Anchorage Daily Local Headlines: School budget cuts, major drug sentence, and a small quake

Here’s a quick, city-focused scan of what’s moving in Anchorage as of Wednesday.

Top headlines

• School district budget approved with hundreds of layoffs and three elementary school closures
• Anchorage man sentenced to 14 years in federal case involving drug trafficking and firearms
• Magnitude 2.2 earthquake recorded southwest of Anchorage

1) School district budget: layoffs and three elementary closures

The Anchorage School Board approved a budget plan late Tuesday that includes more than 500 staff cuts, including over 300 teaching positions, as leaders work to close a reported $90 million gap. The plan also calls for closing Fire Lake, Lake Otis, and Campbell STEM elementary schools, following hours of public testimony and debate.

District leaders said the reductions reach across classrooms and support services, with fewer nurses and administrators and larger average class sizes. The budget could still shift if a one-time local tax measure on the April ballot is approved, which officials have said would help restore some teacher positions.

2) Anchorage drug and firearms case ends with a 14-year federal sentence

Federal prosecutors announced an Anchorage man received a 14-year prison sentence tied to methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Court records described a September 2023 arrest involving more than a kilogram of methamphetamine, and a separate October 2023 incident in which a gun discharged during a struggle, injuring an Anchorage police officer. The court also ordered a term of supervised release after prison.

3) Small earthquake recorded southwest of town

A magnitude 2.2 earthquake was logged Tuesday afternoon about 11 miles southwest of Anchorage, at a depth of roughly 29 miles. Small quakes like this are common in Southcentral Alaska, but it’s still a useful reminder to keep a basic emergency plan and supplies current.

Also on the calendar

For a lighter item: a public Science on Tap talk focused on sleep and circadian rhythms in Alaska is scheduled for Thursday evening at a local brewery.

Sources

• https://alaskapublic.org/news/education/2026-02-24/anchorage-school-board-approves-severe-budget-with-hundreds-of-staff-layoffs-and-3-school-closures
• https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak/pr/anchorage-man-sentenced-14-years-drug-trafficking-firearms-crimes
• https://earthquake.alaska.edu/event/aka2026dwwist
• https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/news/archive/2026/02/science-on-tap.cshtml