OPINION: A strong, thriving downtown Anchorage requires good, vibrant downtown schools

It’s not often you get a group of former mayors from both parties to strongly agree on an issue, but this one has strong support from both Republican and Democratic former mayors. If we want a strong, thriving downtown Anchorage with families who don’t just work downtown, but live here, then we must have strong, vibrant downtown schools — and that includes Inlet View Elementary.

Built in 1957, Inlet View is one of the oldest schools in the district. The student population at Inlet View is more diverse than Anchorage as a whole. And, as the only elementary international baccalaureate, or IB, program, it has become a highly desirable choice for families. This is exactly the kind of public education model we should be supporting when we talk about attracting families and businesses to Alaska and to downtown Anchorage.

Each of our administrations has been keenly focused on the future of downtown Anchorage — one that includes expanding retail, more housing and mixed-use properties, and a thriving energy that attracts locals and tourists alike. Drive through downtown and you can see many of these projects in place or coming to life. But sending a message that we don’t encourage investment in one of the oldest downtown schools will discourage young families from living nearby.

Economic development advocates have told us for years that livable, walkable neighborhoods are essential to attract and retain working age families and grow Alaska’s economy. That is why failing to rebuild a high-performing school that anchors these exact kinds of neighborhoods is not just wrong for students and families, but also for Anchorage’s economy.

If we are serious about a vision for downtown Anchorage that includes more opportunity and a thriving economy, then we need to understand the impact a school like Inlet View plays in that vision. We need to replace the existing 70-year-old school that has major roof, plumbing, heating and sewer problems with the planned new school that will provide students with a better, healthier, newer, more functional learning environment.

We have great respect for our public process, but this conversation has been going on for decades. From the school board to the Urban Design Commission and even the Anchorage Assembly, this plan has been vetted and the Inlet View community and neighbors have made it overwhelmingly clear they support this project.

We know how challenging budget decisions can be, but when the economics and public interest are aligned, the choice is clear. The decision was made even easier by the recent payment of nearly $100 million in school bond debt reimbursement owed to ASD. While they have already allocated approximately $60 million for capital projects across the city, this still leaves more than enough to fund the new Inlet View Elementary School right now.

The four of us are no longer young enough to have children in elementary school. However, sometimes our distance from the personal and political elements of these issues allows us to see them more clearly. It is with that clarity and a commitment to not only students and families, but also the broader downtown Anchorage economy that we urge the Anchorage School Board to finally fund the building of the new Inlet View Elementary School. It is the right choice for our community.

Tony Knowles was mayor of Anchorage from 1982-1988.

Rick Mystrom was mayor of Anchorage from 1994-2000.

Mark Begich was mayor of Anchorage from 2003-2008.

Dan Sullivan was mayor of Anchorage from 2009-2015 and attended Inlet View Elementary from 1959-1963.

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