Narrow 7–5 vote approves Anchorage school budget as Chris Constant issues recall warning to dissenters

Photo: Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt offers his insights on the Anchorage School District budget during the March 24, 2026 Anchorage Assembly meeting.

By SUZANNE DOWNING

March 25, 2026 – The Anchorage Assembly approved the Anchorage School District’s FY2026–2027 operating budget Tuesday night in a narrow 7–5 vote, but not before a stern warning by Chairman Chris Constant that included a threat directed at those considering voting no.

The ordinance, AO 2026-21(S), sets the total amount of the school district budget and establishes the local contribution from property taxes and other local sources at approximately $282.98 million. The measure also includes a contingency allowing the budget to increase if voters approve a one-time tax in April of roughly $11.8 million intended to support district operating expenses. That is not the school district’s entire budget. The overall proposed/adopted financial plan for FY2026-27 is approximately $870 million across all funds. That is a budget of more than $20,233 per student.

The spending plan addresses what is described by the district as a roughly $90 million structural deficit facing the Anchorage School District. To close the gap, the school district proposes hundreds of position reductions, increased class sizes, program cuts, and the closure of three elementary schools: Campbell STEM, Fire Lake, and Lake Otis. Some items, including certain sports programs and nursing positions, have been partially restored.

Before the vote, Constant urged members to carefully consider their oath of office and the Assembly’s interpretation of its obligations under the municipal charter. His comments were interpreted by some as a veiled recall threat against members who might vote against the budget.

“I hope members look very carefully into the oath that they swore to uphold the charter,” Constant warned. “You swore an oath… I want members to be very, very thoughtful about the actions that they take tonight in the context of this budget.”

Later in the meeting, Constant stated that the members would be opening themselves up to recall because they would be violating their oath if they did not vote yes on the budget. And he began arguing the point with the Assembly’s own attorneys.

The threat was so direct that Assembly member Daniel Volland asked the Assembly Counsel Dean Gates to address whether a no vote would be a “failure to uphold the charter.”

“That language ‘the assembly shall approve a budget’ does not remove the freedom of an individual assembly member to vote as they see appropriate on an item before the body,” attorney Dean Gates said. The Municipal Attorney concurred.

Constant then angrily argued with the Assembly attorney and the municipal attorney, adding his own interpretation to the charter.

Despite Constant’s threat that they could be recalled, five Assembly members voted against the measure. Assembly member Scott Myers said on the record that he is not afraid of a recall and he’d be a no vote.

Assembly Member Erin Baldwin Day said she could not support the proposal, citing concerns over closing Campbell STEM Elementary to save what she described as a relatively small amount of one-time funding.

“I cannot in good conscience support a budget that does what we’re doing here,” said Baldwin Day. “Not because I don’t support public education… I can get behind pretty much everything that’s in this book. But I’m really struggling with the decision to mortgage an extraordinarily well-built program for $2.2 million in one-time funding.”

Assembly Vice Chair Anna Brawley, who voted yes, emphasized that the vote did not direct how the school district spends the money.

“This budget is ultimately a tax appropriation and authorization action,” Brawley said. “It does not address line items in the budget, it doesn’t direct where the money should be spent… and it does not add policy directives, which are the purview of the school board.”

She described the decision as difficult and warned more hard choices are coming.

“This is one of the hardest votes I remember taking, and unfortunately I don’t think it’s going to be the hardest vote that we’re going to take in the near future,” Brawley said. “Until we make structural changes, this pain will continue.”

During the discussion, Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt told the Assembly the district has lost more than 6,000 students over the past 15 years, equivalent to roughly 14 to 16 elementary schools, contributing to widespread underutilization of buildings and rising per-student costs.

“In practical terms it means if we don’t make reductions to what we’re spending on right now we would be $90 million short,” Bryantt said. “More and more school buildings are underutilized … over the past 15 years, ASD has lost more than 6,000 students.”

Bryantt also noted that many students are shifting to correspondence and other non-brick-and-mortar learning models, further reducing enrollment in traditional schools.

If voters approve Proposition 9 in the April municipal election, the district could restore some positions and programs using the additional tax revenue. If the proposition fails, the district will proceed with the reduced budget adopted Tuesday.

Following the vote, Anchorage School Board Chair Carl Jacobs thanked the Assembly for approving the spending plan despite what he described as difficult circumstances created by the Legislature.

“This budget reflects historic and painful cuts caused by chronic underinvestment from leaders in Juneau, and we know the impact will be felt deeply by students, staff, and families across our community,” Jacobs said.

Last year the Legislature awarded an unprecedented increase to the Base Student Allocation, but this year the education industry and unions are coming back for more.