Qugcuun Memorial School - Oscarville
  • As of 2018 the school had 13 students. It is a bilingual English-Yup'ik school.[25]
• Arviq School - Platinum
  • Due to a decline in student enrollment it closed in Spring 2001, but it reopened in October 2007. As of 2018 the school had 20 students.[26]
• Kuinerrarmiut Elitnaurviat School - Quinhagak
• Nelson Island School - Toksook Bay
• Lewis Angapak Memorial School - Tuntutuliak
  • As of 2018 the students are Yupik people.[27]
• Paul T. Albert Memorial School (PTAMS) - Tununak
  • It is a bilingual English-Yugtun school. As of 2018 there are about 108 students at the school, all Alaska Natives.[28]

References

1. Demer, Lisa (2017-02-04). "Kuskokwim schools want local teachers with both college credentials and Yup'ik skills". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
2. MacArthur, Anna Rose (2016-12-16). "Lower Kuskokwim schools reduces turnover, improves education with local teaching scholarships". KTOO. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
3. "Gladys Jung Elementary School." Gladys Jung Elementary School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
4. "Welcome to M.E. School!" Mekelnguut Elitnauriviat School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
5. "Ayaprun Elitnaurvik." Ayaprun Elitnaurvik. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
6. "About Us." Joann A. Alexie Memorial School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
7. "Chefornak." Chaputnguak School & Amaqigciq School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
8. "Eek School." Eek School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
9. "Rocky Mountain School." Rocky Mountain School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
10. "Akula School." Kasigluk-Akula Elitnaurvik School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
11. "Akiuk Memorial School." Kasigluk Akiuk Memorial School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
12. "Chief Paul Memorial School." Kasigluk Akiuk Memorial School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
13. "Ayagina'ar Elitnaurvik." Ayagina'ar Elitnaurvik. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
14. "Ket'acik & Aapalluk Memorial School." Ket'acik & Aapalluk Memorial School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
15. "Kwigillingok School." Kwigillingok School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
16. "Nuniwarmiut School." Nuniwarmiut School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
17. William N. Miller Memorial School." William N. Miller Memorial School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
18. Z.J. Williams Memorial School." Zacharias John Williams Memorial School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
19. "Ayaprun School." Ayaprun School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
20. "Home". Ayaprun School. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
21. Kim, Greg (2019-10-22). "After 20 Year Wait, Newtok Residents Leave Home To Pioneer Mertarvik". KYUK. Bethel Broadcasting, Incorporated. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
22. "Newtok Planning Group Newtok Relocation News". Alaska Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
23. "First Residents Move to Mertarvik" (PDF). Alaska Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
24. "Anna Tobeluk Memorial School." Anna Tobeluk Memorial School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
25. "Qugcuun Memorial School." Anna Tobeluk Memorial School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
26. "Arviq School." Arviq School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
27. "Lewis Angapak Memorial School." Lewis Angapak Memorial School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
28. "Paul T. Albert Memorial School." Paul T. Albert Memorial School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.

External links

• Lower Kuskokwim School District