Ouzinkie’s head teacher gave the school’s annual presentation for the Kodiak Island Borough School District Board of Education at its meeting on March 11.
The district struggled to keep teachers in Ouzinkie last year, but now has a new pair to lead the elementary and secondary students and is fully staffed this year. The head teacher, Estella Bryans, is in the middle of her first year teaching and living in the village and at KIBSD overall.
In her presentation, Bryans listed a new refrigerator as a top need for the school and said it would help preserve perishable foods like milk for students. The current refrigerator is likely unrepairable.
She also asked the district to clear some overgrown brush near the school building. Bryans said she’s concerned that bears could hide in the brush as kids are playing during recess.
School board members talked with maintenance staff to address both issues during the meeting.
Usually the district would rely on the Alaska ferry system to bring supplies into Ouzinkie, but the Tustumena is on break for the winter, and district staff said they’re looking into other options.