The doors of what was once North Star Elementary School opened on Aug. 3 for the first time since June of 2025. One wing of the building is now home to the Sun’aq Tribe’s Alutiingcut Child Care Center, which is for two to five year-olds.
On July 31, the building that used to be North Star Elementary School was abuzz with activity.
“You just walked into fixing the ceilings and the Wi-Fi on the same day," said
Montana Sanchez, the childcare administrator for the Sun’aq Tribe.
Contractors examined the ceiling on ladders and teachers pushed carts of supplies. Sanchez showed off some of the classrooms, freshly redecorated with dollhouses and play mats and tables covered with art supplies.
“Every classroom has a birthday board, and we generally put up what their birthday is and a picture of them," she said. "It’s pretty cute.”
Sanchez and the teachers had just three days left to get everything finished before opening their doors for preschoolers on Aug. 3. Both she and the teachers had spent the past three weekends getting everything set up.
She said this transition has been years in the making. The Tribe’s Alutiingcut Child Care Center got its start in 2022 with one classroom at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The center has always accepted all children ages two to five, but with preference for Alaska Native and American Indian families.
As demand grew, they expanded to three classrooms at St. Mary’s. With a long waitlist, and no more room to grow at the parish, Sanchez said moving to the North Star building was the logical next step.
Sadie Coyle, or Ms. Taqu as the kids call her, is the Alutiiq language teacher for the preschool. She’s been with the Alutiingcut Child Care Center since the beginning.
“When we first started, four years ago, we had one classroom, and now eventually we’re gonna have five," Coyle said. "I think that’s a good milestone for us.”
Enrolling at the preschool costs $1,075 per month per child for kids aged 2-3.5, and $1,025 per month per child for the older kids. That hovers around the statewide average of $1,009 per month, according to data from the non-profit First Five Years Fund.
Sanchez said they currently have 35 preschoolers enrolled; they’re planning to enroll 75 kids by December, and they’re hoping to be licensed for a maximum of 110 by next year.
“We already know this is going to be a big change for them, although it’s great," she said. "So we’re going to take it slow, and then hopefully in another month and a half we’ll open another classroom, and after that another classroom.”
Even with the expansion, Sanchez said they still have people on their waitlist.
She said childcare is hard to come by on the island. There are several in-home daycares on Kodiak Island. But the Alutiingcut is the only childcare center, not including the one on the Coast Guard Base Kodiak, which is not accessible to the general public. Preschools at the Lutheran Church and the Kodiak Baptist Mission closed in 2022 and 2025 respectively.
"We just don’t have many options," Sanchez said. "Especially the ages from three to five, it’s such a hard age to find childcare for. We’re really hoping to fill that need.”
The expansion to North Star brings new opportunities. Coyle, the Alutiiq language teacher, said she is excited to finally have her own classroom, with the space to teach the kids Alutiiq dances.
“Dance is my passion, and I want to be able to teach some dances that I've learned for the last 15 years now," Coyle said. "Because they have a lot more fun singing and learning, and adding a little bit of song and tune to the language helps a lot.”
Coyle said she designed the curriculum for her class from scratch, which has been a lot of work and no small amount of stress. But she said it’s all been worth it.
“A couple weeks ago, one of my kiddos looked outside, and it was very sunny, and he said, ‘Oh, Ms. Taqu, it’s macanguq out.’ Just those little moments where I’m like, oh, I’m doing something right, I’m doing something for the community," she said.
After months of work and four weekends spent getting everything ready, the North Star wing opened for childcare on Aug. 3. Sanchez said kids and parents alike were excited to explore the new space.
