Mt. Edgecumbe High School students took the helm at the Alaska Board of Education’s fall meeting this week, leading board members through the dorms and halls of the World War II-era campus, and saying their piece on operations at the boarding school, run by the state Department of Education.
At a public hearing on Wednesday morning, Board of Education members heard public testimony from students.
In the business portion of the meeting, state Education Department staff reported on the recommendations of an ad-hoc committee on MEHS that was appointed earlier this year in response to complaints about the operation of the state-run boarding school.
After listening to the ad hoc committee's recommendations, Board members said the recommendations should remain visible, and asked for state education commissioner Deena Bishop’s ideas on what to do next. Bishop was absent Wednesday because of a family event.
MEHS student body president Kadyn Cross told the Sentinel after the meeting Wednesday that he has mixed feelings about the committee, which has only an advisory role.
"The committee recommendations are completely dependent on the state Board of Education and (the Department of Education), and the MEHS administration," said Cross, who served as a student representative on the committee. “How are they going to implement these recommendations?”
The State Board meeting packet included a four-page summary of the committee recommendations.
“We know that there's a lot of different things that could be improved,” Dorothy Chase, an MEHS graduate and former parent, said in public testimony Wednesday. Chase is also a former member of the MEHS Advisory Board, and was on the ad hoc committee.
Chase noted that Edgecumbe students make a great “sacrifice to leave home to go there, but also are committed and ready for challenges and a new commitment with education – students that want to learn and become leaders.”
Student spokesman Cross told the Sentinel his main concern with the school this year is that a smaller teaching staff requires a high student-teacher ratio.
“We have much larger classes this year, and that’s quite concerning to me, because the main reason we came here is for education,” Cross said, noting that the school currently has only 15 classroom teachers.
Cross and Xander Swanson, both third-year juniors from Koyuk, said in public testimony Wednesday that administrators must work on transparency and accountability to rebuild trust with Edgecumbe families. Seven other MEHS stakeholders from Sitka echoed that sentiment in their own public testimonies.
A Sitkan who recently resigned as the school's part-time mental health clinician, asked in public testimony why the school hasn’t filled its full-time mental health clinician position.
“Right now, we don't have a mental health clinician in the dorms, and we only have one wellness person,” said the clinician, Debi Terry. “So the need is great. We have probably almost 20 students that aren't getting any mental health therapy because there's no providers.”
In a presentation on MEHS operations Wednesday, Superintendent David Langford said the school has made significant progress this year. Langford said new principals and staff are bringing fresh energy, and that the school has a new English curriculum, lots of extracurriculars, and state appropriations totaling $24.2 million for infrastructure improvements in this fiscal year.
"Mt. Edgecumbe has a very bright, bright future today compared to where we were a year ago, and not in the least due to the support of the Legislature, but our student body, our parents, everybody working together,” Langford said.
He said that 350 students from across Alaska are currently enrolled in the school.
Among the concerns expressed by stakeholders this past year (2025-26) was the voluntary withdrawal of more than one-fourth of the students enrolled.
Throughout last year, parents and students spoke up about student mental health challenges, and other concerns including leadership, policies, communication, student activities, academic offerings, counseling services and cafeteria food.
Board of Education members responded to those complaints by forming the ad hoc advisory committee.
Cross spoke from the heart Wednesday in his testimony to the Board, sharing his views of school operations and leadership over the past three years.
“I’ve seen a lot happen to Mt. Edgecumbe,” Cross said. “I’ve watched our enrollment drop by over a hundred students in a single year. I’ve seen budget shortfalls force cuts to staff and programs. I’ve seen facilities fall into disrepair… I've also seen students and staff leave because they lost faith in the school, and the system.”
“Through my work on the ad hoc committee, I’ve heard the same concerns from parents, teachers, and students across Alaska,” Cross said.
“This year, things are looking up," he continued. "The Legislature approved millions in funding for repairs. There is a new sense of optimism on campus. But the trust that was lost will not be rebuilt by money alone. It will be rebuilt by transparency, by communication, and by a clear understanding of who is responsible for what.”
Chase made those points in her own testimony, and said MEHS administrators must “continue to be open, honest, and transparent.”
In the later phone call with the Sentinel, Cross said the administration seems more attuned to students’ mental health needs this year than last year.
“The general students will have the right support in place if they ever need to talk to someone, but then someone might need more critical support and Mt. Edgecumbe may not have the right resources,” Cross said.
He noted that Langford said in his presentation that the school is looking to hire a mental health clinician to work in the dormitories.
Cross also emphasized his concerns about school governance, and how those in charge will be accountable to fix issues at MEHS.
“I believe that the Department of Education and Early Development and the state Board of Education do need to clearly define their role within Edgecumbe, because you see a mix of who has what jurisdiction,” Cross said. “How are they going to make sure this isn’t going to happen in the future?”
Cross added that he’s anxious about the outcome of the Alaska governor’s race, as “things could probably shift depending on who’s elected governor, and what their priorities are, for school and education in general.”
“All politicians, in my perspective, say they’re pro-education, but then, you get to really see what they prioritize once they’re in office,” Cross said of his experience advocating for MEHS at a state level during Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s final term.
“I’m hoping that someone that is elected will prioritize education and they will follow through on their promises,” Cross said. “For Edgecumbe, and all the next generations that will come here. … And not just for Edgecumbe, but the whole state of Alaska."
