Letter from the Superintendent
March 13, 2025
Kuspuk Communities,
After years of dedicated effort and advocacy, the Kuspuk School District has secured funding for the much-needed repairs to the Sleetmute School, Jack Egnaty Sr. School. With this critical support in place, the district is working on plans to complete the necessary repairs to ensure a safe and functional learning environment.
The district purchasing teacher housing in Aniak and the need to repair the Sleetmute School has raised questions within the district community. As your Superintendent, I feel it is essential to clarify that these were never competing priorities—this was not a case of choosing one project over the other. Instead, the district has been actively working to address both needs, utilizing available resources in the most strategic way possible.
As a Regional Educational Attendance Area (REAA) with no local tax base, Kuspuk is dependent on state funding for all operational expenses, from paying teachers to repairing facilities. For the past 19 years, the district has consistently applied for state funding to fix the Sleetmute School. To strengthen its efforts, the Kuspuk School Board committed $400,000 from the district’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) fund, district staff secured an emergency construction grant of nearly $1 million, the maintenance department and local community members invested extensive time and effort, and the district hired a lobbyist to advocate for the project. By combining all of these efforts, the district aimed to strengthen the application for state major maintenance funding, making it more competitive and increasing the likelihood of securing the necessary resources to repair the Sleetmute School. These efforts underscore the district’s commitment to addressing the Sleetmute School’s needs, despite the financial challenges of a large-scale project.
At the same time, the district faced a critical challenge in attracting and retaining teachers due to a lack of available housing. To address this, the district used a portion of its CIP funds to purchase housing in Aniak, ensuring teachers and administrators had a place to live. The district’s cost from the CIP fund to purchase both properties, the eight apartment units and the four-plex, totaled just 13% of the total projected cost of the Sleetmute project. These strategic investments immediately strengthened the district’s ability to recruit and retain teachers and allowed for continued progress toward long-term repairs for the Sleetmute School.
Ultimately, the district’s actions reflect a commitment to serving all students, staff, and communities to the best of its ability with the resources available. The decision to purchase teacher housing did not come at the expense of repairing the Sleetmute School—both efforts have been pursued with dedication and persistence. The district remains committed to repairing the Sleetmute School while also ensuring teachers have the housing they need to provide a quality education.
In pursuit of excellence,
Dr. Madeline Aguillard
Superintendent
Kuspuk School District
100 DAYS & BEYONDEducation:
In the classroom:
Letter from the Superintendent
May 17, 2022
Dear Kuspuk School District Communities,
It is a privilege for me to serve as your Superintendent for the 2022-2023 school year. I am excited to spend the months of June and July speaking with our School Board, students, teachers, principals, staff, families, and community members to create an environment of shared understanding and responsibility.
After serving the district for three years as the Director of Special Education and Federal Programs, I am honored to have been selected as Kuspuk's next Superintendent. My contract begins on July 1, 2022, and I am looking forward to the transition time between now and then.
I dedicate myself to improving the educational experiences of students and staff. At the heart of the school community are the people who make up the organization; the individuals are the most important pieces to the success of a school. Through collaboration, hard work, and determination, I am certain our students, staff, and schools will succeed. I look forward to an exciting year of growth for everyone.
In order to ensure success, I developed a transition plan. The purpose of this plan is to build on the good work currently happening, while looking toward the future for continuous improvement. I identified the following goals for my first 100 days:
In alignment with the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development procedures, Alaska statutes, and Kuspuk Board of Education policies and procedures, I promise my decisions will always be made with our students' best interest at heart.
As you may have noticed from my goals for the first 100 days, I believe strongly in building positive relationships with all of KSD's stakeholders, and I am hopeful that I will be able to cultivate these relationships throughout this transition. I invite each of you to stop by the District Office in Aniak for coffee and conversation, or I can be reached directly at maguillard@kuspuk.org. It is an exciting time for Kuspuk School District, and I am looking forward to the year ahead. Please accept my best wishes for a happy and healthy summer.
In pursuit of excellence,
Dr. Madeline Aguillard
Superintendent
Kuspuk School District
