SFCC meets 6:30 Thursday, Dec. 1, via Zoom

On the agenda will be discussion of the recent election cycle and newly elected representatives as well as thoughts about support of a resolution regarding Nunaka Valley School and keeping that neighborhood school open. Please join us!

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85444090015

Passcode: 440704

Draft resolution:

SCENIC FOOTHILLS COMMUNITY COUNCIL

December 1, 2022 A Resolution Opposing the Closing of Nunaka Valley Elementary School as a Neighborhood School

WHEREAS, Nunaka Valley Elementary School collection area includes the Scenic Foothills Community Council area, and;

WHEREAS, Neighborhood schools are the heart of our community, providing critical services including education, socialization, playgrounds for physical exercise, and motivation for young families to invest their energies and real estate dollars, and;

WHEREAS, school buildings are not easily repurposed due to zoning and traffic restrictions, and having large empty buildings in a neighborhood will depress property values and could become magnets for crime and graffiti, and;

WHEREAS, 5 out of the 6 elementary schools located in the adjacent Northeast Community Council area are Title 1 schools, and Title 1 schools make up *42% of the ASD population of elementary schools, yet account for 83% of the proposed cuts, thus cutting services to the families who need it the most and creating an unacceptable level of inequity and hardship, and;

WHEREAS, the administration’s proposal for Nunaka Elementary will force students to walk along dangerous roadways, increasing the risk of traffic incidents, and;

WHEREAS, the proposed disruptions to Nunaka Valley Elementary will reportedly save a negligible $300K from a $68 million deficit.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED; the SFCC strongly opposes the closing of Nunaka Valley Elementary School as a neighborhood school and encourages the Anchorage School Board to consider school closures as an absolute last option. Should closure eventually be necessary, it must be spread more equitably, not disproportionately, to impact Title 1 services. Additionally, the Anchorage School District must have a suitable, practical plan for repurposing the Nunaka Valley Elementary School building that can be quickly implemented, thus limiting the long-term risk to neighborhood property values.

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