Juneau Schools

Seven candidates for Juneau Assembly will answer questions about local issues, followed by two candidates for school board.

Superintendent Bridget Weiss says there appears to be a 10% drop in enrollment off of what was forecast in the spring. Among the remaining students, hundreds opted into the district’s home school program.

Students and their families are getting familiar with using Zoom, saying the word “asynchronous” and making other changes for school days without in-person classes.

Students and teachers hope the lessons learned from the quick transition to virtual learning last spring will carry over into the new school year.

Meanwhile, some parents are getting creative. More than 200 people have joined a local Facebook group where they’re matchmaking for small, COVID-19 learning bubbles and child care.

Superintendent Bridget Weiss emphasized that the school district’s decisions around reopening could have wider community impacts.

If Juneau’s public health conditions remain stable, face-to-face classes with small groups of students may begin after Labor Day.

For parents who are uncomfortable physically sending their kids back but don’t want to lose their connection to their neighborhood school, there will be a distance learning option through neighborhood schools. 

While the district touts itself as being one of a few in the country that has a public plan for returning to school, Superintendent Bridget Weiss says it’s still a work in progress.

As national dialogues on race continue to evolve, the Juneau school district is grappling with how to best address race and equity in the classroom.