The Kodiak Island Borough will increase how much it will fund its school district by more than half a million dollars. That’s after a unanimous vote by its Assembly on May 29th. But the district still needs money from the state for its budget plan to work.

Alaska school districts hiring from the Philippines are taking some of the country’s best and brightest teachers. It’s a win for Alaska kids, but what does that mean for students back in Southeast Asia? KMXT’s Brian Venua explores brain drain and brain gain in Part 5 of his series, Mabuhay sa Alaska.

Moving to rural Alaska takes a lot of adjustment — especially when you’re coming from a city with a population of 13 million. In Part 3 of Mabuhay sa Alaska, KMXT’s Brian Venua reports on how teachers who have made the move from the Philippines are navigating their new lives in Alaska.

Alaska school districts are ramping up international hiring. For some, that means sending their own recruiters to the Philippines. In Part 2 of Mabuhay sa Alaska, KMXT’s Brian Venua reports that the process can be pretty complicated, and it’s only getting more stressful.

Schools across the United States are facing a challenging teacher shortage as fewer people join the profession compared to the number of folks who retire or leave. To keep schools running smoothly, many districts are looking abroad — namely to the Philippines. In Part 1 of Mabuhay sa Alaska, KMXT’s Brian Venua reports that schools in Alaska are more desperate than most.

The school system's financial situation is only getting more dire, as politicians in Juneau scramble to figure out how to increase funding for schools. It’s submitting a draft budget to local government for approval this week.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is another victim of the Trump administration’s executive order cuts on March 15. The service provided Kodiak nonprofits hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years.

A transformer for the water pump was reported stolen in November and Kodiak Island Borough School District had to truck water there to keep the school open. It has since been replaced and the investigation was closed due to a lack of evidence.

Kodiak has joined the list of Alaska communities that have lost a school in recent years after its school board voted to close North Star Elementary School at a special meeting on Jan. 22.

The board will make a decision at a special meeting on Jan. 22, when it will also consider stratification. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the district services conference room. The meeting will also be broadcast both on KMXT and online. KMXT's Davis Hovey asked Brian Venua to break down some of the highlights ahead of the decision.